Longer Sleep thru the night
- Thread starter mary_spc
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Graham
Registered User
My baby is 3 months old now and still also wakes up every 2.5 to 3 hours on average to breastfeed.
Luckily, he doesn't need a long breastfeed anymore, probably only about 5 to 10 minutes before he falls back to sleep.
I'd also love to hear some tips on how to get them to sleep longer.
Graham
(starting to get sleep deprivation.....Zzzzzzzzz)
Luckily, he doesn't need a long breastfeed anymore, probably only about 5 to 10 minutes before he falls back to sleep.
I'd also love to hear some tips on how to get them to sleep longer.
Graham
(starting to get sleep deprivation.....Zzzzzzzzz)
Thanks for your reply Graham.
I heard from some lucky parents that their 4-6 weeks old baby were starting to sleep 5-6 hours thru the night by giving them a (slightly) bigger formula feed just before bedtime. Since our baby was being fed breastmilk exclusively, we weren't keen on this option.
I heard from some lucky parents that their 4-6 weeks old baby were starting to sleep 5-6 hours thru the night by giving them a (slightly) bigger formula feed just before bedtime. Since our baby was being fed breastmilk exclusively, we weren't keen on this option.
I'm afraid sleeping through the night will be hard for a while and the only thing I can suggest is offering lots of feeds during the day (every two hours was the advice I was given by Hulda of Annerley) and trying to keep your baby alert if they fall asleep from all the lovely oxalate in your milk. If you don't have one already, a Moses basket or a cradle right by your bed will make it much easier for you to stay half asleep and get back to sleep quicker.
Whatever you do, do your best to keep breastfeeding as the immunity your little one will get is so powerful. Trust me, you will get even less sleep if your baby catches a cold or tummy bug. I breastfed for over a year out of fear of my daughter catching even more bugs!
Whatever you do, do your best to keep breastfeeding as the immunity your little one will get is so powerful. Trust me, you will get even less sleep if your baby catches a cold or tummy bug. I breastfed for over a year out of fear of my daughter catching even more bugs!
I breastfed exclusively for 16 weeks and yes my little one woke alot for night feeds. It can be tiring but for some babies that's just the way it is. You could try to make-up on your own sleep in the day time if possible (but I know that doesn't help Dad!). I used to breastfeed in a different room to minimise the disturbance for my husband. From my own expereince, don't be tempted to let your baby sleep & feed on the breast in bed, in the short-term you feel like you're getting more sleep, but in the long-term it can lead to a baby that won't settle down unless they're nestled on the breast.
Hi,
Firstly congratualtions on the birth of your child. All babies are different and the lack of sleep is just part of the joy they bring. My first child used to wake every 2 to 3 hours for a feed for months. I just accepeted it as part of being a mother and used to get as much sleep during the day as I could, when he slept.
My second child who is now thirteen weeks, only wakes up once in the night. I don't think I have done anything differently with the two of them, they are just different.
All of the advice I have read so far in answer to your question I would reiterate. My daughter drinks alot just before she goes to sleep in the evening, taking several feeds within the space of two hours and this seems to tide her over.
I remember a friend of mine once saying she was looking forward to the night feeds with her second child because this was a time that was just theirs which made it very special; she was disappointed though because her daughter slept through after 3 weeks.
There will always be people out there who's baby is sleeping longer than yours at night. Focus on your baby and tried to enjoy them no matter what the time of day and most importantly make sure you look after yourself.
Jools
Firstly congratualtions on the birth of your child. All babies are different and the lack of sleep is just part of the joy they bring. My first child used to wake every 2 to 3 hours for a feed for months. I just accepeted it as part of being a mother and used to get as much sleep during the day as I could, when he slept.
My second child who is now thirteen weeks, only wakes up once in the night. I don't think I have done anything differently with the two of them, they are just different.
All of the advice I have read so far in answer to your question I would reiterate. My daughter drinks alot just before she goes to sleep in the evening, taking several feeds within the space of two hours and this seems to tide her over.
