How do I get my 5 week old baby to sleep longer than 2 hours without feeding?

Question

I am breastfeeding my baby and at night she seems to wake every 2 hours for a feed but does not seem to drink much. During the day when she is awake, she is constantly crying for feeding and I have to feed her every hour, again she doesn't seem to feed longer that 10 mins. I have tried formulas but she seems really cranky as I don't think she drinks as much (max 60 ml at a time) because she doesn't like the taste. She now weighs 4kg and has gained a lot of weight so is healthy and definately gettting enough. Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

I know how you feel. My son is 15 months old now, but he was exactly the same as your little one. He would wake up every couple of hours (sometimes every hour) for a feed. I also breastfed and he wouldn't take formula either. I spoke to my health visitor and my doctor about it. But unfortunately, that's just your baby's routine. All babies have different routines. My mum said that my older sister was the classic every 4 hours baby, but that I was every 2 hours. As long as your little one is happy and healthy and putting on weight, you've got nothing to worry about. It will mean sleepless nights for a few months (I was like the walking dead), but she will grow out of it.

Answer 2

For a 5 week old baby, she should be breastfed every two hours. She's hungry because of her tiny stomach. When my baby was a month old, my pediatrician advised to let her cry all night without feeding so she can feed longer during the daytime... but I wouldn't advise it till she's older... it seem cruel. What you can do, however, is wait a few minutes before feeding her and each time she's hungry, wait a little longer. This way she can feed a little longer and more...so she can wait longer before the next feeding time.

If she's keeps on waking up and feed no longer than 10 minutes, she's probably using you as a human pacifier to get back to sleep, she's not really hungry.

Answer 3

Well for one, you have to be patient and realize right now life is about baby not you. If she is getting up every two hours that is normal for a 5 week old baby. As far as feeding, I'm thinking she is breast fed? It is possible that she is not latching on properly and therefore is not getting enough to eat. Also the first ten minutes on each side she gets the most out. I would suggest for you to call your local LaLeche League and they can help you ALOT. They will even send someone to make sure you are getting your daughter to latch on right. Really cool people. If she is crying alot, it could be she has some colic where her stomach knots up and cramps. Real gassy and it hurts her. Rub her tummy gently or walk her around rocking her at the same time. Also she would like to be wrapped up in a blanket, called cottalling. Actually there is another name but I can't think of it. What you do is take a recieving blanket or one a little bigger. Put her in the middle with the corner at her feet and head. Put the bottom corner up, and take a side and wrap her, put it behind her. then you take the other side and do the same and make sure it is real snug. They like that because when she was in your tummy she did not have alot of room. So they like to be bound up. After she grows for a while you wont have to do that anymore. It will make her secure. And face it Babe, if she is whinie then sit and rock her and talk to her. tell her you love her and she is beautiful. Its called bonding. Without that in the first three years, she would become detatched with her feelings from you or anyone else. Right now life is about her, how you handle her, feed her, and love her. Be patient, take time, and so what if the house doesnt get cleaned that day. She is the most precious jewel in your life right now. Enjoy every minute!! They grow so fast and then they are gone. You never know when they could leave this earth. Cherish every moment.
I have 3 children and 9 grandchildren, 7 of which are boys. My new granddaughter is 3 months and sooo beautiful. I hope I helped. kim

Answer 4

Congratulations.
Babies have small stomachs and can only have a little at a time. She is still very small being only 5 weeks old. However I had the same with my first child: he was also breastfed and would fall asleep half way through a feed (I think the physical contact with the mother makes them feel sleepy!). If he'd only feed for a short period of time, I would move him a little or re-position him in my arm and talk to him softly, to draw him back to the breast. I would then try to encourage the breast back into his mouth to get him to feed again - it always worked and works now with my second child too. At 4kg your baby is doing really well so thank God you dont have to worry about her health. But every two hours is too frequent. She should start feeding every 3-4 hours.
Also to note is that some babies treat the breast as their 'pacifier/dummy'! They may not be hungry but just want the breast in their mouth and mummy to cuddle them and hold them. Good luck.

Answer 5

I have a 5 week old son too and he's exactly the same as your daugther. This was a big shock to me as my 22 month old daughter did not mess with her food - she ate well at each feed and was satisfied for four hours. But every child is different as they say. In the first few weeks, he always fell asleep at the breast - he still does but what I do is to do something that will wake him up following a feed just before his long nap or just before the first bed time around 10 pm. My trick is to change his nappy as soon as he falls off - he hates changing so that wakes him. After changing his nappy, he's awake then I give him another feed and that seems to have worked for the past week.

Bear in mind, though, I only get an extra hour for my efforts although 2 days ago, he slept through for almost 5 hours! He was obviously tired then since he's not repeated that since.

If you can stick to strictly breast milk. It's hard work but it's the best start for your baby. Babies don't need water if they're on breast milk because the milk contains water to quench their thirst. I see formula as processed food - I generally prefer fresher food to processed food so it's not wonder that babies prefer breast milk to formula milk.

Breast feeding will also help you with your weight loss and stomach contractions. I gained 4.5 stones and already, I've lost 2.5 stones and my stomach is almost pre-preg. Although, I'm also making sure I steer clear of sweets, chocolates, ice cream, etc.

