Breastfeeding to sleep.

[Cakey]

Oscar was a fantastic sleeper when he hit about 3 months, he would do from about 10/11pm until 5/6 am. Then we had the 4 month regression and it just went to hell but now he's 20 weeks old and it's even worse. I think he's teething really bad so bare that in mind but he will wake up every 2 hours (or less) and there is absolutely nothing I can do other than feed him to get him back to sleep. I've tried not to feed him and calm him other ways (dummy, offering water, patting, sshing, stroking his head, picking him up, rocking him) but he is absolutely hysterical until I BF him. I've had him weighed and he's off the charts so packing on lots of weight, which the HVs really don't like so they've said I have to stop feeding him so much. That is really REALLY not easy when he is throwing himself around and red in the face with screaming, I just can't listen to that and it's disturbing OH's sleep for work as well. I'm at my wits end and sick of conflicting advice from everyone I see. The only thing that helps him sleep longer is co-sleeping and whilst I sleep for longer, it's a really light sleep. I really have no idea what to do anymore, do I just carry on what I'm doing or make my baby bloody miserable when he's probably feeling crap anyway? Thanks

 

[Goat]

Oh Hun! What terrible advice they're giving you!! Definitely feed to sleep if that's what he wants! Putting on weight is such a brilliant sign, the chubbier the better! As soon as he starts crawling/walking a lot of that chub will go. My eldest was born on the 50th centile and jumped to the 99th and was so chubby! She's now 2.6 and a perfectly healthy size. So don't worry about that! It's perfectly normal for them to want to have a feeding frenzy at that age, they may not necessarily be hungry but it gives them a comfort they can get from nothing else.
As for co-sleeping, I did that with my youngest for the first 7 months at which point she got way too fidgety so I did a bit of very gentle sleep training and got her sleeping in her cot and now at 9 months she will sometimes wake once, maybe twice and sometimes sleeps through. So don't worry if you think you're creating a rod for your own back by co-sleeping - whatever gets the most sleep for everyone is the winning method in my opinion.

Hope tonight is better for you!x

 

[littlemonkey]

Do what works!!!!

Don't listen to anyone who comes out with all the clap trap about making a rod for your own back with a four month old. I have two boys who both started sleeping through by 12 weeks and I did everything the nay sayers advise against - rocking, cuddling and feeding to sleep. The only thing I didn't do was co-sleeping, purely for my own comfort.

My eldest was an absolute nightmare when his first teeth came in and it was about two weeks of hell before they cut through!! I just did what I could to get us all through it. It you haven't already, do try him with some teething gel or calpol/nurofen if it seems to be bothering him.

 

[sorpresa_bea]

Go with what your motherly instinct tells you. My now 27 week old was doing the same about the same time. I was going crazy with exhaustion and thinking it would never change. I still breastfed him every time he woke every couple hours (sometimes less) in the night. I think it was a mixture of developmental milestones and teething.

His two front teeth are finally out, and he's also more at ease with all the motor skills changes he was going through at the time. I'm glad to say that it gradually went to feeding every 3'hours, every 4-5 and now for the past week he's sleeping through from 8 pm to 8 am with one feed at midnight. Bliss!!

Hang in there mama. It will pass. Meanwhile, I tried to give my little one all the love and nurture he needed at the time.

 

[Nutsyputs]

My son was a terrible sleeper (still is at times!) and we used to everything to get him to sleep. I began worrying and thought like you I was making a rod go my own back. I'm not sure where but I read somewhere that put it in perspective for me. How many people do you see going to university that still need rocking/feeding to
sleep?! Eventually they grow out of it. My son took
till about 8 months to stop being fed to sleep

 

[kitten2014]

littlemonkey our lil miss is now seriously teething, tried the gel last night which seemed to calm her as think it gets worse at night and as she's swaddled she cant self soothe, during the day she is cranky straight after feeds so have this dummy that has teeth soothers on it shaped for the mouth softer in the middle for the front teeth and that seems to help (when she isnt trying to grab it ferociously and not understanding that it isnt meant to be pushed down her throat lol...she's had two days so far, they say the longer they teeth the more teeth r coming through, is that right? didnt expect teething at 4months I must admit but the signs were all there, qty of drool doubled two wks ago, she started putting things in her mouth but two days ago the knawing/growly monster appeared lol...

 

[Rooster30]

I echo what everyone else says, just do what you need to do. Hopefully it's a phase and your LO will return to how he was soon enough. Good luck

 

[Cakey]

Thanks everyone, it's made me feel so much better. I obviously just have to do what is best for Oscar.
Has anyone else had quite a heavy baby? I don't know what the HVs will say if he carries on putting so much weight on, I have to keep going back to get him weighed because he's on Ranitidine so I need to keep track xxxx

 

[CARNAT22]

I feed to sleep as well... I do it for almost every sleep (unless she is in the pram)

Bee is small - 9th centile - but I honestly do not think size is the issue here.

Breast fed babies often feed to sleep, it's awful advice to tell you to stop this. I am pretty anti HV anyway (I think the majority if them are useless from my experience and anecdotal evidence) but whoever told you to stop feeding so much is being ludicrous.

Breast fed babies do not overfeed.

Also if co sleeping helps then go for it. It's the only way I've managed any sleep with Beatrice. Although she is at that wriggly, fidgety stage and we're gradually trying to get her in her cot-bed (which has a side removed and is pushed right up against my bed)

X

 

[Anna.Femm]

I've been breastfeeding my boy to sleep ever since he was born. He too was awesome at first waking up just once every night, but it all went downhill later on. I know it can be really exhausting and he too has had weeks when he slept for up to 3 hours at a time and wouldn't go back to sleep unless he fed. I totally agree with everyone telling you to do whatever works for you and keep breastfeeding your LO if that's what he needs.

A week or so before he filled 9 months, I was hitting the wall with sleepless nights because my boy was teething. I was getting so exhausted and upset that I started getting desperate... Anyway, I went to the HV for some other reason and she wasn't there so I was sent to another HV for that one time and I asked what I can do about my baby waking up so often during the night.

I don't recommend this to you now, but you might find it helpful later: She asked me how many times the baby wakes up and it was 2-3 then, so she said to breastfeed like normal the first time and when he wakes up again, leave the room and have my OH give the baby water and cuddles and put him back to sleep. She said they usually stop waking up for a feed after 3-4 nights, then do the same for the first feed. I didn"t believe it would work but it actually did! It only took about a week and our baby slept all through the night or woke up only once. He'd cry for about a minute and then go back to sleep usually within 10 minutes.

I'd say I'm really happy with it now, but he started with kindergarten yesterday and last night he woke up about about 8 times and wouldn't stop crying unless I either breastfed him or sang to him... So I guess it's another 2-3 weeks of that until he gets used to that one. Oh well :S