3 month old waking every 1-2 hours at night

tuliplady · Aug 22, 2012

My exclusively breastfed 3 month old baby is now waking up every 1-2 hours at night to feed. He usually sleeps for 3-4 hours in the first stretch and then wakes up once or twice for a feed.
This is driving me nuts, since I dont pump (My mother in law does not allow bottle feed), but now she has gone back home and DH is willing to offer him a bottle at nights.
I am wondering whether I should offer him a formula once before bedtime and see if anything changes or sleeps longer?
All family members are recommending that I should start supplementing breastmilk with some solids if I plan on resuming work sometime later next month. I plan on excuslively breastfeeding for 6 months, but not sure whether I will have enough patience if this is his sleep pattern, and whether I will have enough milk to feed as well as pump. His weight gain is perfect for his age, which means my supply is adequate. I will also add that he is a heavy wetter, which probably means that the milk gets digested quickly and he gets hungry sooner..
Please advise..

karanu · Aug 22, 2012

Around 3-4 months, it happened with my DD too...it's just a growth spurt and will settle in 3-4 days (or max 1 week). 3 months is too early for solids....try to exclusively BF till 5-6 months. If you are planning to join work, you can try formula milk but not solids at this age. Also check with your ped.

Rakhii · Aug 23, 2012

I agree with Karanu. Sounds like growth spurt. It happens around this age. But it will pass.
My first option would be to start pumping. Who knows, maybe you do have enough supply to last even when you return to work?
I also agree that if it comes to that, introducing formula is better than introducing solids.

Bangaloregirl12 · Aug 24, 2012

hmmmm...interesting to know...

tuliplady · Aug 24, 2012

It probably seemed like a growth spurt indeed. He slept well last night. Woke up thrice though. We just got back from Bombay and after 3 months of continuous influx of family, we were just by ourselves. Perhaps, he was just bored and missing them?
We offered him a formula last night and he did not take to it. I dont know whether it is the formula (Lactogen) that he did not like or bottle? I am scared that if he does not take to a bottle, things might get rough when going to a daycare. Today, pumped milk and will see if he will take it.

At an average how many times should a 14 weeks breast fed baby feed at night?

polymorphic · Aug 24, 2012

depends on his needs. with formula he may feel a bit more full and may not need the 1-2 hrs in the night. try to offer him expressed milk since switching to formula means it can decrease supply for you (since you want ebf for 6 months)

RuthuVetha · Aug 24, 2012

Hi
Babies dont take the bottle in the first instant. They will take a few tries before they get adjusted to it. Even then it would be better if you pumped and fed him that in the bottle. That way atleast that taste will be the same. Formula you can start later. Since, you are in US, you should check with the ped there and then buy the formula recommended by them.
Frequency of BF will be - Usually when awake and active - 2hrs. If asleep then 3-4 hrs. It depends on child to child as how much milk he takes in when feeding. Some fall asleep due to the tiredness of feeding itself even if they were not full.

tuliplady · Aug 29, 2012

Now he is not waking up every 1-2 hours. But he has started waking thrice every night..I am not sure what is going on. His wakings were restricted to max twice each night, but mostly it was once only. He goes down by 7:30-8 PM. Wakes up at 10:30-11 PM. Feeds go back to sleep immeidately. Then wakes up 1:30 to 2 AM feeds and goes back to sleep/fusses then sleeps at 3 AM-3:30 AM, then at 5:30 AM or 6:30 AM, he wakes up for the day.

At 3 months, shouldn't he be sleeping for longer stretches? Does he need to feed this often? I am at fault since every time he woke up in the past since a newborn, I used to feed him perhaps he wakes up out of habit? I rocked him to sleep last night at 2 AM instead of feeding but he cried and wouldn't sleep

Also, the formula option isnt working out. DH offered him formula from cup and spoon, he spat it out. He is taking breast milk from bottle though.

ramyaramani · Aug 29, 2012

Taking 2-3 feeds in the night is quite common for a 3 month old. Even though several paeds say that at 4 months old most babies start sleeping through the night, I find it quite hard to believe. Neither my LO nor my friends LO slept through the night. At 7 months too, I was feeding twice in the night.

You did the right thing in feeding him every 2 hours when he was a newborn. Your LO seems to be hungry when he wakes up at 2. So he wants a feed.

lakshmisathish · Aug 29, 2012

it quiet natural...
it happens till your baby bcoms one year old...
waking up every 2 hrs is natural...
breast feeding is good for your sleep...
your sleep would get spoiled, if you get up and prepare a formula feed...
bear with all these till your baby is one year old...
take care