3month old waking 1.5-2hrly at night, advice pls :)

[Babyluv]

Hi Ladies,
I'm after suggestions or even just similar experiences regarding my dd sleep at the moment.
She is currently feeding every 1.5-2hrs day & night, for the 3rd week in a row now & I'm exhausted!
I thought possibly a growth spurt but I thought that only lasts a few days then I thought maybe it has something to do with her refusing the bottle.
She was sleeping 5,6,7 hrs a night.
Early on I had to introduce a top up as she wasn't getting enough from me'. I worked hard to increase my supply & gradually dd started rejecting the bottle to the point 3 weeks ago she refused it altogether & will not have it.
I'm wondering if my dd is still not getting enough to last her through a long sleep so she is happy waking frequently to feed, what do you think?
Is there anything (gentle methods only) I can do to encourage her to sleep a longer stretch? Did you experience this? How long did it last? Is this normal? She was having great sleeps and I'm not sure what's happened.

[Soph28]

I followed a book with DD (now 3.5) called "Save our Sleep" by Tizzie Hall. It worked for us, DD was sleeping from 7pm (with a dreamfeed at 10 I think from memory) until 6-7am without waking by 6 weeks. Now she sleeps from 630pm-6am every night without waking (except if sick etc). I hope that helps!

[Arcadia]

Night feeds are important if you're trying to build up or maintain a good supply, but every two hours is a lot (although completely normal!!!)

Does she cluster feed in the evening? Or could you try and get some more feeds into the daylight hours? This is a very typical time for night wake ups, often because bub isn't feeding well in the day (too busy playing mum!)

I found a darkened room helped dd concentrate on the feeds better, and I would be offering frequent feeds (maybe two to three hourly) and see if you can feed her up in the day.

[sloane]

i think it's fairly normal - or if not normal it's not abnormal either. it seems like a lot of babies start off well & then go downhill. DS was the same though from day one until maybe 18 or 19 months - he woke every 1.5-2 hours every night until then. i wasn't prepared to use non-gentle methods & just worked on the basis that he would sleep for longer stretches when he was ready.

do you feed her each time she wakes? i always fed DS overnight & only weaned him about 2 weeks ago. she may just want you rather than food & that's why she's waking.

alot of people seem to have success with elizabeth pantley's book the no cry sleep solution. and pinky mckay's book gives some good suggestions & also makes you feel completely normal!

there may just be more going on for her now - i found sleep definitely worsened once DS could roll & that was just the start of things he could practice in his sleep or when he woke up etc.

sorry - i have a crazy toddler here so hope that all makes sense!

[Ginger]

have you tried co-sleeping at all?
her waking sounds completely normal to me and i don't think you have any problem with your milk supply.

[boomba]

This too shall pass hun. Babies need to wake it is programmed into them. This is totally normal it will pass and her sleeping patterns will change she is just being a baby could you maybe co sleep just while this is happening?. Grab a copy of the science of parenting or sleeping like a baby(Pinky Mckay) Sometime we just need to be reassured that its totally normal!
You are doing a fabulous job x

[krystals]

Is she finishing her feed during the night feeds? Or falling asleep? Maybe she's not getting her full feed during the night if she's falling asleep?? DS used to fall asleep halfway through and then wake a couple of hours later- I started tickling his feet a little, so he'd wake up just enough to finish his feed, and if he woke up a little, he'd zonk out again soon with a full belly.

Sorry, not much else in my repartee!!! Except for a double feed before bed. Bedtime for him is between 6-7 and he usually has a feed at 4.30ish and then another just before he goes to bed. (He often zonks out at the second feed).

[Babyluv]

Thanks yes she feeds the same through the day every 1.5-2hrs, she's a little guzzler. Usually at night before bedtime she will stay on the boob for anywhere up to an hr, sometimes longer. she's happy to just lie there & suck and gets prob 3 letdowns.
She feeds every time she wakes through the night, usually for about 10 mins then is back to sleep. There is no settling required at night as we do co sleep so she wakes I feed her & she falls asleep on the boob. If I don't get my boob out quick enough though when she wakes she starts to sook.
I've got pinkys book parenting by heart', I'll have to get sleeping like a baby. I guess I do need reassurance that it's normal and not that she's not getting enough, could it be that She's not getting enough at each feed so feeds more often? And I guess I'm needing to hear it will pass because I'm so tired

[krystals]

oh wow! What a feeder!!! Sounds like you're doing a brilliant job- 3 let downs...wowsers!!!

(sorry, just wanted to add my impressed look )

[Arcadia]

it sounds like she just needs to feed a lot at the moment. I would try and strategize ways you can cope with it then, rather than trying to change her. Can you sleep in the day? I sleep every day with dd and it really helps!

This too shall pass!

[Babyluv]

Thanks Arcadia,
I think I'm going to need to start napping in the day!

[boomba]

I second napping when she does..We would sometimes get a 2hour block of sleep during the day if I napped with DS1 cause I could feed him back to sleep when he stirred. Good luck hun keep up with the demand feeding and just know you are doing a fabulous job xxx

[Babyluv]

Thanks Boomba

[christy]

I followed a book with DD (now 3.5) called "Save our Sleep" by Tizzie Hall. It worked for us, DD was sleeping from 7pm (with a dreamfeed at 10 I think from memory) until 6-7am without waking by 6 weeks. Now she sleeps from 630pm-6am every night without waking (except if sick etc). I hope that helps!

"Save our Sleep" doesn't actually fit into the "gentle parenting" ethos... I think if you are looking for books and professional advice, Pinky McKay's book "Parenting by Heart" is an awesome reaffirming book to read

[luna moth]

I'm just going to put my experience out there... I discovered it by accident the other night. We have stopped co-sleeping and it has sorted out the night feeds, and solved our massive breast refusal issues. I only worked it out because i fell asleep on the couch, with baby in bed with her dad. She slept through for the first time in weeks. So we moved a cot into our room and now she sleeps there, and it's heaps better. I think she was kind of just feeding because it was there, and then she was taking on all her 24 hour milk quota between 1 and 5am, then refusing day feeds and getting very cranky. At first I was devoed, because I love co-sleeping, but her day feeds have improved exponentially, and I can comfort her much better, so the net daytime crying is much less.

I know our babes are the same age and quite similar, so just sharing. It might not work for you. I'm stunned that it worked for us.

[Babyluv]

Thanks Audaux,
I'm going to give it a try, this weekend I think in case I'm up n down like a yoyo. But I do want her to move into her own bed as I don't sleep well with her next to me even when she was sleeping.

[MummaSue]

This too shall pass.

Although, my 11 month old still wakes 2 hourly....... but she's a whole other post LOL

Babyluv, she just sounds like a hungry little munchkin.

And please please please DO NOT follow the Tizzie Hall routine. It's not a gentle approach at all and basically teaches you to override your intuition and your baby's signals.

Hugs babe, it really will pass

[Babyluv]

Thanks Mummasue,
I've heard all about T. Hall, she scares me. I'm going to try get my hands on Pinkys book sleeping like a baby as parenting by heart doesn't have that much in it that I haven't already tried.