Please help, 8 months old & bf up to 5 times a night....

[lotti]

Hello there. Please help! I am new to the site after a recommendation from my sister.

My son has never made it through the night without being breast fed at least once. Recently it has become progressively worse, often feeding sometimes as frequently as 2 hourly. He also will not take a bottle or dummy despite consistent efforts! He has also stopped being able to put himself to sleep since moving house and as a resuly bedtime is becoming a nightmare when it used to be a breeze!

I am trying to feed more frequently during the day and only feed for as shorter period as possible at night to settle him. Absolutely nothing else will settle him, and he doesn't respond to pick up/put down - in fact it makes him very cross! He has also become fussy with solids during the day and has just cut his first two teeth .... at the moment all of the odds feel stacked against us!

Due to a very bad start, where he spent 2 weeks in special care after nearly losing him on days 2 & 3, both my husband and myself find it impossible to leave hime to cry and have been guilty of molly-coddling him to some extent, resulting in him associating feeding, cuddling and being rocked with sleep.

I was hoping someone may have some advice on where I should start! He is a very happy boy during the day but night times are becoming a nightmare and I feel as though I have no life, as I have not gone out in the evening since his birth....  I am finding most of the advice I read is mainly geared at bottle fed babies ... I wish!

Thanks

Charlotte

[lotti]

Thanks Stacy

I know its the breastfeeding that puts him to sleep, but I had always assumed he would grow out of it! Oops. Before we moved he was going into his cot awake at night after his feed but he's in a phase of falling fast asleep while feeding last thing at night ... then when put down wakes and goes mad, I don't know how to keep him awake after his bath, he is always so sleepy. I then have to rock him to slee if he gets grumpy when put down, a very bad habit I know - also for me since he weighs 23lbs... ! A few weeks ago he would also be comforted in the night with some gentle patting. I'm very confused, I really thought I was getting somewhere

My hubby and I have discussed the pu/pd thing and I guess we are both a bit scared, I still find it incredibly difficult to hear him cry ( I know everyone does). I think we will tackle it soon, as it's getting silly now. Have you done it? Is it very bad...?

We have a  good daytime routine  -

7 wakes up, breastfeed and breakfast of fruit/toast
9.30 nap 45 mins - 1 1/2 hours usually in pram
11 bf
13.00 lunch & juice
14.30 nap of 45 mins - 1 hour usually in pram (am often out at this time)
15.30 bf
17.00 dinner
18.30 - 19.00 bath & massage
19.00 - 19.30 bf & bed

Any more help or advice is much appreciated.

Charlotte