Sleep Deprivation.... - Denton,TX

My daughter was the same way...She is now 2 and still doesn't sleep through the night...She also loves to eat...She is a snacker...She wants to eat little meals all through the day...As long as they are healthy..I guess this is Okay...I would love to give advise on how to make it stop..but nothing anyone suggested to me worked...=) I can tell you it gets better and formula helps also...I would give one bottle of formula at bedtime each day...It worked to give a little longer sleep and also fill me up for the next feeding to go a little longer also..

I would definately try adding a little formula at night to supplement. It sounds like he isnt getting enough. Even if its just a 4oz bottle at night it may certainly help more than you know. My son just wasnt getting enough at all so i had to complately quit but try this first before you change the whole schedule!
Good luck.
A.

I used the Babywise technique from birth and it worked great. It is not a schedule; it is a routine.

Hi B. -
I'm so sorry things are tough right now. Not getting enough sleep is rough.
I know reading is probably the last thing you want to do when you get free time, but I highly recommend the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It explained a lot to me about sleep rhythms and helping kids get the right sleep at the right time.
Nursing can be extra tough too, so good for you for sticking it out! You're doing such a great thing for your little boy.

C.

I am also a thirty-something mom who is mostly vegetarian, had a natural childbirth, breast fed my last child until 20 months, and resigned from a professional career to be a stay-at-home mom so it sound like we have a few things in common!

My little one would wake up all night long to nurse too! I ended up co-sleeping to save my sanity! It was easy to simply roll over, get him latched on and go back to sleep. When it became too much for me to have him bed with us, I moved him to the guest room bed. I would lay down with him to get him him to go to sleep in that bed. If I would wake up, then I'd go back to my own bed. If I didn't wake up, then I spent the night in the guest room bed, which was okay too. My husband and I just had to be creative with our "us" time for awhile.

Eventually, he started waking up less and less until he only woke up 1 to 2 times a night. The bad news was that until I weaned him entirely, he never slept through the night. But for me, I didn't mind too much until a few months before weaning.

I know there is a lot of info that says nursing your kids to sleep isn't a good idea because you become a pacifier and it's not good for their teeth, but it worked out well for us. It was the only way I ever got any sleep and having a sane mother for my children has to count for something!

Follow your heart--you have to do whatever works for you. And hang in there; this time when they are little goes by so fast.

EDITED TO ADD: please do NOT give your baby benadryl as one poster recommended, you are really not supposed to give benadryl under two years old(this per my pharmacist husband and my pediatrician and everyone else i know that works in the healthcare field) and i CERTAINLY wouldn't give it to a 4 month old unless they were having a life threatening allergic reaction to something.

every pediatrician i've been too has always told me that if the rice cereal is thin enough to fit through a nipple, it's not gonna help. additionally, with the rise in food allergies, i wouldn't give a baby that age anything but breastmilk or formula. it could be that the formula at bedtime is achieving the opposite result, upsetting baby's tummy, thus making him "think" he wants to eat all night long. b/c my oldest son could never latch, i had to pump and bottle feed. around 6 weeks of age, i was ready for some sleep(but i have to say, neither of my boys ever woke more than once per night, typically sleeping 10 to 2, and then 2:30 to 7ish), so i added a scoop of powder formula to a bottle of breastmilk and that worked like a charm, it was enough to add some fat and make him feel full, but it didn't upset his tummy. i have had several friends try this as well with good results. good luck, and if nothing else, talk to you pediatrician, four months seems a bit old to still be nursing every two hours, but all babies are different!

Have you thought about giving him a couple of bites of cereal at night....Also, Try to not feed but every 3 hours....if that means using a pacifier...or just rocking....at night, instead of feeding him every time just pick him up and rock him to sleep... just a thought... the first couple of days might be rough but you will get him on a schedule you can live with...steph

This is such a difficult time, and I know I always felt a huge amount of guilt for being upset with my child and tired all the time. But, as many have said here, you will get through it. I breastfed both of my sons, and plan to breastfeed this new bundle when he/she comes along. I used the Babywise method. The book had a lot of info in it about sleeping patterns and such. As with any advice, I think, you have to take it with a grain of salt. You have to make it work for you, and your family.

I also started feeding my first son cereal around 4 months. He was just hungry all the time. However, I fed him his cereal, mixed with breast milk in the beginning, at dinner time. I would nurse him then feed him. Then I would nurse him again right before his bedtime. We would also supplement a bottle of formula right before his bedtime. My pedi told me that the formula sticks in their stomach for longer. I know you want to go the all natural route, but I just thought I would add that in.