I remember a friend of mine once saying she was looking forward to the night feeds with her second child because this was a time that was just theirs which made it very special; she was disappointed though because her daughter slept through after 3 weeks.
There will always be people out there who's baby is sleeping longer than yours at night. Focus on your baby and tried to enjoy them no matter what the time of day and most importantly make sure you look after yourself.
Jools
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Good on you for continuing b/feeding. As you obviously already know, it is by far the best thing you could be feeding your baby. However, it doesn't mean that it is great for your own well being sleep-wise. Every 3 hours'ish sounds about right for a 5 week old. It is all a bit of a blur for me now, but from memory I don't think my daughter slept longer until about 3 months, although I did get the occassional 5 hour break.
If you are really finding it difficult, perhaps you could express some milk before going to bed and have daddy feed for at least the first wake up? I have to admit this never worked for me because 1) I was hopeless at expressing, 2) my daughter would never take a bottle and 3) if she was awake, I couldn't sleep anyway, so I figured I may as well get up and feed her.
Although it doesn't feel like it today, babies are only so tiny for such a short period of time. You'll look back and be so glad you stuck with b/feeding.
Best of luck.
If you are really finding it difficult, perhaps you could express some milk before going to bed and have daddy feed for at least the first wake up? I have to admit this never worked for me because 1) I was hopeless at expressing, 2) my daughter would never take a bottle and 3) if she was awake, I couldn't sleep anyway, so I figured I may as well get up and feed her.
Although it doesn't feel like it today, babies are only so tiny for such a short period of time. You'll look back and be so glad you stuck with b/feeding.
Best of luck.
rani
Administrator
Dhruv used to wake up every 3 hours too for a feed and every hour during a growthspurt. I used to b/f on demand so he was getting more than enough during the day. He only started sleeping for longer stretches after 5 months, when we introduced solids.
Sometimes I wonder if the breastfeeding helped build his immunity, cos he seems to fall sick quite often.
Sometimes I wonder if the breastfeeding helped build his immunity, cos he seems to fall sick quite often.
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expressed bottle before bed
from very early on i used to express during the day and then give it to baby as the "last" feed of the night ... what i mean by that is that it was the last feed before bedtime. at a very early stage he was taking a full 6 oz bottle at 9pm then would sleep untilll at least 3am. i used to find that i just didn;t have enough milk at that time of the evening so the bottle meant that at least i knew that baby had a full tummy before bed.
i know that experts will all tell you that it is possible for a baby to sleep through the night consistently on nothing but breat milk but my experience was that as soon as i moved to formula at 7 months baby started sleeping 12 hr nights and hasn't looked back.
from very early on i used to express during the day and then give it to baby as the "last" feed of the night ... what i mean by that is that it was the last feed before bedtime. at a very early stage he was taking a full 6 oz bottle at 9pm then would sleep untilll at least 3am. i used to find that i just didn;t have enough milk at that time of the evening so the bottle meant that at least i knew that baby had a full tummy before bed.
i know that experts will all tell you that it is possible for a baby to sleep through the night consistently on nothing but breat milk but my experience was that as soon as i moved to formula at 7 months baby started sleeping 12 hr nights and hasn't looked back.
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4 weeks. I remember this because when i went for the one month checkup the doc found it hard to believe... (read that as "i think he thought i was making it up !")
Having said this my baby was born 3 weeks early and did had a big apetite.
i totally recommend the medella double electric pump... when you first use it it seems like its not working but wait some time for your body to gte used to it and you will be pumping out an 8oz bottle in no time...
Having said this my baby was born 3 weeks early and did had a big apetite.
i totally recommend the medella double electric pump... when you first use it it seems like its not working but wait some time for your body to gte used to it and you will be pumping out an 8oz bottle in no time...
I believe every baby is different. Mine started "sleeping thru the night" when she was about 5 weeks. I remember the last feed was usually around 11pm and she didn't wake up till 4 or 5 am. I guess it had something to do with the routine during the first few days at the hospital after my baby was born when I was waken up every 3 or 4 hrs to feed my baby and she sort of established a routine afterwards. Besides, my baby had a small apetite. It may be tiring for awhile but once your baby gets older, he probably will sleep in longer stretches of time and so don't worry, you'll eventually get your sleep.
