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Breastfed baby and sleep!

Jacob has just turned 3 months and is fully breastfed. Wondered if any bfing mums could offer any advice. He's always fed very frequently (feeding on demand) but he's stretched it out to 2.5 hours sometimes longer in the day now. Nights we now sometimes get 7 hours (woo hoo!) but it can vary alot, sometimes less. Problem is he will still only sleep on me and needs to feed to get to sleep. The only time he will go down on his own is for the first part of the night, 8pm + Lovely as it is to have cuddles, it is impossible to get anything done in the day and I also have Isaac (2.5 years) to entertain too. The only other place he will sleep is in his pram if we're out. He won't sleep in his sling unless we're out either.



I know this is common with breastfed babies. I tried to get him sleeping in his moses basket from day 1 but as he was always feeding it was inevitable he ending up sleeping on me and associating breastfeeding and sleep! Isaac was mixed fed, went for longer between feeds and slept on his own in good napping routine from early on. So this is a very different experience!



I've been trying to get him in his bedside cot for the second part of the night after he wakes for his feed usually 3-4am but hes having none of it. When hes in our bed he feeds or wants to comfort suck almost constantly from that time onwards just cos he's near me. So its exhausting! I've tried settling him back with a dummy but he won't take it.



Any advice ladies or similar experiences? would love to get him napping in his cot in the day and in his bedside cot for the whole night! Feel like i've tried everything and know he's too young for controlled crying. Anybody have similar but find they got better at going down for naps on there own in their cot. I'm finding he's getting overtired as well as he's not getting the length and quality of sleep he needs in the day. He's usually woken by his whirlwind big bro too!



Although i'm happy that breastfeeding is going well this time round not being able to get a flexible routine going and get him sleeping his own is driving me potty! xx

Replies

  • this is a difficult one, I think bf babies are more cuddly but 7 hours is good! Some babies sleep some don't and I'm not convinced that formula fed babies always sleep. I'm expecting no2 and a bit worried about this myself as lo's place to sleep was on other people but I'm hoping to maybe embrace this, and get new baby in a sling and possibly cosleeping to try and make it as easy as possible. not sure if this is of any help but thought i'd reply x
  • Thanks Jellytots! He does do long stretches at night which is fab, it's the self settling that we're having problems with. We've co-slept, and i've just gone with it although have tried to get him to sleep in his basket/cot alone from day 1. If he was my first and only child it wouldn't be a problem but i need to give ds1 my time too which is impossible with ds2 sleeping on me when he's not feeding. He will only sleep in his sling if we're out and constantly moving! xxx
  • Hi Bliss,



    I just replied to a thread in the Baby section which you had also replied to, and I made reference to the baby whisperer books/methods. I've not really used them at this time having just read the book but discussed the picking up/putting down method with health visitor today who seemed to think this wasn't a bad way forward... Will see how I get on!



    Good luck!
  • Good question & I wish I had the answer. My son was the same. Through the day he sleeps fine now - though in his pram - at nights he's sleeps through 12 hrs, though it took at least 13 months to get to that point. He was BF on demand & I continued to feed till I found out I was pg - 15 months. We got to the point where as realised we were going to have to help him get to sleep at night in a different way so my OH took charge and just sat with him for a few nights till he dropped off.



    I am determined this won't happen this time. I would never do CC but I now realise there is no harm in a baby crying for a minute or two. For the first few months I think what will be will be, but then I will try putting baby down awake & sit patting them or stroking or whatever helps calm them. But we'll see!



    Not sure if this helps or even makes sense!!!



  • Thanks for your replies. We've tried PUPD and last week PUPDCD neither of which have worked so far. I have a very determined little man and he knows what he wants! image He just tends to get more and more distraught with these techniques. So think we will have to leave it til he's a bit older.



    Ruth i would recommend putting him down awake as much as you can from the start. By 6 weeks Jacob would not go to sleep anyway but feeding nor sleep on his own. But there again he was feeding all the time so difficult to stop him sleeping on me!



    Ruth great to hear he started settling another way eventually! There is hope! :lol:



    We've had a rough few days as he has a cold so he has been in our bed all night and on the boob all night! Argh just hope he'll go back into his cot soon! xxx
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