Be encouraged that you are doing a wonderful job for your children, and you are definitly not alone in how you feel. I think we have all gone through these same feelings at one time or another during nursing. I hope that you get some advice that helps you get a little more sleep :). Good Luck!

A.

Hi B., I feel for you, I am going thru the same thing right now, my baby is also 4 months old. Do you put him in bed with you and nurse him at night lying down right beside you? I just started doing this with him and it has helped me get a little more sleep. I also have two other daughters that I breastfed, but I always got up with them and nursed them on the sofa then put them back to bed. That was way HARDER!! Give it a try if you have not already. Hang in there, we WILL get thru this LOL!!

Hi B., you must be very tired! I know you mentioned that you don't want to force a schedule, but I just have a few thoughts that might help you. I nursed my twins for a year so I had to put them on a schedule ASAP in order to be successful and to not be feeding them 24/7. In the first couple of months, I always tried to go 3 hours and that sometimes worked. I'd never let them scream and cry, but if holding them kept them happy for a few more minutes, I'd try my best to keep to the schedule. By the time they were a few months old, I could usually go 3 hours and then 4 hours when they got a little older. They were like clockwork...they would want to eat exactly 3 or 4 hours after their last meal. What I realized is that my body made exactly enough milk in that 3-4 hour span to keep them satisfied. I'm sure you have tried this, but maybe you could get your little boy to wait a little longer and he would be satisfied for longer because he'd be getting more milk. It doesn't sound like you want to be too scheduled, but it does help with the predictability of the baby. Since I had twins, I just had to be scheduled with them or I would have gone crazy. Good luck to you!

Hello. I breastfeed my children (I do have an infant currently). I am not sure if you use a breastpump, but I will tell you what I do. Igive my infant a bottle (of breastmilk) right before bed, my hubby does actually, and I use my breast pump at the same time-so my body thinks I am feeding. Anyway-this way my son gets a really full tummy, and then only wakes up once in the middle of the night.

I was dealing with the 2 hour thing for a while, but this helped.

Hope this helps.

B.,

It is very frustrating. My son was a "snacker". He never would eat a lot at a time and he would eat every 2-3 hours. I just lived exhausted for a while, but at least he was my only child.

Best to you:)

B.,

You might not be making enough breastmilk. I think you should definately supplement with formula, at least right before his bedtime. Here are my suggestions:

1) Give him a bottle of formula before his bedtime. He is getting so much of your breastmilk, that one bottle of formula a night is nothing. He will still benefit 100% from your breastmilk. A bottle of formula at night will NOT harm his health or lower his immune system (if that is what you may think). Also, the formula should be a liquid formula, since it is thicker than the powder formulas. Give him as much as he will take (probably 6-8 ounces at his age). Don't forget to burp him halfway through the bottle, and again after. Very important so he won't wake up 2 hours later with air bubbles. This WILL make him sleep longer. At 4 months of age, he should definately sleep for at least 4 hours at a time.

2) Put him to sleep in his car seat. He will feel warm fuzzys and have an enclosed feeling. I truly believe it will make him sleep longer (that's what I do for my 2 month old - plus, he has reflux, so he has to sleep on an incline).

3) Make sure the temperature is right, he is sleeping in the dark, and it is quiet.

Good luck!!!

I think Jean S. said all of the things I would say.

I do want to add that I started to have some depression due to MY lack of sleep when my baby went through this. As much as it pains me to say it, I had to just shut the door and let him cry sometimes while I tried to sleep or took a shower. It broke my heart, and still does when I think about it. BUT, I realized that my baby's Momma needed to take care of herself a little, too.

Keep all of the things that Jean S. said in her post, and do what is best for you and your little one. Hang in there!

Hang in there! I know it seems you will never get to sleep but it will pass. I had the same problem with mine. I was so sleep
deprived that I felt I wasn't being a good mom during the day and I was frustrated at night. I will tell you I am getting sleep now and he is 9 months.