About getting my husband to help during the night, it didn't work because my baby wouldn't take the bottle until when I returned to work and she had no choice. I breastfed her till she was 18 months. It was hard when I returned to work when she was 3 months but I continued expressing and saving the milk so that my helper could give it to her while I was at work. What I did was I pumped during lunch and took it home for her for the next day and any extra was put in the freezer right away. I tried the medella manual pump but I liked the Avent pump better. It was cheap ($300) and efficient. I went for manual pump because I didn't like the noise of the electric pump but of course electric pumped faster. I used to express milk the same time when my baby was nursing on the other side and so I didn't want the noise to distract her. Good luck.
About getting my husband to help during the night, it didn't work because my baby wouldn't take the bottle until when I returned to work and she had no choice. I breastfed her till she was 18 months. It was hard when I returned to work when she was 3 months but I continued expressing and saving the milk so that my helper could give it to her while I was at work. What I did was I pumped during lunch and took it home for her for the next day and any extra was put in the freezer right away. I tried the medella manual pump but I liked the Avent pump better. It was cheap ($300) and efficient. I went for manual pump because I didn't like the noise of the electric pump but of course electric pumped faster. I used to express milk the same time when my baby was nursing on the other side and so I didn't want the noise to distract her. Good luck.
Hi sandrine,
Thanks for advice on pump.
I am very impressed you were able to breastfeed for so long, even when you returned to work after 3 months. All the working mums I have spoken to were only able to keep it going for 1 - 4 months.
Wondering whether milk flow becomes reduced when BF-with-baby gets replaced with more expressed & pumped milk???
Thanks for advice on pump.
I am very impressed you were able to breastfeed for so long, even when you returned to work after 3 months. All the working mums I have spoken to were only able to keep it going for 1 - 4 months.
Wondering whether milk flow becomes reduced when BF-with-baby gets replaced with more expressed & pumped milk???
Hi Mary_spc,
It's best to put your baby on the breasts but I also got a friend who expressed her milk and let her baby drink from the bottle till her baby was 8 months old. She could have continued, I suppose.
I'm not sure whether pumping alone would reduce the milk flow but what I did was I breastfed my baby and expressed the milk at the same time, in the morning and in the evening. And I pumped during lunch hour. At weekends when I was available all day, I would breastfeed more frequently and saved the remaining milk for use during the week. I think if I emptied my breasts, it actually increased the milk flow. It worked for me.
I started introducing whole milk to my child when she was 14 months. I continued breastfeeding but was limited to mornings and evenings only and, I didn't pump anymore. Soon, I noticed that the milk flow did reduce quite a bit. By 18 months, she was completely on whole milk.
It's best to put your baby on the breasts but I also got a friend who expressed her milk and let her baby drink from the bottle till her baby was 8 months old. She could have continued, I suppose.
I'm not sure whether pumping alone would reduce the milk flow but what I did was I breastfed my baby and expressed the milk at the same time, in the morning and in the evening. And I pumped during lunch hour. At weekends when I was available all day, I would breastfeed more frequently and saved the remaining milk for use during the week. I think if I emptied my breasts, it actually increased the milk flow. It worked for me.
I started introducing whole milk to my child when she was 14 months. I continued breastfeeding but was limited to mornings and evenings only and, I didn't pump anymore. Soon, I noticed that the milk flow did reduce quite a bit. By 18 months, she was completely on whole milk.
Thanks everyone for the great advice.
It has only been a week or so and my baby (now 6.5 weeks old) has started 'magically' sleeping 4-5 hours stretches, which is pure luxury for my husband & myself. We are so grateful that we now only need to get up once in evening. Just praying it will continue....
It has only been a week or so and my baby (now 6.5 weeks old) has started 'magically' sleeping 4-5 hours stretches, which is pure luxury for my husband & myself. We are so grateful that we now only need to get up once in evening. Just praying it will continue....