8 Months and Night Feeds

[LisaJ1986]

Just a query really!
We've been really working hard on our nighttime routine to get Angel to sleep in her cot. Now we have been successful for over a week. During that week she has been sleeping for around 7 hours-ish then feeding and going back to sleep.

As from Christmas Eve She has been literally on the boob majority of the night, coming off for around half an hour to sleep then back on for a feed again! And it is a very good feed she's having!

I'm exhausted!!! Especially since Christmas has been so bloody busy! This afternoon is the first chance i've had to relax before going to bed!!!

Please help me! I need sleep!
I've attempted trying a bottle again! She had some at my sisters after helping herself to my nephews bottle So i've given it a go in the day at home, where she had 2oz. Is it worth giving her just before bedtime?

 

[Magic Monkey]

I have no bf experience, but could she be having a growth spurt? Ella has started waking up starving in the night again in last couple of wks having had no night feeds since she was about 5 months! So, a bottle before bed may not make a difference, as Ella has 9oz of formula before bed and still wakes up!

Also from talking to friends it seems that they want a night feed again when teething, so could also be that?

 

[heles7]

how is Angel doing with weaning? is she having solids during the day? when james reached 7 months i chatted to the health visitor who assured me that as he was having three good meals a day that he does not need night feeds - he's taking them as more comfort.

A bit sceptical we tried to settle him back to sleep without a feed and it worked without any resistance so he obviously didn't them. He's know waking a lot less frequently.

HV's suggestion has things not gone so smoothly was to give him a small amount of porridge or something for supper before giving him his bedtime booby feed. Is that something you could try?

 

[LisaJ1986]

She has 4 meals a day!
She has breakfast, lunch, tea and a whole weetabix for supper!!! But if i try not to feed her in the night she gets very frustrated with her mouth open (like they do as newborns).

 

[loz]

Emms feeds in the night too. I'm going to start reducing my BF now, so that I just BF in the evening and bottles in the day and then stop BF altogether when she is 1 yr. I dont think she actually needs a feed as she slept through the night for 2 months from 3.5-5.5 months. Now she is bigger and weaned she shouldnt really need it,I think she's just used to it as a way of getting back to sleep. I am dreading stopping BF as I dont know what she will do in the night.

I cant really help other than offering and hope that it's a phase? Are you going to continue to BF for quite a while longer?

 

[Bloom]

I have no help Lisa as im all over the place with Sophies routine shes waking in the night all the time too but your not alone.

 

[kalia]

Our health visitor said that they don't need night feeds but they wake up because they are used to being fed and so produce stomach acid. She said to give water instead (that may be after giving reduced feeds at night for a few days, I can't remember) and that would fill her at the time but get her body to stop producing the stomach acid at that time.

I don't know how true this is or if giving water would work as we have just continued with night feeds. Middle of the night is OH's responsibility but he's not good at adadpting If he doesn't want to try to stop her waking so he doesn't have to get up at night I figure it's not my business.

 

[Bloom]

Our health visitor said that they don't need night feeds but they wake up because they are used to being fed and so produce stomach acid. She said to give water instead (that may be after giving reduced feeds at night for a few days, I can't remember) and that would fill her at the time but get her body to stop producing the stomach acid at that time.

I don't know how true this is or if giving water would work as we have just continued with night feeds. Middle of the night is OH's responsibility but he's not good at adadpting If he doesn't want to try to stop her waking so he doesn't have to get up at night I figure it's not my business.

I do think there is some truth in that but when ive tried not offering the breast she wakes up completly and will NOT settle untill i give in so i end up being awake for 3 times as long so i go for the easy option Im hoping she will improve with age but im still waiting.

 

[BabyMagic]

We are still waking every night. Most often she wakes up in the early night and then has a longer sleep. Like last night she woke up 1am or 2am (can't remember) and then slept until 8am.

Tbh, I know she wouldn't need a feed and would fall asleep if I walked her around. I tried it but then I ended up waking up properly and couldn't fall back asleep that quickly. Plus she kept waking up even more often. So as we co-sleep I just let her feed, and I don't even wake up properly, and can't remember in the morning how many times she fed.

Like Bloom I am hoping it will all magically improve given time

 

[Bloom]

Well last night dd fell asleep at 8.30 so i put her to bed when normally shes up till 10/11 and i didnt wake her for a dream feed at 10/11 and she woke up at 1 then slept through till 7.30 so all in all a good night for us lets see if the early bedtime can continue.