Some of your baby's waking may be due to habit not a need to eat. His body is trained to wake up every 2 hours to eat. Does your baby nurse himself to sleep? If so he may think he needs to nurse to get back to sleep whenever he wakes in the night. If your baby is in his own bed you can try having your husband go in and try to soothe him. I know that once my baby saw me he "needed" to nurse but with dad going in he didn't think about nursing. We also let him cry for a little bit...as long as it was low key fussing. Sometimes he would find his pacifier and go back to sleep, even if it was just for 10 min or so. It helped him get used to going longer between nursing.
If the fussing escalated into crying then I would go in and get him. I would try to soothe him first and use nursing as a last resort.

You could also try introducing small amounts of cereal before bed. We use "Earth's Best" organic rice cereal. You can mix it with pumped breast milk. It works for some and not for others to feed cereal before bed.

As far as a schedule goes for nursing babies, I put mine on a schedule. I am a stay at home/breast feeding (all natural birth) mom as well and my baby slept little during the day like your's. The schedule really helped us. If your baby nurses on demand during the day he will expect to at night as well. Start small like stretching nursing times by 10 or 15 minutes until you hit every 3 hours. Also follow your baby's natural sleep cycles. After 3 hours of being awake he will need to sleep again. If you try to relax him and put him down at the 3 hour mark, instead of when he is overly tired, he will go down easier and sleep better. He will eventually fall into his own pattern and start sleeping for longer periods.
The schedule helps him know what to expect and he knows that he will get to nurse again when the time comes. It builds security instead of thinking I better get it while the getting is good. The schedule also makes it easier to do outside activities.

We also started having a bedtime routine.(eat cereal, have a bath, get in p.j.s, nurse and then cuddle for a bit.) We would rock him and put him down sleepy but not asleep. We would then stay with him and pat him until he fell asleep. The goal was not having to be rocked or nursed to sleep. He eventually got used to going to sleep on his own with out those things. When he woke up during the night he had the skills to put himself back to sleep without needing me. This took place as a slow process over a few months. He now sleeps from 9:30-6:30 then he nurses and goes back to sleep until 8:30 or 9:00.

Every baby is different and responds to different things but we do have to guide them. No one knows when but eventually the sleep will come. Hang in there and just do what you feel is best for your little one. Don't do something just because it is what I or anyone else says to do. If you aren't comfortable with a method there is probably a reason. Good luck and keep us posted on how it's going.
B.

You rock! Good on you for nursing so long with your first and wanting to do it this time too! And natural childbirth!?! You're awesome!

It is hard being a SAHM. I feel isolated a lot too because there is so much to do around here and to teach/do with my kids that I don't get out as much as I probably should.

As for your question, I think you have a "snacker." Some of them are like that at different stages. I had a snacker once and I started pumping one bottle (because more than that is just so hard for me to commit to) and my husband would feed him at 12. So I went to bed and fed him at 10, and didnt have to wake up until 2 or 3. That made a HUGE difference.

But now I have a 9 month old and she's been eating every two hours at night again for about the past month. I think I need to feed her more at dinner time because she eats real food now. But that's not possible for you because your baby is so young. I just hate feeding babies too much real food until they are 12 months. But I think this baby needs it.

Anyways, best of luck! I feel your pain! Most of us are just as tired. I just keeping thinking that it will seem like a short period of time in a few decades. =)

I was like that and remember all to well with my now 3 yr old, I was a stickler about her being on a schedule and would nurse every 2 hrs well she got used to that and like clockwork woke up every 2 hrs, she slept exactly 30 minutes like 2 or 3 times a day and during that time I would hurry and do what I had to do, sleep is now a luxury as a mom of a young one, I have not slept all night since I was pregnant, she still wakes up to potty. I just encourage you to do what needs to be done on those nap times and when your hubby comes home, give him the baby and go to Starbucks with a book and enjoy being ALONE, and when its time to go back, you are more refreshed or get your nails done, you must have some time for you and do not allow guilt, you work all day just like working moms but you work harder so take your breaks and don't give up on YOU ok, its all good, you need time for you and when the baby naps girl lay it down! ok

