Baby Still Feeding Several Times Through the Night

This is very normal for breastfeed babies. I am a breastfeeding mom of a 4 1/2 month old myself. Breast milk digests a lot faster than formula so they get hungry faster. My baby girl wakes up MULTIPLE times a night as well. Though it is hard with limited sleep the benefits of breastfeeding make it worth while. My first daughter started sleeping through the night once I weaned her at 13 months.

sounds like she is ready to start on rice and/or solid foods. I wans't able keep up with my son's eating habits so at 3 months I started giving him rice in his bottles and at 4 months my doctor told me that he was ready for solids (jar food)and since I started that he only wakes up about once a night for a bottle, which he now holds the bottle himself so I now get more sleep! I would call her doctor and ask if she is ready. good luck!

She may be ready to start on rice cereal. The moment we started giving my son formula before bed (at 3 weeks old), he started sleeping through the night. About 2 months later, he started to wake up again and want to eat. We started him on rice cereal with his formula before bed and it took care of the problem right away. She may not be filling up like she used to.

I'm not suggesting switching her to formula necessarily, but if you haven't given her rice yet, she may be ready for it.

4 1/2 months is still very young and it's common for a baby that age to still be eating at night. However, she doesn't need to, maybe just once. You'll have to try to soothe her back to sleep without eating, you can try offering a bottle of water though, sometimes that helps. She is going to put up a fight and you are going to have some sleepless nights, but likely within a week she will have gotten the message that you are not going to give in. Also, it's just harder with a breastfed baby especially if she is sleeping with you. You may also want to think about putting her in her own bed now because if she's next to you all night, smelling your milk it's going to be a lot harder to break her of nighttime feeding. Good luck. Oh and look into a book called "No-Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley, she gives lots of advice on breaking baby of eating at night, even while co-sleeping.

you should try feeding her during the day and letting her sleep in her crib...then try it at night...I started letting my son sleep on his belly around 3 1/2 months..and wow...he
would only wake up maybe 2 times at night...around 12 and 4ish..so it was great...

Dear B. K.

Now, stop saying that you have lots of tattoos, you have them, so just don't think that you have to tell people. I am sure that they are beautiful. In the long ago times, the people who had tattoos were the revered leaders and important people of their communities.

O.k., now to the baby and night time. I really do not have any personal experience with this, but my grand daughter in law kept the baby with her and just pushed him away when he wanted to eat all of the time. I think that she lost a husband by doing so, because the baby would cry, and Dad would go to the couch. Soooo. Think about it. Maybe just getting up and feeding for a while will be worth it. Also, it gets the baby too used to having to sleep with you or someone, and he or she needs to develop a confidence in being alone. You are in for a lot of hard nights, but there would be a lot more if you do not take positive steps now.

Let's see the baby is 4 1/2 months now and will probably be doing this for how much longer?

You know, you are lonely, just being new to California, you need friends. You can find them at the local church. The people would love you and all of your kids too. If it is a small community, you probably would be able to make good friends and get great advice and loving support from them. They are probably dying to meet you anyway. Try it, you will like it!

If you don't feel comfortable going to church - just do it! They won't bite you and guaranteed you will meet nice people.
You don't have to do anything. Just sit there and be quiet and sing and do what they do.

I am almost 76 years old and I left my own long time church because of some things that were happening that I couldn't live with. So I went to a new church. I kept thinking that was crazy for an old lady to go to another church - but I did, and I know what it is like to make new friends, and learn new ways in a different church. I lived to tell about it. So you can too.

Baby will grow up soon, Love, C. N.

Ok so don't panic! I have 3 kids and my youngest is 13 months. All three kids co-slept with me until 6 months. I am a really light sleeper and I just got more sleep if I nursed the kids right back to sleep. 6 months was the charmed age for all 3 kids that we decided to move them to the crib and we did it "cold" turkey. They all cried it out (my middle child cried for 4 hours but my last child didn't cry at all). By six months their tummies can go for 6-8 hours without eating-ask your doctor. Good luck.

