How often does your ebf baby wake?

[bama]

I'm dying... My lo is 6 months old, and wakes 4-6 times a night. My first was ff'd, and he slept 12 hours a night with NO wakings from 8 weeks. Not only does he wake to nurse OFTEN, but he kicks and wiggles making co-sleeping impossible, because mama gets NO sleep. I started putting him in his crib to sleep yesterday, and moved his bedtime up, we tend to be night owls around here. I need help. No flames please, or just toughen ups. I have a three year old to take care of too, I NEED SLEEP!

[kezoo]

OMG, BTDT mama! And it doesn't have anything to do w/ FF or BF. All mine have been EBF. My first sounds like your first - he slept all night without waking from about 3 months. And to this day he is still a rock solid sleeper. My second was a nightmare. She did okay until about 4 months (a very common time for sleep pattern changes), and at 9 months she was waking every 90 minutes, and same as yours, co-sleeping didn't work since she's a wriggler & kicker. I was exhausted. I don't know what to tell ya' - we started doing sleep training (should've started it earlier) and after a month she was waking less and going down earlier. Have you tried the No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley? I used several of her techniques with success. However, I will say she still is not a great sleeper (wakes at night still once in awhile). Honestly, I really think it's all in the genes, and we can only mitigate it, so to speak. mama, I know it's hard. One thing I did was to not go to her immediately if she was only grumbling or squeaking a bit (if she was truly crying we of course responded). So, I would let her grizzle a bit and after several nights of this (in conjunction w/ the sleep training), she started sleeping a bit better. My first was such a good sleeper, I discounted the importance of a night-time routine (e.g. do the same thing every night) - that was very important to my dd, so if you don't already have a routine, I would start one. GL!

[Monzie]

I nurse him to sleep at around 7pm and then he's up again twice during the night. He's a huge tank though. He doesn't eat often but he eats a LOT when he does. Drains both of my breasts dry every time he nurses. He's always been like this too. So he might not be the best example of a "normal" bf'ed baby for you to compare to.

Also, we stopped cosleeping when he outgrew his Arms Reach bed at around 5 months. I had to sleep on the floor in his nursery for about a week while we made the transition, but now he sleeps on his own without any problems at all. So maybe the solution for your sanity would be to ease your kiddo out of your bed. That way, he won't be so tempted to use you as his pacifier all night long, KWIM?

[ajane]

Well, mine isn't exactly EBF, she has one "meal" of solids per day and she self feeds. Anyhow, she is 8 months old and the past few weeks she has been getting up about 3 times a night. She usually goes down around 9-9:30 pm and wakes up to nurse around 1 ish, 4 ish, and 6 ish. I say "ish" b/c after the first time she wakes up I bring her in bed with us and don't look the clock. For a couple of days this past week she was only getting up once. But, that was about twice and is done now.

The number of times she wakes really varies w/ growth spurts, developmental milestones, teeth, and how busy she is watching her 2 older sisters. Right now she is VERY busy!

Nursing frequently during the day and trying to cluster feed at night can help lessen the chance of night wakings. Not to say it will, but it could. All bf babies need about 25 oz in a 24 hour period and if they aren't getting it during the day, they will get it at night. Also, if a mom works, then babies really use the nighttime as reconnecting time so they will wake to nurse a lot.

I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, so that is why I bring her to bed with me when she first wakes. It really helps me have more energy for the other two.

[ajane]

Originally Posted by bama I'm dying... My lo is 6 months old, and wakes 4-6 times a night. My first was ff'd, and he slept 12 hours a night with NO wakings from 8 weeks. Not only does he wake to nurse OFTEN, but he kicks and wiggles making co-sleeping impossible, because mama gets NO sleep. I started putting him in his crib to sleep yesterday, and moved his bedtime up, we tend to be night owls around here. I need help. No flames please, or just toughen ups. I have a three year old to take care of too, I NEED SLEEP!

Sorry, I didn't see you were already cosleeping. I think the difference is that he is a boy. I have friends who had boys and they were all over the place and noisy sleepers. Anna just curls up next to me and hardly moves. Sorry, probably NOT what you want to hear.

My 1st was ff and STTN at 4 months. My 2nd was EBF and STTN from 6 WEEKS on. It really has nothing to do with what type of milk they are getting, LOL!

[question]

My baby will be 15 weeks tomorrow and on her best night is up 3 times. On her worst night I lose count. No advice here. I'm sleep deprived too. We do cosleep so I don't have to get out of bed but I guess I'm weird in that I can not sleep while she's nursing.

All of mine have been EBF. My first didn't start sleeping 5 hours consistently until 5 months and it gradually increased from there. My second was sleeping 8 hours a night at 2 weeks. Baby #3 seems to be following the pattern of #1.

[togg_mama]

6 months was hard for us here too. Growth spurt, development spurt, etc., etc. Is he sleeping on his back or tummy. Don't flame me, but I turned DD over to her tummy at 6 months and all of a sudden we were sleeping again! She still got a up a bit, but only to eat.

[firemommaof1]

One year old and still waking at night Probably from 3-4 times... more now that shes teething
Sleep where are you???????????????

[4boys1girlforme]

My newest is 11 1/2 weeks old and he sleeps through the night (7 hour minimum- I often go 10 hours without nursing him at night) and has since we came home from the hospital- he is totally ebf- I have no clue why he doesn't insist upon nursing at night- all my other boys were up a couple times a night until about 18 months.
I co slept for a while and then thought- wait he isn't waking up to nurse- he can go in his crib! I normally keep them in my room until 4 months- he has been in his crib since about 10 weeks. I feed him around 10 or 11 and put him in his crib in the nursery and I don't hear a peep until about 6 and I pull him into our bed and we go back to sleep and then get up to nurse him about 8-8:30.
All of my boys have been good sleepers- you have to be careful not to "reward" them for waking at night- don't talk to them a lot- any talking should be very quiet and relaxed- no playing- lights kept low- try not to stimulate them at all. If you know it isn't truly hunger then just reassure them and get them back to bed. You should be all business- change, feed, or both and get them right back in bed.
Try reading the book - Baby Whisperer.
Good luck mama!

[dragondance]

My 8-month-old wakes 2-4 times a night to nurse. We moved her to a crib and she woke 4 times every night and was up soooo much longer each time so we compromised. She sleeps in a toddler bed sidecarred to our bed, so I can pop her into bed with me, nurse her until she falls asleep, and then put her back. If I happen to fall asleep while she's nursing, it doesn't matter since it's our bed. But if she's all wiggly, she can go back in hers without me having to get up. If she wakes a little when I put her down, I just stroke her face and she passes out. (If she stays in with us, she has actually wrapped her legs around my chest and then stretched over to pull dh's hair at the same time so she goes in her toddler bed more now.)