You poor thing you must be exhausted! I have so been there! I am very petite (4'11) and my son takes after my hubby and is very big. He nursed every hour or two his first few months of life. I was lucky to find a local chapter of La Leche League and they were very helpful. When we moved our son into our bed (safely- no sheets, pillows , comforters near him) with the help of an "in bed- bed" I noticed he slept a little longer. If your baby is nursing so often most likely it is because he is hungry. What else would wake a person after only 2 hours of sleep.
I would reccomend a couple of things-
1. Make sure the room is very dark
2. Put baby in same room and relatively close so can hear your breathing.
3. I noticed you are vegetarian, Breastmilk is very quickly digested. So are fruits and vegtables. Your breastmilk is probably much more quickly digested than people who eat less healthy. Your breastmilk is probably VERY healthy as well! You may want to focus on personally eating more food (if possibly) and eating higher fat and protein rich foods. Research and learn what food pack a lot of bang for the buck (such as advacados). Try to eat food that takes a little while to digest. Eat hearty food. Babies need lots of fat so don't worry about if you will gain weight- believe me if you are nursing that often you won't! Also I reccomend eating right before bed. I would like to put I am not a nutritionist, but I breastfeed and when my son was born ate a mostly vegetarian diet. These things seemed to help fill him up. I actually used to get up around 2 am and eat another meal. I had to eat all the time to keep him from being hungry all the time. I would guess I added 1000 calories to my pre-pregnancy eating habits! I could all of a sudden eat 6 meals a day and out eat my hubby! It was because my son needed soo much and was growing so fast. I also pumped (expensive medela pump- LOVED IT) and would freeze milk. I would pump durring a feeding on the opposite side. Then in the mornings on weekends my hubby would feed the baby and let me get some much needed rest! I pumped a couple of times a day and this may have also helped my body to learn to produce more at once. I noticed a direect correlation between how much a could pump comnpared to how much I had eaten that day. Also it may be mentioned that I dropped 50lbs in 7 months eating more calories than I can even guess. I was constantly eating! Once my son started solids at 6 months I did not have to eat so much. Just a thought. Peanut butter, nuts, dairy (if you eat dairy), & olive oil (other oils too). Make sure you are getting plenty of these types of things. Eat a lot and eat often. He may be going through a growth spurt too and when that happens they eat a lot more often (which signals your body to make more milk)

You have TONS of feedback so I will be brief. I've been through it already. Call Baby Coming Home and see if they might have someone who can come by for a consultation. They are very back to basics and organically minded. It's worth the fee. This is not an add and I get nothing for mentioning them. Tell them Hunter Huckin sent you and you are sure to get some sympathy! www.babycominghome.com

Bad mom here, but I would give him some cereal. And I would give him a touch of benadryl. My youngest nursed every 45 minutes for the first 3 weeks. I was beyond exhausted. When he finally started sleeping for longer than that, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. And there was nothing wrong with breast milk, it had lots of cream and it was thick. I also had gobs coming out. He just had a small stomach I guess and he just couldn't hold much until he got a little older. He woke up alot up until two years old also. Your baby may just have a high metabolism and needs more calories or he wouldn't be hungry all the time. At 4 months you should be able to start him on some cereal and breastmilk mixed. Get Dad to feed him and skip a feeding, but be sure to wear extra pads as you will leak really bad. If you are getting angry from sleep deprivation, it is time to ask for some help, family or friends whatever. Sleep deprivation can make us all crabby and cranky. And think and do things we would not normally do.
Good luck,
L.

I'd probably also start him on rice cereal so he'll go longer without nursing and so he'll feel fuller. I felt about the way you sound like you do with yours, but it was within the first month because my then 2, almost 3 yr old decided to not take naps anymore. Just before my daughter was born we had several episodes of him getting into glue and getting it all over our carpet, flooding bathrooms, and he started finger painting on his walls and bed during his quiet/nap time when he had a poopy diaper. I didn't feel like I could sleep ever since I was up late and all night with the baby, then up early and all day long with him, trying to keep him out of trouble. I ended up having a couple of my friends come over once or twice a week, just to play with my son so I could go in and nap with my baby. That may be something you could do. My friends that helped me out then have just had, or are having a baby now, and it's my turn to help them out a little.

B.,

I went through a similar process with my daughter. I nursed her until she was 2 1/2. I think your goals are fabulous!

