Breastfeeding at night

[SMBT]

My DD is at it again, but this time its not only three times a night for feeds, its five. The doctor told me that three times was fine, but I haven't told him about the five feeds. A lot of the time I think it is for comfort, as she won't take a dummy but screams the house down if I don't feed her, and she is nuzzling at me to get to my boobs. I think she may be teething, but as usual can't see any teeth or white spots. So don't really know! She is on three solids a day, plus snacks plus three bf's a day, and then at night its (at the moment) 9.30, 12am, 1.30am, 3am, 4.30am and then up at 6.30am. Used to only be 11pm, 2am and then 5am.:(

I want to start weaning her at the end of this month, but I'm afraid that night time will become utter chaos. Has anyone weaned with this same problem and did it cause more bedtime or should I say middle of the night hassles, or not? HELP ME please!

[poshBecks]

Boy that's a lot of feeds! Have you tried control crying? I found that helped me with ds!!

[SMBT]

I have done controlled crying with her and she puts herself to sleep every day, but at night she won't resettle herself. That is why I'm wondering whether she is in fact hungry or not!

[lukaelmo]

Melissa, little dude has started to do this too, after sleeping for a seven hour stretch at night now he goes for about three hours at a time :(

I thought he might be teething too.

When I feed him though, he is hungry, so perhaps a growth spurt??

[Goosie22]

What about putting the baby into bed with you and just going to sleep while she feeds? She obviously needs to be near you for some reason.:)

[addictedtobabe]

Melissa you must be exhausted poor thing!

Have you tried giving water in a bottle. When my babe work during the night I wasn't convinced he was hungry so my Dh went in and put a bottle of boiled water in his mouth - he drank and then looked disgusted, then had a whinge for awhile and then slept. We did this for 3 nights and since then he has been fine.

Different things work for different people but my sister in law took her son into her bed when he was 2 months old and he didn't leave it until he was 9!!! No surprise they have no other children!

[SugarBlossom]

My little bundle of joy has done this since birth, he's now 6 mths.

I have given up on the dream of undisturbed sleep (*Bliss*!) but have him in our bed and find thats pretty good....he finds boobie on his own usually.

I like this option much better than controlled crying....babies only cry when they need something ...or you.

Maybe just try it for one night and see how you all like it:)

[Goosie22]

my sister in law took her son into her bed when he was 2 months old and he didn't leave it until he was 9!!! No surprise they have no other children

I Co-sleep and BF and my husband thinks its a good thing because he is not restricted to always "Do it" in the bed, it spices up your life. He hits me up for it anywhere anytime its like we are randy teenages again (9years later)!!!!!!

[cosmic]

I'm no expert but could it be a growth spurt? Maybe it will just be a short-term thing.

Also don't they go through a bit of separation anxiety at around 8mths? So it could be just that she does want to be near you... in which case the co-sleeping thing could solve all your problems. If she is going through separation anxiety, I'm not sure leaving her to cry would be a great thing for her. Just my random thoughts. :)

[SMBT]

Thanks everyone, you are being very helpful. :)

I already co-sleep once she wakes up, I feed her, we fall back to sleep together and then wakes and feeds again and then I put her back in her cot, so maybe it is a bit of separation anxiety, especially seeing I let her sleep in the bed a lot of the time.

I have also tried bottle water and she hates it. She literally spits it out and then searches for my boob to suck.

Although, last night she slept and only woke up three times 10pm. 2am and 5am. So hopefully it was just a growth spurt and she might start to settle down.

[cosmic]

oh that's good! Hopefully things will settle back down for you. :)

[AM]

You know, during the first year or so, the speed of development which a baby undergoes is simply phenomenal, and with all of that going on, learning to roll, crawl, walk etc, as well as teething, all the other exciting things the learn every day, there is a lot going on in their heads, even asleep.
So it is not the best recipe for completey settled sleep!
Add to that the fact that babies really do need nutrition and comfort 24 hours a day, I think that is why I decided to co-sleep and nurse, it was simply the only way I would feel rested.

Have you read the book "The no cry sleep solution"? By Elizabeth Pantley, or Night-time Parenting By Dr Sears?
Both books are worth their weight in gold as far as I am concerned.