Feeding FAQ: 8-12 Weeks – Breast Feeding

My son of 10 weeks wakes at 6am and is not satisfied taking one side only. He then is tired by 8am

My 10 week old baby is waking at 6 after sleeping through from late feed at 10 30pm, which is great. However he won’t wait until 7am for second breast and is then tired by 8am and hungry by 9 am which throws off the 9 o clock nap and the 1030 am feed.

He also will take all naps in his Moses basket but always wakes after 40 mins at lunchtime and will not re settle. So I take him out for walk at this time and he can sleep full two hours but I get no rest.

I am also wondering about moving him to a cot as he’s outgrown his basket. Should I also move him to his own room at the same time?

My son is fully breast fed. He takes 40 minutes for feeds at 6am, 10am, 2.30pm and 10pm. At 5/6.15pm he will take 20 minutes and 30 minutes.

He naps at 8-9am, 12-2pm and 3.30-4.30pm. He settles at 7pm.

Your son has done really well to be sleeping through the night, after his 10pm feed, by the age of 10 weeks.

As your son is ready for a full feed at 6am offer him both sides at this time. Treat this feed as a night feed, with very little light and no eye contact. Only change his nappy if you really need to. Settle him back to sleep until 7.30am and then wake him to start the day. Change his nappy and offer him a top up feed from the breast he last fed from at 6am. This should help him stay awake to nearer 9am but go down contented rather than being hungry.

Before you settle your son to his lunchtime nap offer him a top up feed from the last breast he fed from at 10am/10.30am. This may help him sleep better at the nap. Even if he does stir after his first sleep cycle of 30-45 minutes he may be able to settle himself back to sleep within 20 minutes. Make sure he is well tucked in and the room is fully blacked out.

The decision whether to move your son into his own room, now he will be in a cot, is yours. Some parents like to do this, especially once their baby has started to sleep through the night, as they find that everyone sleeps better. But other parents keep their baby in their room overnight for another few months as the guidelines regarding prevention of cot death do suggest doing this.

If you do decide to move him to his own room make sure you have a working baby monitor you can use so you are able to close his door.

When you do move your baby into a cot continue to tuck him in well, especially if he is no longer swaddled. Use a cotton sheet and, if needed, a light cotton blanket stretched lengthways across him. Secure the sides using rolled towels pushed down the cot sides. If you are considering using a sleeping bag choose the lightest weight, 0.5tog, which will enable you to use both a sheet and cotton blanket over him. The heavier weight bags are more suitable once your baby has started to roll around and may become tangled in the bedding.