Where does baby sleep? I eventually brought my daugther in bed with me. She was in a co-sleeper (sidecar) arrangement until she was pulling up, then in bed. Crib down the hall does not work well for nursing moms. I used a bed guard that flipped up and clamped down ON TOP OF the mattress - no gaps for baby to slip down in between guard and mattress. I don't know if they still sell these. I got it at Babies-R-Us. This helped a lot. She still woke every 3 hours for a while and I was tired until this stage passed. Other tips include:
-Go to bed early, don't push baby to "stay up late" as this throws the cercadian rhythm off for you and baby and baby won't develop proper sleep wake cycles.
-Nurse in bed lying down.
-Teach baby day vs. night. Keep room very dark at night so you can't even see your hand. No lights when you nurse. No nightlights. Baby will learn it is night time - for sleep!
-Take naps!
-I also used a pacifier - personal decision - since baby may enjoy just suckling on you.
-You can try introducing a lovey, but you are the best lovey in the world. For "natural" "organic" lovies, try:
www.magiccabin.com
www.rosiehippo.com
www.ecobaby.com

A more gentle approach to instilling good sleep habits is "The No Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. She nursed her five children until at least 18 months, I believe.

A word about other comments:
- Babywise may work - for SOME babies. If it doesn't work, give it up immediately. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued cautionary warnings about "baby training" books like this. It's not flexible enough for growing, changing human beings.
- Rice cereal is proven not to work. It's empty calories anyway - not nearly as nutritious as breastmilk.
- Formula makes babies sleep longer because it is such an indigestible foreign product in their systems, it takes the digestive tract longer to push it through, like a sludge. This is not a criticism of bottle feeding mothers -just a statement of fact. Many women can't breastfeed for a variety of valid reasons.
- I don't think I need to expound on the Benadryl advice to a fellow "natural" mom.

Good luck! Congratulations!

give your baby a little cereal as in breakfast/lunch/dinner.

You've gotten a lot of responses so far! I just wanted to say that Jean S. had great advice. Also, the poster who recommended reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child has a good suggestion. I have read that book, and it really helped me understand and learn about the sleep that a baby needs. It does advocate for crying it out, however, we don't use that. We just used the book for its information on sleep cycles, sleepy signs from your baby, and the approximate times that babies are tired and need to sleep.
Giving benadryl to get your child to sleep...not so much in favor of that one!!
Cereal - like Jean said, it doesn't work. It's empty calories, and it's recommended by the AAP as well as many other organizations to not give solids, including cereal until 6 months of age. Cereal does not even have to be the first food a baby receives. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child also explains why cereal does not work in relation to the amount of time a baby sleeps.
The same thing goes for keeping your baby up later at night or skipping naps, as another poster suggested; this will likely make your baby wake up even more at night, or be a complete mess during the day because he is so overtired.
You could try putting him to bed and/or naps earlier than you are now. We started doing this with our daughter after we read about sleep needs, and she started sleeping in longer increments. She's now 7 1/2 months old and does get up to nurse at night, but not every two hours. It doesn't sound like your son is taking long enough naps, which is probably affecting his nighttime sleep.
Hope that you find some of the things that have been mentioned helpful.
J.

I can remember my mom's suggestion, I did it and it helped. Give him a little rice cereal. I know it may seem a little early but even if you add it to the bottle you supplement before bed time it just might do the trick. The fuller the tummy the longer the sleep!

Is he eating cereal yet? A little mixed with pumped milk before bed may be a good idea.

Also, I suggest nursing before baby goes to bed and then nursing again before YOU go to bed. It was usually about 2 hours apart when I did this. It helped me stretch the first half of the night's sleep.

You also did not mention if you sleep in the same room as the baby. I never could. It was like they could smell me. LOL

One more suggestion: Try to skip the first nap in the morning to tire him out for a longer nap later during which you can catch some Z's.

I hope this helps. It will get better. :o)

Blessings,
P. <><

I think nursing every 2 hours at night at 4 months old is excessive. I'd talk to the ped. about it, but assuming he's growing normally, he should be able to go at least 4-6 hours at night without nursing. Have you tried having someone else comfort him if he wakes? If you try to comfort him when he wakes, he may want to nurse, but if someone else were to try, maybe he could be comforted without nursing and break the habit that he has now. Good luck! It's very hard when you are nursing to not nurse them when they are upset, but again, if he's 4 months old, I think he should be able to go longer without nursing. My son is 5 months old yesterday and nurses before he goes to bed around 7PM and wakes around 4AM to nurse, and then goes back to sleep until about 7:30AM. My other 2 nursed at least once per night until around 6 months, but definately not every 2 hours!

he wakes because he is hungry pump some milk and mix it with baby cereal to help him feel full so he can sleep start small amounts and gradually get thicker i know they say no food but people been feedin babies for centuries and they are ok i breastfed my girls but gave them soft foods cereal until they got teeth and started them on cereal so i could sleep god bless

I can't contribute to your sleep deprivation woes because my three were sleepers, but I can speak to your stay at home momness. Cherish every moment.

