Hi

I am exclusively bf my 17 week old. Only problem is that for the last 10 days she's gone from feeding once in the night to 4 or 5 times a night. Last week I put it down to the hot weather but she's still doing it now. How can I get her to feed less at night? I really don't want to give a bottle of formula before bed but I also want some more sleep.

Any ideas what's best to do?

She could be ready to try solids or maybe shes having a growth spurt.
Have you tried weaning yet?
xxxx

was also going to say maybe its time for weaning? whatslo like in the day? is she settled after feeds then?

Maybe its just a growth spurt, make sure your eating well and drinking plenty. Also it could just be for comfort. Will your lo take a dummy? may help them to get back to sleep.
I used to co sleep during growth spurts so lo could feed self without me barely waking and it helped us through many a nights!

I had wondered if it was a growth spurt but it has been going on for a long time now. I must admit (hv's don't shoot me) I have been bringing her into bed with me for some sleep and she sleeps better in with me. I do think it is partly for comfort. She won't take a dummy any more and during the day she sucks her thumb but isn't keen on settling herself at night without food.

I have noticed that she is feeding a lot during the day too sometimes hourly rarely 3 hourly. She is showing signs of being ready to wean but I do think she is far to young and I am quite determined to exclusively breastfeed for as long as possible. I had wondered today though which would be better a formula top up or a few spoons of baby rice?

Thanks for your replies so far

DB

If you really want to ex bf'd I'd try a spoon of baby rice at tea time? What I did when ex bf'ing was express twice during the day to get about 6/7 oz then use ebm to top my lo up and that seemed to work for us x

This sounds just like me and Noah! Have you found an answer yet? I've been trying baby rice for a wk now and he is back to waking once or twice a night but he is now waking every hr in the eve (between 7-11) after I've put him down, having a small feed then going back off. I really want my evenings back and some more sleep! He also just about manages tp go 2 hours between feeds in the day and that is with a little baby rice am and pm (although I don't think he swallows much as he is still 2 little really - 19 weeks). Let me know how u go on or if u have found anything that helps x

hi, my dd who is now 21 weeks old started waking more in the night a few weeks ago so i tried a bottle of formula but she just refused the bottle to start with so after seeking advice on here i started giving her baby rice at tea time and it did seem to help a little, she then started taking the bottle and would have a formula feed just before bed in the evening as well as the baby rice at tea time. She now has 3 meals a day and and one formula feed, i bf the rest of the time. She seems much happier and only usually wakes 1-2 times and they are not really because she is hungry more for comfort as she just latches on and then goe back to sleep .
I too wanted to exclusivley breastfeed until she was 6 months and ready for weaning ( as i had to stop bfing my other dd at 3 months) but it just didn't happen that way, i did get a upset as i had set myself this target of bfing for 6 months and then weaning etc but i shouldn't have done that because i just got really stressed out until my health visitor told me to go with what i thought she needed and so thats what i did and now we are both happier and i still get to bf her too which is what i wanted.
xxx

Thanks ladies for your responses. DD has calmed slightly and only woke up 3 times two nights and had injections yesterday so I'm going to go with her for the next few days and see what she's waking like then in relation to weaning. I am so glad fro your responses that I'm not the only one having problems with lots of night time wakenings.

My son kicked into 3 -4 extra feeds in 24hrs at around 17-18wk and so started weaning. Not too many probs with that and it reduced the problem straight away. Now he is 6mth and suddenly sleeps all night with 3 good meals a day from maybe 7.30pm to 6.30pm with the odd glitch depending on leaky nappies and now teething. It will improve just when you think it never will. Sometimes they are ready for abit of baby rice and you can do that for days before thinking of anything else to try. Formula doesn't necessarily solve the problem either.
Do you lie down to feed with baby in your bed that will help with some rest. I used to doze off on occassion and he would too and put him in cot when i woke and remembered but its how we got through some bad nights.