Nights - LO not sleeping btwn feedings, BF every 2 hours

Baby&MeMakes3

How often did your LO BF during the night at 1 month? My LO tends to feed more during the night (usually every 2 hours), and some nights (like last night) he doesn't sleep at all between feedings (but during the day he can often go 3 hours - sometimes 4 hours- between feedings). This means that I am often up for 4 hours or more in a row at night - or get 30 minutes or one hour of sleep between feedings (since it takes me about an hour or so to feed him and get him to fall asleep). He is so gassy, especially at night, so I am wondering if this is normal or whether it might be caused by gastric distress??? (he is always arching his back or pulling on my nipple - unlatching himself trying to get the gas out - and his gas is also keeping him up. he will just fall asleep and then wake up screaming bc he has so much gas). I have tried cutting out dairy, Mylicon, and Gripe water with no luck. Any suggestions? Do you think it might be reflux? He spits up mild occasionally, but not often. From reading others posts, it seems like others are up a lot during the night, but that most LO are sleeping 3-4 hours stretches during the night...anyone else up all night like me?

Also, should I try keeping him up during the day (or not letting him sleep more than 2 hours). I have read conflicting advice - some say this works, other say it will only make a 1 month old irritable and overtired...

 

AJluvsLI

DS usually sleeps between 3-4 hours at a time at night. He's also really gassy but mostly during the day.  

It seems his longest stretch of sleep is in the late afternoon, early evening so we've been trying to keep him awake more at that time and it helps him sleep longer at night.

Also, I will nurse him then when he seems done I burp him really good, make sure he doesn't need a diaper change and then nurse him again.  Even though he seemed to be done, he will continue eating.  That also helps him sleep longer.

HTH and good luck! 

mb~zf

Olive feeds almost constantly from 10pm to 2am.  Same thing with the gas.  We have had luck with Gripe Water though.  It definitely helps her burp sicne she doesn't really do so on her own.  Everything I've read and heard from friends is that it will get better around 6 weeks or when they get to 11-12 pounds.

You are definitely not alone in the not sleeping at night. 

Ivana_Stolichnaya

At almost 7 weeks, Katie still wakes up every 2 hours to eat.

Lizard2022

DS used to be like this.  He would only sleep 2-3 hours at a time.  I dreaded night time.  DS started sleeping better at night around 6-7 weeks.  He's now 12 weeks old and sleeping 8+ hours.  A couple things we have done, which I think help him, are swaddling and giving him a bottle of BM for his last feeding at night.  I think the bottle helps him eat more easily when he's tired and lazy at night so he fills up his belly better.  He's also over 15 lbs.  I've heard 12 lbs. is the magic number when it comes to sleeping more at night.  GL

ZacksBride

i try to keep feedings no further apart than every 3 hours during the day, then i let him go for longer stretches (if he can) at night.  i try not to let those longer stretches happen during the day however.  i find that after he is awake for about 2 hours, he gets really cranky, so i try to get him to nap, be it in the moby, bouncer, etc, before we get to that point.  ideally he gets at least a  45 minute nap, and when he wakes up he eats again

Baby&MeMakes3

Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions! My LO fights being swaddled, but if we don't he wakes himself up at night by moving his arms. I started using the Miracle Blanket because it is the only thing he can't wiggle himself out of (he is a very active boy)! 

I'm going to bed now before my midnight to morning shift - and crossing my fingers tonight is better than last night!