I was blessed with the ability to be a stay at home mom for 15 years, and I battled the isolation by not allowing myself to be isolated. I visited my grandmother, took my toddlers to any events in the area including those offered by the library, and volunteered in the schools. Whoever was the baby went with me everywhere. These steps were good for me and my children. They were used to meeting people and being with other people beside me. When it came time to walk them through that kindergarten door, they were ready. After 18 years of marriage I was faced with a sudden divorce, and all the monumental changes that go along with such a tragedy. Without even realizing it, my years of being a stay at home mom had forged an incredibly strong bond with my children that helped get us through that trying time.

I will say this about their sleep. Because I was a stay at home mom, I was able to work around their schedules. As they grew, their needs changed and their schedules changed with those needs. I discovered that when they went through a growth spurt they ate and slept more. I worked around these changes, visiting later or earlier or missing a tickle time at the library.

I hope this helps. Kathy M.

Wow. Are you drinking mother's milk tea? It helps you produce more milk. I used it and a friend of mine used it too and her baby went from every 3 hours at night to a 7hr stretch (he was 6 months old though). Perhaps it would help if you made a little more milk? The tea contains fennel (which will calm your stomach and his) and fenugreek both proven to help you make more milk. The directions call for 3 cups of tea a day but I drank it like crazy! I kept it made up in the 'fridge all of the time and drank it all day long. You will know that you are drinking enough when your urine smells of maple syrup! Keep up the great breast work! I breastfed for 25months and wish I would have done it longer. My daughter has an immune system of steel! BTW, I've noticed a lot of "cry it out" responses. I won't exactly tell you what I think because opinions never matter as much as very serious research. Harvard took on a study about the "CIO" attitude and the results may surprise you. Please google the words "Harvard Cry it out". Also, I slept with my daughter next to me. It helps your body produce more milk and you get to lightly doze while doing so. I've done my share of reading about this situation and as long as you are not on drugs or morbidly obese a family bed is a great solution to the night time feedings. About 3000 children die from sids every year. They sleep in cribs. Approximately 70 children die in the family bed every year. They die of suffocation, being wedged between the bed and the wall... None of sids. Look that one up all you want. I spent several months doing my own research on that one.

This is what worked for me as a breastfeeding Mom of 11 month old twins.

At four months:
No more swinging, swaddling. I still use white noise. They sleep in their own room. I keep them on a tight schedule for sleep/eating. If you're willing, letting them cry really works. I used to jump at every noise they made to feed them, and I read this:
"Babies wake several times a night. When we wake, we roll over, look at the clock, fluff our pillow...we know how to get ourselves back to sleep & babies don't. That's why they make noise/cry. There's a book called "The SleepEasy solution. Here's the link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0757305601
It will change your life in a weeks time. I belong to a Mom's group, and most everyone has done that book. Within a week (some cying though & first night is the worst) both my twins slept through the night at 4 months. Our course, you modify things to work for you, but it will certainly make your life better. I find now that if I go into my boys room at all now, my presence wakes them up more.

By 4 months the baby should be able to go a little longer. It is more habit at this point. Have you tried letting her "cry it out" a little? Just make sure she is safe.
J., RN and mother of 3.

I am the mother of 5 wonderful children. I am 47 now and my babies are 25,16,12,10 and 9. My 4th child was like that. I was miserable, cranky and totally sleep deprived. My philosphy was to give them what they needed. After a trip to my pediatrician for routine checkup, he asked about the babies sleeping habits. I told him the baby slept while nursing and I slept while nursing. He said that it was showing. He told me that the baby was very healthy, was getting more than enough to eat and that I need to draw some boundaries. I would put her in the nursery and just check on her when she cried. I would not pick her up and I refused to nurse her. After a while, she caught on and started to sleep well. It is ok to check on them to make sure that they are ok, but try not to turn on any lights and be as quiet as possible. Do not have any interaction with the baby except to see that they are ok. The baby will nurse just fine during the day. The baby will get all he or she needs from the other nursing. Babies do not need to eat all night. I know that sounds harsh but I truly did thank my pediatrician later. It was the best thing for me and the baby, because she learned to sleep at night and was a more pleasant soul also:) Bless you in your training years!
W.