I wish you all the best.

Answer 6

I know how you're feeling, both my babies breastfed a lot! You probably don't want to hear this, but stick with it. Babies (especially new-borns) do go through growthspurts where all they seem to do is feed. If memory serves me correctly, there's usually one around six weeks (probably what's happening to you at the moment), and again at roughly ten weeks.
It is overwhelmingly tiring, but the best thing you can do for your baby is to carry on breastfeeding on demand. The reason they seem to only feed for short periods, is that their stomachs are so small that they can't physically fit much in at a time. Also, when your baby is having a growth spurt, and they are suckling a lot, it causes hormones to be released in your body which actually increase your milk production to keep up with him/her. So stay away from the formula milk if you can, substituting breast feeds for a bottle will interfere with your hormone production, and could end up making your life harder!
You're doing really well, your baby is gaining weight and it sounds like he/she is thriving. My advise to you would be to go with it, be led by your baby, get as much rest as you can and take any help that's offered.
All the best, hope I've made sense and been of some help x

Answer 7

You have a normal breast fed baby, and boy, can they be hard work! make sure she doesn't fall asleep while you are feeding-some babies comfort feed, and don't really want the milk,they just do it for comfort, so maybe this is why she feeds every hour during the day.Every two hours is normal though, so don't worry, all babies are different.If she is fed, dry, and not ill, leave her a while if she is grumpy and crying,in her crib.Sometimes babies are all too aware that the moment she begins to cry is the moment you'll pick her up!My babies always woke for two hour feeds in the night, but gradually i would leave them every other time they woke and they would fall back to sleep on their own. Sometimes they get into a routine of waking up, even though they don't really need feeding.You'll be able to read every bit of body language your baby uses soon enough, and you'll know if she really does need a feed. Good luck!

Answer 8

My first born feed every half hour for the first two weeks, even through the night, because he seemed to fall asleep at the breast I thought he'd done and took him off, that turned out to be my problem. Once I realised what I was doing wrong I left him on, even though he seemed asleep and he feed for forty minutes at a time. At bed time I'd strip him off and wake him right up for a good long feed and he settled for four hours. Worth a try. It worked with my second, but my third liked little and often and there was just no changing her. Also bear in mind that every two weeks or so, babies up there food intake and it can seem like they feed constantly for about 48 hours until your milk flow catches up. Bear with it things always settle into a routine given time and support. Trying hand expressing and letting someone else take a couple of feed if possible as well. Don't forget to take some ME time between those feeds, you deserve it!!

Answer 9

The same thing happened to me! I was feeding my little guy every hour on the hour (even at night). I really didn't want to introduce formula at all, but after 8 weeks I had too.
Have you tried pumping? At least you will know how much she is getting. Or try switching formula, mine liked Carnation Good Start the best (and that was after 4 different ones).
Its a hard time, just hang in there. you're maternal instincts will show you the way. Just nap when you can, and drink as much water as you can get down.
Good luck!

Answer 10

I breastfed my eldest for 3 weeks & she was the same, every hour of the night she was waking & my right nipple was that sore I ended up with a big gash in it as she wasn't latching on properly so I went to formula, at first it was slow going but she slept so much better after that & I don't regret it a bit, she's perfectly healthy! I personally couldn't go on as I was as I was dreading her waking during the night. You could try a dummy, maybe she's suckling for comfort, or you could give the formula another go & alternate it with breast milk! Another thing is expressing the milk, that way you'll see how much she is taking each time. It will take her a while to get used to the teats of the bottles but she'll get it eventually!

Good luck!

Answer 11

Hi Nina, I was reading your previous questions, so realise you are in Saudi. I am involved in a mother-support group (unfortunately in the Caribbean, so that's not directly helpful to you) and all the mums really find it encouraging to be with other mums and share problems/solutions. We are also pro-breastfeeding. So I was googling to see whether there is anything similar where you are. Check this page and see if it is at all helpful/up-to-date.
http://www.lalecheleague.org/SaudiArabia.html
They have a group in Dharan which I think is not close to you, but maybe the on-line forums/emailing to leaders may help?

I just want to encourage you that this time will not be forever, even though it someimes seems like it. My second baby used to behave like night was day and day was night for the first six weeks. Night was awful for me. I have since found that this is quite common. And I think you are doing great in continuing to breastfeed. When she was younger you said she used to sleep all day and wake during the night. As she is now being more wakeful during the day maybe she is heading for more sleep at night in the next couple of weeks!

During the day I found wearing the baby in sling while I was doing things was helpful if she was cranky.(The kind you make out of a piece of cloth and wear over one shoulder). Oh, and about the A/C - I found that that really helped with sleeping at night. My second daughter would settle down to a really long breastfeed at about 7/8pm, for about an hour (I used to read a book!) but in the A/C she would then sleep for hours. This was at 2 and a half months.

Email me if you ever want to chat. It's hard being away from family/close friends at times like these. If you could find any other mums with young babies to meet with it would be great. Even if you don't have loads in common, trying to handle little babies makes a bond.
All the best!
Rose