how can I get my LO to take more breast milk before sleep?

[belliesmum]

My LO is coming up to 6 months and has never slept through the night. At the moment, she is waking up maybe 3 times in the night to feed, and I'm pretty exhausted. She's exclusively breastfed. I know that BF babies do take longer to sleep through, but I'm concerned that she is not taking in enough before bed to see her through for a reasonable stretch. Our EASY routine  changes as she is not overly consistent in her naps. Am naps are anything from 1-2h, lunchtime naps, 30min-1.5h and catnap 30-45min. We are on a 4h EASY am, but a 3/3.5h EASY pm, really because of nap length. Todays EASY was:

wake 6-6.30
E 6.30
S 8.40-10.40
E 10.40
S 12.55-1.40
E 2.15
S 4.00-4.45
E 5.30
Bath 6
E 6.30, but she would fall asleep within a few mins if I let her, so this feed is pretty pointless at the moment as it is maybe only 2 mins long.
Bed 6.45

I feel that i need to get her to take more at the 6.30 feed, but she just falls asleep. She will not take a bottle (have been trying for the last 2 months). When she wakes in the night, it is generally somewhere between 9-10, then 12-1, then 3/4ish, then wake 6-6.30. Is this still usual for a baby her age (almost 6 months, 13.5ish lbs)?

[Erin M]

If you want her to take more at 6:30, I'd cut out the 5:30 feed as it's probably keeping her from eating more later.  At nearly 6 months, you probably also need to be looking to lengthen your A times and drop the cat nap (there's some info here: All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months ) -- night feeds wouldn't be unusual at her age -- if you're not doing a dream feed, it would be somewhat reasonable to expect that you could still have 2 feeds at night -- there's some info here on that: Night Feeds and the Breast Fed Baby

A general rule of thumb is that we expect them to go just as long (or longer) between feeds at night as they do during the day. 

[scruffymax]

Is she on solids?  Not sure where you are but the advice here was very much to start at 4 months.  I know some places suggest 6 months though.  I would definitely think your LO is ready for solids if she is that hungry overnight.  I personally think she shouldn't need to feed that much overnight at nearly 6 months.  At that age my LO was BF and having 3 solid meals a day, and was having a DF of EBM at 10pm then sleeping til about 6am, which I know they don't all do but I would think most of that age could do with a feed around that 10pm mark and at most one other overnight feed.

[jessmum46]

Is she an independent sleeper or does she fall asleep on the breast at BT?

Just to say with solids, obviously the advice everywhere differs but milk should very much be the main source of nutrition at 6 month of age.  Most of the early weaning foods don't contain anywhere near the calories of milk, so add bulk but little in the way of nutritional value.  They are really just for fun

[belliesmum]

Thanks for your replies 

Jessmum, she is an independent sleeper of sorts. If she is overtired, I have to shh her and hold her chest down in the cot. If I get her into the cot at the right time, she can self settle within a few minutes or less. From birth until she was 4.5 months, I fed her to sleep. We worked on this when she was 4.5 months old, and she now goes into the cot awake. When she wakes in the night, I do feed her to sleep, but occasionally she doesn't drop back to sleep, so I put her in the cot and cross my fingers. I think most times she will eventually put herself to sleep.

The problem I have with the 6.30 feed is that she is very tired and WILL fall asleep at the breast if i let her, but I don't so we have to cut that feed short. I'm thinking that I should maybe feed at 6, before the bath? But of course, the earlier I feed her in the evening, the earlier she will wake up in the night?

Scruffymax, we have just started solids this week - I'm giving her a little bit at 11-11.30 each morning, but I guess it will be a while before I see any effect this will have on her night sleeping.

ErinM, I'm not sure I can increase her activity time that much. I tend to put her down just after the first yawn. That way she is not overtired and will self settle. Any later and I have more of a fight on my hands. Its round about 2- to 2h15 at the moment, but seems to vary from day to day.

[eva026]

We also had a DF and a NF or two at this age. I thought it was pretty normal for BF babies?
Only at 11 mo did she start to sleep through.
Have you tried a DF instead of one of the NF? It was a godsend for me because DH did it and I got a 5h stretch of sleep in a row!

[Fiver]

What about dropping the 5.30 feed, moving the bath a little earlier (if that's possible) so the BT feed is a little earlier too and maybe leading to a slightly earlier BT?  I've no idea how that would work for your family, so disregard if not.

[Erin M]

ErinM, I'm not sure I can increase her activity time that much. I tend to put her down just after the first yawn. That way she is not overtired and will self settle. Any later and I have more of a fight on my hands. Its round about 2- to 2h15 at the moment, but seems to vary from day to day.

Gotcha.  Tired cues to become somewhat unreliable around that age -- sometimes those yawns mean boredom or needing a change of scenery (or just that they're used to going back to sleep at that point) instead of true tiredness, but if she's fighting you on it, then you're probably right to either hold or increase very slowly. 

[belliesmum]

I love this forum - so many helpful mums and lots of advice   

Eva026 - I would love for DH to do a DF, but he'd have to grow a pair of (bigger - hehe) boobs. DD2 absolutely point blank refuses to suck from a bottle. She will quite happily chew and play with it, but suck - not a chance. We've been trying each day for the last 3 months. I'm hoping now we are starting solids she will realise that good things don't just come from mummy's boob.

Fiver - I have thought about this. She normally has a both with her big sister, but doesn't have to. I'm just a bit worried about moving bedtime earlier as she tends to be quite an early riser (anytime after 6, but more often nearer 6), and I worry that an even earlier bedtime would mean an even earlier get up time. I can cope with my day starting at 6 something, but not 5 something...

Erin M - her A time seems to be getting shorter and shorter. Just posted something about this on one of the other boards. Am wondering if I am seeing the 6 month growth spurt and it's making her A time less?? She is feeding 3 hourly during the day (was 4 hourly) and *sigh* 2 hourly at night :-(

[Fiver]

Yup, I get that.  Some LOs will tack on with an earlier bedtime and sleep a little later in the morning (mine were like that), but you know your LO best

And yes, it could well be the 6m GS

[Erin M]

I agree with Amanda, could definitely be that 6 month growth spurt.