Hi B. -
Be encouraged and blessed - newborn season is a tough one. You'll do fine!
I don't think there's anything wrong with putting a baby on a schedule though - and it doesn't have to be a super-strict schedule, just so the baby knows what to expect and roughly when. I strongly recommend Babywise. I had a daughter that had to nurse every 2 hours all the time and it was doing the exact same thing to me as you described. I bought the Babywise book and started using the method a little before she was 2 months old and it totally changed my world. Within about 3-4 weeks, she was sleeping through the night (even 6 hours is a God-send - am I right?!).
That method also helps the baby learn to sleep in regular patterns, so you will know that after you feed him and play with him for a while, that he will take a nap (it's called the EAT/WAKE/SLEEP pattern - where they don't nurse straight to sleep) - it's amazing what a difference that made for our #2. I loved it so much, I did it with my boys too and they were awesome sleepers at an early age too.
Anyway, you can do that and still go the natural way on eating and things. And you can nurse indefinitely. I'll be praying for peace for you and wisdom on how to proceed. There is always a lot to consider when it is your baby, but you will do well.
Blessings!
S.

My doula gave me great advice when my first daughter was born: at around 6pm start feeding the baby every hour. If he's asleep, wake him up and feed him anyway - even if it's only a little bit. Then when you are ready to go to bed, you wake him one last time for milk. It also helps to co-sleep shirtless to disrupt you the least amount possible. By six months my daughters were both able to latch themselves on without even fussing or disturbing me.

go to drhull.com. he is a pediatrician and has a sleep video out. He also offers unlimited email advice and responds very quickly. His method involves very little if any tears and works like a charm. worth the 24$--- every cent. we used it with out 6 month old, who also was waking up every 2 hours. Within 10 days he was sleeping 12 hours straight.

B.- Sounds like you are really trying to do everything on your own- time to delegate- Why not pump and allow not only your hsuband but your son to help feed as well while you take a nap- I would get him used to the bottle now before its too late- Not only will it still give him the breastmilk that you want- but it will allow amazing bonding time for your sons and husband,which is truly the ultimate goal in any family.
You need your rest.
If you decide that its just too much- there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with stopping. Breatfeeding wasnt for me- I was constantly on the go and my husband worked long hours- I have two children who ate good and we would go on adventures all over-and that kept them healthier than any of my friends kids that were breastfed. I kept the natural food- no soda or candy- granola- healthy eating- lots of fish approach and that worked for me. I also tried cloth diapers- NOT!!!! that didnt last long.
You need to keep up your strength... so get that precious little love bug used to some breast milk from a bottle and let everyone in your family enjoy feeding him. You can still breastfeed regularly when its your time-I enjoyed just watching the joy in everyone elses eyes as they would oggle at my little wonderwhent hey got to feed him--and her - they are now 13 and 17!
D.
www.partyangelsus.com
good luck!

I had the same problem with my son and it turned out he wasn't getting enough milk from me so he was always hungry. My doctor suggested doing breast and bottle but once I saw what a difference the bottle made, I went right to that. There was comfort in knowing he at least got some breast milk but his health and happiness, along with my sanity and sleep, were the most important to us. He's a healthy, active 8 yr old now and still eats alot! Hope this helps.

Hang in there mom, you have got about a month and a half of being his only food source to go. By my experience it is about 5 months that it peaked in intensity and then we started feeding him some foods. I know... thats easy for me to say! Being a growing boy is hard work! Be sure you are taking some naps! Don't fall for the "I am staying home and I need to pull my weight around here" trap. Right now you are doing the hardest job around..what other job would require you to be at work every two hours day and night? REST! I nursed 2 and it was SO hard and SO worth it! Make sure you are getting enough protein in whatever form works for you but I bet getting rest is what you need most..share that with your husband and child. Get away when you can and you will be happier and better able to bounce back and not resentful..I know you arn't really but it is hard not to be when someone wakes you up every 2 hours!
May you find the rest you need in Christ.
B.

Hi Brook, Bless your heart, I know how you feel. My daughters are 32 & 27 but went throught the same thing with them both. Both my daughters tried to nurse their babies. One was fairly sucessful and one was not. We were told recently that we could have gone to the health food store & got an herb called marshmellow. It is suppose to increase your supply & make your milk richer.
Pump some of your milk & check the color & richness of it. At 3 & 4 months into nurse mine looked like skim milk. So I had to stop nursing. Also if you pump & it looks rich, put it in the fridge for a several hours & see how much cream comes to the top to text the richness. This will tell you if you need the marshmellow or not. I really wish we had known about this maybe it will help you.
Good Bless You & good luck.