I did the same thing you did. What my doctor told me was that breastmilk is thinner than formula and so they need to feed more frequently, but it is still the best option. For my son, he slowly turned 3 into 2 feedings and then about at 7 months he was down to 1. I let that go on until he was about 9 months old, then we finally let him cry it out and he eventually got over needing those feedings in the night.

Good luck.

ALL I CAN SAY IS IF YOU FIND GOOD ADVICE TAKE IT AND STICK TO IT BECAUSE MY SON IS ALMOST 13 MONTHS OLD AND HE STILL IS UP THREE TO FOUR TIMES A NIGHT BECAUSE I STARTED HIM WITH THAT HABBIT AND NOW I AM AFRAID THAT THIS WILL LAST FOR A LONG TIME. ALL PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME IS TO LET HIM CRY IT OUT,BUT THE EXPERTS SAY NOT TO,BEACUSE OF THE BABIES BLOOD PRESSURE GETS HIGH WHEN THEY GET TO THAT SCREACHING CRY WHICH THEY EVENTUALLY GET TO WHEN YOU ATTEMPT THAT METHOD.
GOOD LUCK!!! BUT STOP NOW BEFORE YOUR IN MY SHOES.I BASICALLY HAVEN'T SLEPT THREW THE NIGHT FOR A YEAR :(

Any time now!!! My son is 5 months old and we choose to co-sleep and nurse. JUst in the last few weeks he has decided that he would rather sleep than nurse during the night. Now he falls asleep about 8:30(nursing) sometimes nurses at 10:00 (when I go to bed)then sleeps through until about 6:00am.

Good luck!!! It feels really rough now but this dosen't last long in the whole scheme of things...

I don't really see that as a bad habit. If that is what you need to do to get her to go to sleep. She will grow out of the needing you so much, and when she does you will long for the nights when she HAD to have you to sleep. It is comfort for her to be next to you. You can try putting her to bed in her own bed at first then bringing her in to your bed after the first time she wakes up. When she is used to that you can try feeding her when she wakes up and putting her back in her own bed to sleep till she needs to eat again. But all that means less sleep for you too, it is all a toss up of what you need more... your own sleeping space or your sleep *smile* Breastfeeding is the best way to bring a child through their first year, it forges the mother child connection that will be there for life and it gives them the healthiest start possible.
You are a mother and on the lips of children that word means LOVE. Keep up the good work!

Personally, I don't think letting your baby sleep with you is a bad habit, though everyone will tell you it is. Truthfully, all the moms I know who's kids don't sleep in bed with them wind up getting up in the middle of the night anyway to sleep in bed with them...

I think you just have to decide if letting you baby cry it out is okay with you. Your baby is so young it would be hard to let her cry.
My child sleeps w/me because I'm nursing & it's so much easier, we both sleep better. I do get up still at least once or twice in the night & she's 19 months. (when I say get up I mean roll over & nurse her) It works for us though...we actually get more sleep then if she is crying & I have to get out of bed. I'm less frustrated.

I have a pack N play next to my bed. At around 9 or 10 months if she just wouldn't nurse to sleep but it's bed time I put her in there, she goes to sleep without crying. I went through allot of emotional turmoil & sleep dep at first...reading the sleep sharing section in the baby book by dr. sears helped me allot. Remembering how fleeting this time when your child is so little & needy & trying to enjoy it... Good luck...responding to your baby's needs in a way that feels natural is the best thing you can do for her.

I did that with my now 4yr. old. I found you can just keep it up no harm no fowl- but I do suggest that your baby get use to sleeping in her own bed sooner than later I didn't get mine out until he was almost 2. Back to breast feeding, I don't know about you but it is soooo much easier to sleep w/baby at night just for that. and it sounds like you do on demand feeding as I myself do with my 1 month old and did w/my 4 yr. old. A friend had suggested to me at one point to formula feed at night so baby could sleep longer and also easy way to get baby out of bed. hope that helps a little. good luck, either way!

