:( need some help!

haydens_mummy · Jul 29, 2010 4:50AM

Hi ladies

I really need some help/advice/support/kick up the bum!
Bubs is 19 weeks old and has previously slept from 9pm till 6am waking only occasionally for food. He is exclusively breastfed and weighs 18.6lb.

We've had the growth spurts that last a few days and i can cope with that but this last week he's waking every hour an half to two hours screaming for food. He's definately hungry because he does feed, rather than just want comfort.

I started him on baby rice on sunday, i know its earlier than 6 months but he is a big baby, can sit up on his own and tries to eat anything that comes within 6 inches of his mouth!! He just made a funny face and spat most of it out. I dont know what i was expecting but i'm guessing its a long drawn out process to get them to swallow and then start taking bigger meals that will curb the hunger.

I've even contemplated giving him formula before we put him down to sleep but i feel so guilty because i really wanted him to be 'formula-free'.

I don't know how much longher i can cope on 4 hours of broken sleep! Please help!

xxxx

honeyboo · Jul 28, 2010 4:21AM

Hi hun,
Can't really offer much advice but I didn't want to read and run.

I don't know whether introducing solids will make much difference to his feeding and sleeping especially as he's recently had a growth spurt. I really doubt formula will help either, it is more likely to upset his tummy as its completely different to boobie milk and may result in some horrendous poo's. Dylan is 9 months now and still has a feed in the night if he feels like it and he eats like a pig in the day. He didn't drop any boob feeds until he was about 7 and a half months and was still feeding every 2 hours in the day.

Sorry I'm not much help but fingers crossed it'll get better soon.

Jo x

p.s. saw on your ebay shop you are based in st helens - me too!! x

Ems101 · Jul 28, 2010 5:24AM

We've gone through stages like this too. Again, I cant offer much help, just know that it will come to an end.

Jen is almost 9m too, and still has a feed in the night! She has a total of 4 feeds and 4 meals!

Hang on in there!!

Em x

KateIs · Jul 28, 2010 6:17AM

Hi, I am going through something similar at the moment. When my ds turned 20 weeks, he started waking about 5 times a night, starving hungry!! I'd feed him throughout the night and wake in the morning with completely empty boobs. My ds was a big baby and weighed over 18lbs when I had him weighed at 19 weeks so sounds similar to yours. I started weaning him when he began waking so often and is now on 3 meals a day. He did spit it out at first but that's because he wasn't used to it. I just perservered (small amount of organix baby porridge once a day) and he finally got used to it and now eats it all! I now give him ella's kitchen pouches too. I plan to give him my own mushed up veg too but as I don't have a blender I can't get it smooth enough yet so am relying on ella's - bad mummy!
Don't do what I did though - I bought 2 cartons of aptamil follow on milk last weekend and gave it to him before bed, stupidly thinking it would make him sleep through(I was totally exhausted as lo had started crawling so had to watch him constantly, v hard after broken sleep). It did the opposite. He screamed a lot and still woke for food - he is just a v hungry boy!!
I'd start your lo on some solids and just persevere. It sounds like he is ready for more. Remember 6 months is just a guideline.
I hope it gets easier for you soon, as like you, I know it can be really upsetting after no sleep
Sorry for rambling response, I am doing this with one eye on bubs lol!
xx

Sugarcube · Jul 28, 2010 9:23AM

ny lo is now 17 weeks and for the last 2 weeks has started waking in the night he has always had a bottle of formula before bed and i can honestly say it makes no difference to how much they sleep!!! we upped the amount when he started to finish the bottlw but now he leaves a bit and wont settle without boob!!! I hoping its just a phase the settling but i think im going to be starting on food as he just doesnt seem full anymore!

You are not alone and i would try weaning him he will tell you if hes not ready!

haydens_mummy · Jul 28, 2010 3:31PM

Hi,

Thanks for the support, i really felt like it was me against the world yesterday. Just so exhausted and although hubby kind of wakes up when baby's crying, its me that sits there feeding and burping for 20 mins 4 or 5 times in the early hours!

I didnt put him on formula last night, although the Aptimil breastmilk subsitute was looking very tempting at 3am! Like you said, it could upset his tummy and I don't want to overwhelm him with weaning as well.

Today's fruity porridge went down better - he nows opens his mouth as the spoon came towards him and even though alot kind of dribbled out, i think the majority went down! I'm just not sure how much to give him? Do you just keep spooning it in until they refuse? I made up 2 spoonfulls of porridge mixed with enough breastmilk to make it runny and gave him 2 portions of that (made a 2nd just to see if he'd take it and he took it all)

I'll keep you updated on our progress ;\)

p.s honeyboo - whereabouts are you? Im grange valley xx

clareabella · Jul 29, 2010 4:49AM

Hi hun,

I think you're doing fine with starting him on 'solids'. Even baby is different, I had to start my youngest on VERY watered down baby rice at ten weeks

because milk just wasn't filling him at all, he wouldn't settle and was always feeding.

Once on the rice he was much happier. Persevere with it hun, if he's hungry then he probably does need more than just milk, and you'll probably find him AND you are happier and get better sleep.

[Modified by: MrsClareabella on July 29, 2010 09:51 AM]

honeyboo · Jul 29, 2010 4:50AM

I'm in Garswood so not that far away!!!!

:( need some help!

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