BFIng and Sleep

[EJTmommy]

I'm just curious how often everyone's LO gets up at night to eat or if they are STTN?  My LO was doing pretty good and then hit the 4month sleep regression I guess. Then he got sick a few days after x-mas and he is starting to get back on track. He is just under 6mo and gets up 2x a night to eat right now. He's not on solids yet and is EBF.

I know some of my sleep training friends think he should be STTN but I'm wondering if because he's BF that it's ok and normal to get up at least 1 or 2 times to eat at night? And that he will eventually STTN when he is developmentally ready?

So how old are you LOs and how often do they get up at night to eat?

Thanks!

[PatioGardener]

nak

mine must nurse 2-4 times at night at 9 months. 

he sttn - he does not wake to nurse - but i stir when he does and help him to get close enough to latch on.

it is completely normal for babies to nurse at night! sleep training is not normal, imo. just remember that you are raising a normal baby with normal needs and you are meeting those needs

[WifeofAnt]

My DS is 6 weeks tomorrow and gets up about every 2 to 3.5 hours to eat around the clock, sometimes more during the day.  Since he won't sleep until around 11 PM he'll usually wake 3 times before we get up for the day.

I am SO glad he doesn't STTN because I already feel overfull halfway through the night.

[EJTmommy]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener 

nak

mine must nurse 2-4 times at night at 9 months. 

he sttn - he does not wake to nurse - but i stir when he does and help him to get close enough to latch on.

it is completely normal for babies to nurse at night! sleep training is not normal, imo. just remember that you are raising a normal baby with normal needs and you are meeting those needs

Thank you for making me feel better!

[EJTmommy]

Originally Posted by WifeofAnt 

My DS is 6 weeks tomorrow and gets up about every 2 to 3.5 hours to eat around the clock, sometimes more during the day.  Since he won't sleep until around 11 PM he'll usually wake 3 times before we get up for the day.

I am SO glad he doesn't STTN because I already feel overfull halfway through the night.

Thanks for your reply!  That fullness (the kind that leaves you leaking all over the place) should eventually subside - at least it eventually did for me :)

[crystal_buffaloe]

My nursling (8 months old in 1 week!) has slept through the night a handful of times, and it was awesome. Now, none of these times were in a row, and try as I might to exactly replicate the situation, I kind of think they were all flukes.

A fairly typical night she might nurse down at 7pm, at 9pm, at midnight, at 4am, and at 6am. Sometimes she will skip one or two of these, though . I think it's perfectly normal and healthy for a BF baby to nurse one or two times a night. IMO, it would be much harder to "train" her to sleep than it is just to feed her -- she goes right back to sleep nursing and it's not very disruptive at all.

[Oliver'sMom]

 My nursling will be 6mo on friday and nurses every 2-3 hours night and day.  He pretty much sleeps all night with my boob in his mouth :)  He gets his milk/comfort and I get my sleep.  It works well for us.  I did the same with my first son and I too think it's completely normal and healthy for babies to nurse often throughout the night.

I have a lot of friends who sleep trained their kids as infants and are now dealing with a lot of sleep issues with their 3 and 4 year olds.  My first ds didn't sttn until he was almost 2, but I think that was when he was physically ready to do so and he is now a beautiful sleeper.

I say let babies be babies!  They'll sttn when they're ready :)

[EJTmommy]

Thanks Oliversmom.... I too say let babies be babies :)  My pediatrician said to let him CIO at our 4 month well visit I didn't listen to him.  On another note - I haven't been happy with that ped for several reasons. I'm on a pediatrician hunt as we speak ...

PS.  Our sons are 6 days apart! 

[NewBeginnings1]

I've been nursing my little one on demand at night (he didn't wake up for any other reason). Since about the 4th month, he's been stretching out night feedings. Now at 5mo he eats at 7:00 PM , sleep @ 7:30, eats again at 9:30 PM, 4:30 AM and wakes up for good 7:30 AM.  I can live with only having to get up once a night for now. Just keep doing what you're doing and the sleep patterns will balance out.