I am the proud mother of two breastfed girls. my first daughter is now 5 and I breastfed her until she was 14 months. My Second daughter is 7 1/2 months and still latched. Breast milk is healthier for your child but it also goes right through them and that is why they feed so often. My baby still wakes up at least 3 times a night to be fed. Some nights are better that others depending on how well she eats before i breast feed her. Do you give your baby cereal yet? if not you may try starting to give her some before feeding her to go to sleep for the night it can at least let her sleep a little longer. Breastfeeding has its easy's (no bottle making) and it's hard's (more feeding times) but it is totally worth the bond you create with your baby. Good luck with everything!

B.,
I had this same problem with my son until about month 4, when I was given this amazing book called Babywise. I can't remember who the author is, but after two weeks, my son was sleeping for 10 hours straight at night. The best trick I learned is to get them on a very strict routine until they are ok sleeping through the night and then you can be more flexible. We started by giving him a bath, then putting lotion on and doing a little baby massage on his legs and arms, put him in his pjs, gave him a bottle, then straight into the crib. As he's gotten older, we've added new things to the routine like reading a book and brushing the teeth. He turns 1 in two weeks and I don't think I would have kept my sanity if it weren't for this book. It tells you all about how to drop night feedings, and gives helpful suggestions for getting them into eating/feeding routines. We are flexible with his schedule, but having a schedule has got him sleeping for 11- 12 hours at night now. Hope this helps!

Hi there. Sounds fairly normal to me since your brestfeeding. But I wonder if she is just needing the breast to help her get back to sleep? Are you against pacifiers? They can come in handy if all your daughter needs is to suck for comfort. Most babies fall back to sleep with the pacifier and thats all but some wake up everytime if falls out so it dependsif it'll work for you.
My twins were waking up several times a night into their fifth month and I started taking advise from a book that said to try and "tank up" with several cluster feedings in the two or three hours before bed and then do a "dream feed" say around ten or eleven (depending on when you go to bed) and then try and not feed for that 1-2 am waking...try to sooth another way. and then go ahead and feed if she wakes up again between 3-5am.
This worked for me so it might help you. Hope so. If your interested that book is called
The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems (by Teaching You How to Ask the Right Questions): Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood by Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau

You did not start a bad habit by putting her into bed with you. She would still wake up for feedings if she slept alone and maybe even more often. At this stage, I don't think she is latching on for comfort, this happens later. Don't give up unless it is absoulty not comfortable for you anymore. Breast feeding is the best thing for your baby, in more ways then one. Even mental development is increased by it. You should also contact La leche league, by phone or email - it is free! They can give you a lot of advice! I proudly nursed ny daughter for 18 months, without a pacifier or bottles. But, I was also was a stay at home mom. It doesn't work for everyone. Each baby and mommy are different and have differnt needs. Do it as long as both of you are comfortable.

I feel your pain! The truth is, breastfed babies tend to eat more often than formula-fed babies. Having your baby in bed with you isn't creating a problem- you don't have to stop co-sleeping unless you want to for other reasons. If she were in a separate bed, I bet she'd wake just as often, and you'd have to get up and go to her, which means less rest for you. Your milk supply changes from day to day based on how much she nurses. Her appetite changes from day to day, just as yours does. Unless you're positive she doesn't need to eat (she might be getting your supply ready for a growth spurt), witholding feedings might cause problems. If she really is just comfort nursing (the fluttery suckles with infrequent swallowing), you can try several things. Feed her more often during the day, especially in the evening. At night, once her nursings have gone from active swallowing to comfort suckling, pop her off. Also, if she's nursing herself to sleep, try popping her off before she's out. Soothe her to sleep in other ways- lay her down and sing to her, play soft music, croon or shush her, rub her back or legs (whatever she likes). If you want to put her in a crib, try staying in the room while she falls asleep rather than leaving and coming back every few minutes. There's a really good book called the No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. It helped me get my little all-night snacker down from 8-9 wakings a night to 2, and we're making good progress at cutting those out as well. And I don't have to stop co-sleeping either, which is something I enjoy. The book has solutions for all sorts of sleeping arrangements, so she's not advocating one arrangement over another. Hope this helps. Welcome to Cali!

