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All of a sudden, my exclusively breast fed 4.5 month old DD has upped her nightly feeds from 1 to 2 every night. I used to get nice 7 hour stints followed by a 3-5 hour stint. Now it's 4.5 hours max and 2 quite regular within 1hr +/- feeds. A friend says maybe I have a low supply at night. If so, why would that happen suddenly and what can I do about it?
If she's feeding fine during the day its not highly likely to be a supply issue as night feeds are almost always the best- fattiest & ur more relaxed to get good letdown. I'd say she's having a little growth spurt or maybe is like my cheeky little one and just wants another snuggle coz they know you'll give it haha!
Well it's a long one if it is a growth spurt! That WAS my first thought but it's been a week now. Do they go that long?
Yes definitely a week isn't really very long! It could just be the weather? Its pretty flippin cold over here lately and I find my children wake more when its cold...
Hi,
It's not your milk supply. Your body is making milk just as it ever did. There is no reason at all why your body would suddenly start producing less (unless you are pregnant again, and then it wouldn't be just nigh) The system doesn't work like that.
Does this sound familiar to you? http://kellymom.com/parenting/nighttime/4mo-sleep/
There are several things it could be.
1. They want more cuddles
2. They're trying to increase your supply (not an under supply)
3. They're having a growth spurt
4. They are not feeling well or too cold etc
5. They are going through a new developmental milestone ie, rolling, crawling etc.
Don't blame yourself or your supply. Babies just like to test us lol, its all a learning curve.
Sent from HTC wildfire using TAPATALK, so forgive any spelling errors its a small keyboard.
It's a pretty common thing at your babies age. It will settle down again, and then you'll be surprised by the next little spurt of night time waking. Both mine wake at night when teething, sick, cold, about to roll/crawl/walk/talk. Ds at 16 months is waking at least three times, and I think it's a word explosion about to happen (I've been awake since 4am with him trying to resettle, but then he woke dd at 5:30 and then they both wanted to get up...*yawn*)
Phew! Thanks everyone :)
Sometimes people try to blame everything on breastfeeding or your milk, when it is just baby behaviour. I got a couple of all night sleeps from my LO, but we are back at 2 0r 1 hourly feeds (after a bigger block if i am lucky). Pretty normal, and around 4 months is a common time for bubs to change their patterns.
Congrats on exclusively breastfeeding too!
2 weeks ago my 6mo went from 4hrs feeds over night to hourly :-/ I checked and he was due for a wonder week so I just accepted I'd struggle with sleep for a while and started eating lactation cookies in the evening.
Last night he went 5 hrs between feeds again - joy! I just repeat to myself when these things happen 'this too shall pass'
Okay so it's gone from 4 hourly to 3 hourly now. Back when I made this post the first sleep was from 7pm - 11:30pm or 12:30am ish but now it's only until 10pm and I haven't even been in bed long myself. I'm so flipping tired from all this broken sleep and my poor hubby isn't getting any, lol. When will this end?
Similar thing happening with my 6 month old. He has a 2-3hour sleep and then waking 1-2 hourly overnight, i am co-sleeping but the broken sleep still sucks. However, my DD broke me in for surviving without sleep :lol: so i don't stress so much that something is 'wrong'. i think i just breed minimalist sleepers.