For Breastfeeding, Bed Sharing Moms - Advice on Baby Who "Snacks" All Night

I don't have any advice about how to stop it, but I did want to let you know you are not alone. My now 18 month old did the same thing. He still will wake up to suck 1-2 times per night but for the most part will sleep MOST of the night. Have you tried giving your little girl a binki to suck on? Some babies just have a need to suck (which actually, studies have shown decreases the risk of SIDS..at least that's what my doctor told me). My little boy wouldn't take a binki or a bottle, so that wasn't an option for me... but if you haven't tried it yet, it may give your nipples a break. =) Good Luck.

Sounds like she's hitting her 3 month growth spurt and is trying to increase your milk supply to "keep up" with her milk needs. My son tried the same thing, and I don't know how you feel about using a pacifier, but that's what I did with him. The pacifier isn't a substitute for food; it allows the baby to satisfy her powerful need for sucking without using you. Trust me, when she's hungry, the pacifier won't satisfy her, and she'll turn to you. Just a suggestion, but the growth spurt won't last long!

I have shared my bed with 3 kids and have found snacking during the night goes in waves. Growth spurts, teething, processing new developmental goals while they are asleep are all reasons for extra snacking. It will pass.

The following website might have some useful information as does La Leche League.

http://www.kellymom.com/

She is probably going through a growth spurt it's normal..she is needing more milk.

HI.
It could be that she is going through a growth spurt and needs more milk. My daughter did that every few weeks before she turned a year. I nursed and she would go back to sleep. Co-sleepers are also great because they are still near but don't smell the milk all night long. It is like a delicious meal your daughter has access to all night that smells wonderful. Good luck.

Hi J.,

It sounds like your baby is missing nutrients in her diet and it is creating her to want to keep eating.

I can share some ideas to help replace good nutrients so she will become satisfied and full.
Let me know if you are interested.

Have a great week.

N. Marie

My girls both did the same thing. I cannot remember exactly when, but I think it was between 6-9 months, I started telling them nighttime is for sleeping and rocked them and gave them my pinky to suck on.
AT three months I am sure she is still hungry, so I would pay attention to when she really nurses and maybe be proactive and set those times for nursing on a little baby alarm, then the others encourage her to suck on your pinky or soothe here with soft sushing sounds and little rocks.
Good luck, at some point i had to draw the line! but probably a little later to stop all together

Hi J.,

Your girl is having a 3 month growth spurt. If I remember, it last 1-2 weeks! Enjoy your little monkey who clearly knows what she wants!

S.

My son starting waking a lot at that age, too. What worked for us was swaddling him in a Miracle Blanket, which kept him very snug & secure and helped him sleep much more soundly. We co-slept pretty much exclusively til 6 months, then he would start the night in his crib and join us around 2 am. A couple months before his 2nd birthday he started sleeping through the night pretty consistently, and now I can tell you that those 2 years were gone in the blink of an eye! You are doing a great job and will be getting more sleep before you know it. In the meantime, maybe you should skip the nightgown so you don't have to wake up to get her latched on. Enjoy this sweet time!

It's a growth spurt! Even though she might not be eating the entire time, the constant nipple stimulation is increasing your milk supply to meet her increasing needs.
I know it can be hard, especially at night.
Try offering her to nurse frequently during the day to help your supply increase sooner, so you can get more rest at night!

It might be a growth spurt. I remember when my daughter was 3 months, she would wake up every hour to nurse but would only suck a few times then fall back to sleep. You might want to try a nipple shield to protect your nipples.

I had the same problem around 4-5 mos. Only with mine, he wanted to have the nipple in his mouth the whole night and absolutely would not take a pacifier. The only answer I was able to come up with was putting him in his own bed.

All three of us got better sleep after that. I think being in bed with us wasn't as comfortable for him as sleeping in his own bed, because he would move around a lot and in his own bed, he didn't (the crib was next to our bed so I could see). I still brought him to our bed in the early morning for that crack of dawn feeding so I could sleep a little more (although, honestly, sleeping while nursing isn't really sleeping, but it's better than nothing). I had planned on having him sleep with us longer than that, but I think it worked out for the best.

I also highly recommend reading Dr. M Weissbluth's book "Healthy Sleep Habbits, Happy Child." He has a number of strategies for all of the inevitable sleep issues. It saved me.

My daughter is 7+ mos and it does get better. I would recommend some sort of snack weaning. Either let her nurse for a second and pull her off or help sooth her by a finger. My daughter was similar at various times over the last few months. If the baby falls back asleep nursing onyour shirt maybe just let her do that. I guess the best advice I van give is this wll most likely pass. Even my snacked is more infrequent now that she's bigger