My daughter is 3 months and 1 week. She has been strictly on breastmilk since birth. I have had to introduce the bottle though since I am back at work now. I pump so my husband can feed her. She will eat more this way and it lets her sleep better in the afternoon. That may help if you want to try that. I still breastfeed her in the mornings before work and when I get home after work and before she goes to bed. I had her sleeping in bed with us but she was such a light sleeper that whenever myself or my husband would move she would wake up. I have her sleeping in our room in a bassinet and now she sleeps from 7:30pm to at least 2:30am but usually until 4:00am. Before her last night feeding before bed if she falls asleep I burp her and it wakes her up a little bit then I switch sides so she gets just a little bit more to eat. it really helps. Also in the middle of the night I would try to soothe her with something else for like 15 or 20 minutes (however long you can without her screaming) then feed her. Do that everynight until you can space out the feedings so there are fewer feeding through out the night. It may take a couple of weeks but if you are consistant she will start to sleep longer. Hope if works out!

Hi there, I too had that same problem, I just had to get him out of my bed and into his own crib. I think that they smell you and just want to nurse for comfort. I was so surprised that once he was in his own bed and I let him cry it out a few nights, he slept through the night. Good luck! S.

I totally know what you are going thru! Our youngest daughter is 4 and she is still on my breast thru the nite. I did exactly what you did, slept with her in our bed and now she cannot and will not get off. I have tried everything, including putting a bandaid on it and telling her it's a bad ouchie but she takes it off in the middle of the nite and hops on it. I only suggest that you not sleep with him on your bed. Or else he will be a 4 year old on breast milk. Hopefully you get responses better than mine but I just wanted to share with you of knowing and feeling exactly what your going thru. I should have stopped then becuase now it's too hard to get her off of our bed.

In my opinion, the best thing to do is to try and feed her more and more during the day to "tank" her up. At this stage they start getting more interested in their surroundings and tend to not eat as much during the day so they are starving at night. Four months old is much too young to start any serious attempts at weaning, even night weaning. But if you try to get her in the habit of eating more during the day, that should really help.

T.

If your daughter takes a pacifier you can try that. She might just want something to suck on. It works for my son.

I'm the mother of a 12 month old who is still breastfeeding. I went through a similar problem with my daughter around the same time period. It wasn't so much that she was "feeding" all night as she needed the latch to feel comfortable, but I wasn't sleeping properly with her latched and she wasn't sleeping properly either. She wouldn't take a pacifier. When she did fall asleep without the breast in bed with me she was really unsettled. I decided that for her temperament that it might be an idea to try having her sleep outside my bed. She would wake for a feeding around 11pm, and I would put her into her pack and play - she was still sleeping in my room at the time, but I moved the pack and play as far away from my bed as possible. She would wake again between 2 and 3, and I would bring her to bed to nurse, but as soon as I realized she was asleep, I would carry her still latched to her crib and put her down. Sometimes it would take a couple of tries, but she'd sleep in her own bed for a couple of hours. I'd let her just rest in bed with me after the next feed unless she got restless and seemed like she couldn't get comfortable. By the time she was 7 months old, I felt like she was ready to be in her own room and crib, by the end of that month she was sleeping through the night for the most part. Adding solids at 5 and 3/4 months did make a difference, but I wouldn't rush it too much, I think it was her developmental stage that changed around that time that made her sleep more soundly. If you know that your daughter has just been fed fully, you can stop the cycle by putting her down in her own space. Keep in mind that you may need to offer the breast more during the day - if she's the type that "tanks up" at night she might need a few more feedings during the day.

Every child is different, so follow your instincts. If you feel your child will benefit from staying in your bed, by all means keep her there, but if you feel like she might just want her own space, consider giving it to her. I fully intended to have a family bed for the first 12-18 months of my daughter's life, but it just didn't work for her. I also fully intended to do a no cry method of sleep encouragement, but for my daughter even controlled crying didn't work. If I leave her be, she calms herself and goes to sleep, but if I come in even to just pat her back it gets her so hysterical she can't cope at all. So, for this child, I'm a cry it out mom because it's what works for her. Do what you feel is right, and remember that a good night's sleep makes you a better more patient mother. Good luck!

My son is 7 months old and he still does it. They should grow out of it. Some nights I can trick him with the pacifier and it works. Also once she begins to eat solids she probably won't feed as much at night. Good luck!