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Tricia 
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Joined: 01 January 1900
Location: Christchurch
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 Topic: Feeding problems
Posted: 28 June 2007 at 4:55pm |
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Any ideas on how to stop my little month old boy falling asleep when breastfeeding at night? He gets a bottle from DH at around 11pm, but when I am breastfeeding during the night he tends to only last 5 - 10 minutes and that's it. I've tried changing him, burping him etc. but he's not interested after his initial feed. Only problem is he then wakes again in an hour or two for more.
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mamanee
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Location: Hamilton
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Posted: 28 June 2007 at 5:01pm |
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Although my little over a month old boy is bottle fed, I am having the same issue! During the day he will take the whole lot but during the night he hardly takes any before falling sleep, only to wake up screaming an hour later.
Frustrating isn't it! I'll be watching this thread with interest.
Here are the things I've tried. Sometimes they work, sometimes not.
Changing, burping, taking him for a walk around the lounge with all the lights on.
Another thing is that I find Sam sleeps a lot better and lot faster when it's really warm in his bedroom, so maybe you could try feeding him somewhere that is a little bit cooler?
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Bizzy
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Posted: 28 June 2007 at 5:03pm |
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stroking their cheeks or noses can sometimes work. maybe taking off his booties and rubbing his feet.
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Katherine
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Posted: 28 June 2007 at 5:08pm |
Hi Tricia! How often does he wake up in the night for a feed? And during those five to ten minutes that he's feeding in the night, is he sucking full-on or is he only half-hearted at it? Does he feed from both breasts at his nighttime feeds? Is he falling asleep on the second breast?
My baby used to fall asleep at the breast in the middle of the night, and the only thing I could do was try more and more outlandish things to get her to stay awake. Changing her nappy to be sure she was good and waked-up before the feed, tickling her toes, undressing her (a good one in the cold winter because then she REALLY woke up), stroking her cheeks, tugging her ears, changing position, bicycling her legs, moving her arms around... You name it, we tried it. Finally, I just went with it, and she eventually sorted herself out.
Babies do become super-efficient at feeding, and if he's waking up and sucking full-on for ten minutes and then going back to sleep, it may be that he's getting his fill in that short time. Breastmilk is more easily digested than formula, which is why breastfed babies sometimes seem to want to eat *all the time* -- they eat, digest what they need, poop out what they don't, and it's on to the next feed. And waking again in an hour or two for more is quite normal for a one-month-old baby. He might just be getting into a rhythm with sleeping and feeding...
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kebakat
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Posted: 28 June 2007 at 5:12pm |
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I have this problem sometimes to.. I've tried:
- feeding him in the living room at night when its like 10 degrees lol (not pleasant for mummy!)
- tickling under his chin and on his cheeks
- blowing on his face and ears
- tickling his feet
- playing with his nappy as though I'm gonna take it off (he hates his nappy being changed).. actually changing his nappy will wake him for a few minutes but then falls asleep again
- striping him off
- changing his position
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Tricia
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Posted: 28 June 2007 at 5:25pm |
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Will have a try at some of these suggestions tonight - thanks guys!
He feeds about 3 or 4 times during the night and normally if he falls asleep he's only had one breast - so surely that's not enough is it?
My other thought was to express and bottle feed him - that way I know how much he's getting and he tends to stay awake better with bottle feeds.
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Katherine
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Posted: 28 June 2007 at 5:37pm |
He *might* be getting enough from only one breast during these nighttime feeds -- it depends how full your breasts are. For a lot of women, it takes six to eight weeks for their breasts to "work out" how much to produce. If your breasts are really full, he might be getting enough during a feed from only one. My baby fed from one breast at a time in the night, and I always had to try to remember which breast I stopped on so I wouldn't offer it to her first at the next feed...
Three to four times in the night is pretty normal, too. The only way to really know if he's getting enough is to weigh him and see if he's growing! But if he's healthy, happy, alert and getting more active and engaged when he's awake, that's a good indicator.
It's up to you whether you want to express and bottle-feed in the night so that you can be super-sure how much you're feeding him and how much he's taking. I was always too cold to do that, myself (much easier to stay in bed and snuggle up!). If only you could somehow measure how much milk he's taking from your breast -- too bad nobody's invented that machine yet.
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Tricia
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Posted: 28 June 2007 at 5:41pm |
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Thanks for the reassurance - it's so good to be able to get advise from people who have been there! I've been reading too many books that all conflict with each other and I think I'm better off chucking them out and talking to you guys!
Rohan has put on 1kg in a month so he's doing well and is the cutest wee man (not that I'm biased!)
Thanks again
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busymum
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Posted: 28 June 2007 at 7:29pm |
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Hi Tricia, unfortunately this is very normal for a 1mo, that they need feeding every two hours and only on one side usually. Their stomach is just so little. Keeping Rohan awake isn't going to be the key for you since he has had such good weight gain so isn't lacking in food. New babies have regular growth spurts at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 weeks and it really takes it out of Mama to have all those extra feeds - actually it's amazing how tired just breastfeeding can make ya! So if he's 4 weeks you will find him suckling/waking more often than last week, then next week will settle a bit and then you may have another big week ahead of you. Try to take time out for yourself when he goes to sleep because this is a big job and housework can come 3rd. I wouldn't worry about trying to keep him awake, it's all normal and it's about what he can fit in there. My Krystiana (5 1/2 mos) still only takes one side at a time so that may continue for you (btw don't give him just half of the first side and half of the second, because it's all watery foremilk and he won't get the filling-up hindmilk).
Hang in there, it'll all get easier soon!
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Faraway
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Posted: 28 June 2007 at 11:30pm |
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One thing Plunket told me to do was have a wet facecloth to rub over them. Thankfully have never had to do this myself but may have to try soon as my little one is falling asleep during day feeds!
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AnnC
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Posted: 29 June 2007 at 2:28pm |
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As mean as it was I use to wash Rhyley's face with a semi cold flannel to wake him up. They did it in the hospital when he was born as he wasn't very interested in feeding off me. Although I didn't do this everynight it did work. Also rubbing their feet (midwife did this) Its a reflex or something to start feeding again.
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Ann
Also Mum to Josh (15) and Brooke (10)
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Feeding problems
