How to deal with waking to eat every 2 hours at 5 mos?

erindawn · September 2012

I'm dying here. He was going to bed at 7pm, waking at 12-1 to eat, then at 5, then at 7am for the day at 2 months or so.

Slowly, we've gotten to this point. Here's last night's fun:

Bed at 8pm (he took a late nap from 5-6 pm in the car)

Up at 11:45pm to eat- 3.5 oz

Up at 1:45am to eat- 2.75 oz

Up at 3:45am to eat- 2oz

Up at 4:30 to eat- 1.5 oz

Up at 6am to eat- 2.5 oz

Up for the day at 6:15am

OH. MY. GOD. Someone please shoot me! This is pretty typical and has been for about 2 months. I've tried lessening the amount in the bottles, but he's not always eating all that much, so it doesn't seem to matter. By not responding all the time, I've cut out several wakings that weren't eating related. He WAS getting up every 30 minutes after 3am!

So what to do? I know he thinks he's hungry because he's used to getting up at 2 hour intervals to eat but I can't keep doing this. If I don't feed him he screams. I've tried soothing him in other ways. He ends up wide awake for 2 hours or so if I don't get to him quick and feed him.

Help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

atdavis87 · September 2012

No advice because we are going though the exact same thing. Eager to see the responses!

martacaroline · September 2012

Mine wakes like that often but I only feed him once. The other times I reinsert his pacifier.

anonsouthernbell · September 2012

Honestly, it stins but it is something that you just have to deal with. Not trying to sound callous but there rare tons of gs through the first part of life. He will start to sleep longer stretches bn feedings, but it just takes time. The ones that are close together (less than an hour) seem to be bc he was sleepy and fell asleep before completely full. Maybe trying some techniques to get him to wake up a little bit more ( but not awake).... You can also check out the no cry sleep solution as it is au for babies 4+ monts

kkchisholm · September 2012

It must be tough but I think you just have to get through it. You WILL get through it! My cousins baby is now a year old and still gets up 3 tims a night. What your bedtime routine look like?

erindawn · September 2012

I have tried every brand of paci and he just gets pissed if I even offer it.

nicole0066 · September 2012

How much is he eating during the day?

ELF4321 · September 2012

OMG, I could have written this post. This is EXACTLY what DD has been doing the last week or two and it is driving me absolutely frickin' insane. I am getting so much LESS sleep now than I was getting a couple of months ago!

I think part of the problem is I'm having trouble getting her to eat enough during the day, so she's hungrier at night. I am switching to a faster flow nipple for her daytime feedings in the hope that if it comes out faster, she'll end up eating more before she gets bored or whatever it is that is making her not want to eat much during the day. I hope it works.

erindawn · September 2012

ELF4321:

OMG, I could have written this post. This is EXACTLY what DD has been doing the last week or two and it is driving me absolutely frickin' insane. I am getting so much LESS sleep now than I was getting a couple of months ago!

I think part of the problem is I'm having trouble getting her to eat enough during the day, so she's hungrier at night. I am switching to a faster flow nipple for her daytime feedings in the hope that if it comes out faster, she'll end up eating more before she gets bored or whatever it is that is making her not want to eat much during the day. I hope it works.

We just picked up some faster flow nipples yesterday and he acts like he's going to drown for now. I'll keep trying.

Our bedtime routine is good, I have another kid so I've got some of this figured out.

LO#2 is eating approx 30-35 oz. per 24 hours, and last night it was 1/2 of those oz. during the night! He has little interest in eating during the day. I am constantly pushing the bottle on him. He only wants it really at nap times and then it's only 4 oz. so that ain't much.

Also, he has no problem putting himself to sleep. It's just that he wakes to eat constantly!

brideofscowboy · September 2012

we can cry together....

LesleyT · September 2012

sounds like it's par for the course because we are going thru it here too. And my LO hates pacifiers, too (thank God). I figure it's just part of the deal- breast feeding and baby- someday I'll get sleep. All for a good cause. After all, we are growing humans

catmtl · September 2012

I think you should definitely try to feed more during the day and cluster feed between the last 2 hours before putting you LO to bed so that you can be assured that the waking is NOT from hunger.

At 4 months babies can go 6 hours without eating so I think your LO is just getting up out of (bad) habit. You definitely a sleep problem on your hands and likely need to do sleep training unless you're OK with this schedule Sad

Tootermi · September 2012

I would definitely try to cluster feed at least 2 feedings before bed and see what happens. My daughter was doing that the last few weeks. I would only feed her as a last resort if at wasn't at least a few hours since the last time you offered a bottle. She would do the same thing and only take a couple of ounces so I knew she wasn't really hungry, ya know? Good luck and don't worry, it will get better!

vixen3031 · September 2012

Have you tried starting solids? When I asked my pedi about this she recommened that I start solids and it has seemed to work.

Also it could be teething?

I worry about giving my LO milk in the middle of the night now to go back to sleep because then she will learn to expect it.

marleysimon · September 2012

Just sounds like he's hungry because the amounts are so small. Will he not eat more at each feeding? My 3 month old eats 28-30 ounces a day and still acts like she's hungry, and she's on the really small side, only 11 pounds. How much does he weigh? General rule of thumb is 2.5 times the weight. If you can get him to eat more at each feeding, I think it I'll help. Sorry, hope I read your post right...

Becky19 · October 2012

Personally I would increase his intake during the day and then sleep train/let him cry at night. He does not need to eat every 2 hours at 5 months old.

purplehydrangea · October 2012

Becky19:
Personally I would increase his intake during the day and then sleep train/let him cry at night. He does not need to eat every 2 hours at 5 months old.

This.

How to deal with waking to eat every 2 hours at 5 mos?

Re: How to deal with waking to eat every 2 hours at 5 mos?

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