I went through the same experience with both of my boys. They never slept through the night until they were 11 months old. I tried every "trick" to get my boys to sleep through the night and nothing made any difference. With nursing it seems that some kiddos just want to eat all the time. I am still nursing 1x a day my 3 year old. Although I don't have advice, I encourage you to hang in there, nap whenever you can and know that this time of sleeplessness will pass!

I see you've gotten tons of responses, but just watch out in case it could be an allergy. Someone may have already said that, but my son was still waking 4-5 times a night and cried a lot during the day at age 4 months. At age 5 months I'd noticed some blood in his stools, and he was diagnosed with a dairy allergy and a soy allergy. I cut both completly from my diet (I'm nursing too) and he's completely changed. I see you're a vegetarian, so the dairy may not be the issue (or the allergy could be there but just not present if its not in your diet), but he could be allergic to soy. Symptoms often don't appear as early when you're nursing as when they're on formula since the allergens are passed down through you and not as strong as if received in formula. Anyway, be watching him, because it could very well be an allergy. I'm very sympathetic! Although my boy is better now, he's still nursing once or twice during the night, and he's now 8 1/2 months. I live tired too, since I have a 2 1/2 year old who I'm chasing after every day as well. Wish you the best!

Both of my daughters nursed every 2 hours for the first few months, also, and slept very little. Does he cry alot? Does he seem to be uncomfortable? I thought I would go crazy from sleep deprivation, too. Both of my babies were diagnosed with a wheat/flour allergy, when my oldest was 2 1/2 and my youngest was 6 months. Looking back, I believe I was nursing both of my girls at times when they were having a reaction to wheat that I had eaten, rather than the fact that they were hungry. My doctor said they had "colic", which means he did not know why they would cry so much and sleep very little. Obviously, I do not know what the situation is with your son, but I just wanted to share my story because I believe we would have had more children, had we known about the wheat allergy and the reason my babies cried alot and never slept, for the first six months of their lives. I wish you the best, but do know that you are not alone and you will make it through this. Always remember, "The days are long, but the years are short!" If you are interested in knowing more about having your son tested for food allergies, let me know, and I would be happy to share the name of the doctor.

E. W.

My kids were all sleeping through the night by 4 months, but before that my hubby and I would switch off during the night so that I could get a bigger chunk of time to sleep. I would nurse about 8 pm and go to bed, hubby would stay up and watch some late shows then do a bottle about 11:00 pm and then I'd get up for the 2 am feeding. That gave me almost 6 hours sometimes which made all the difference in the world.

Just wanted to say hang in there. I too had a baby boy who wanted to feed about every hour and a half for the first 6 months of his life. It was exhausting, I tried "schedules," Babywise (which made both of us crazy by the way) and everything I could think of. He never was a great napper and still to this day is not a kiddo who requires much sleep. One thing that helped me was babywearing. I had several different slings that he practically lived in for the first 6 months of his life. The slings and a pacifier did help to keep him somewhat more content but he still did feed about every 2-3 hours even at 6 months. By wearing him I was able to feel like I could do a few things for myself rather than sitting and nursing all day. I also co-slept. My husband frequently traveled and getting up at night was more than I could handle, but by having him in bed with me it got to the point where we could nurse and both go back to sleep pretty quickly. If you have friends or family nearby try and recruit them to help with some of your household chores if you can. I had to hire someone to clean my house for the first six months because because I just could not handle it all. Good luck, sounds like you are doing an awesome job, some babies are just more challenging than others and it sounds like we were both blessed with those babies! Congrats on your natural childbirth, I did the same thing and it was one of the best decisions ever.

I have an 11 month old who wants to nurse every time she rolls over in bed. She sleeps with us, as well. It is exhausting, but they eventually outgrow it. One of the sacrifices we make as moms. I'm constantly saying in the middle of the night, "I'm mom...I don't need sleep!" Do you drink coffee, or other caffeinated drinks? If you take in any caffeine at all, you might stop that. I remember, with my first, I had that problem, and once I cut way back on my caffeine, it made all the difference. In fact, I drink half caf/half decaf coffee now, and I bet if I went strictly to decaf, my baby would sleep better! I've heard the rice cereal before bedtime, too. Might work.

Good luck, and hang in there! It's not forever!