What do you think?

vtwildlifer04

So, my LO wakes up around 10:30-11:00 each night, after going to bed around 7:30. If he eats, he'll go right back to sleep. But, I like to pump at this time (and did so for many weeks until he started waking up at this time). I want to feed him if he's hungry. But if I go in and lay down next to him, he'll often go right back to sleep. Rarely will he need to eat for even just a few minutes before dozing off again.

 He'll then wake up two more times throughout the night to eat. I've noticed I can feed him from one side, or both, and it doesn't affect how long he sleeps until his next wake up. Often if I lay next to him again he'll just go back to bed.

What do you think? Would you feed him at 11 and each time he wakes up? What are your experiences?

 

 

 

Atalanta0214

My LO certainly sleeps better when she is next to me.  That being said, I try to limit the time I do that so she is not dependent on me being there.  I'd try to give him 5 minutes to soothe and if he is still up, feed and help him calm back down.  Mine currently wakes up every 2 hours at night so we are working through it too.  Nothing really helps but this is what my pedi recommended.

JMU_Bride09

Maybe he's just having trouble falling back to sleep and uses nursing as a crutch. When he wakes up, try getting him to go back to sleep without eating. If it won't work or you can tell that he's hungry, go ahead and feed him.

belladonna11307

JMU_Bride09:

Maybe he's just having trouble falling back to sleep and uses nursing as a crutch. When he wakes up, try getting him to go back to sleep without eating. If it won't work or you can tell that he's hungry, go ahead and feed him.

 

Agreed.  If he's only falling asleep when you lie down next to him, it sounds like he's having trouble going back to sleep, not waking up due to hunger.  I'd try to soothe him and see what happens.  Give him five or ten minutes, and if that doesn't work, feed him.  I'd be worried about him getting used to the middle of the night feedings and continuing to wake up for them out of habit instead of need, especially if he was sleeping through the night before.

Snapdragon750

I always tried every other method of soothing before feeding, but I wasn't nursing so "feeding" my baby when she wasn't hungry wasn't an option.