How often does your 4 month old wake to eat at night?

KateLouise · May 2012

DD2 is EBF, and generally eats around 7pm before going to bed for the night.

When she was around 6 weeks old she was giving me 8 hour stretches, and these have gotten shorter and shorter. Now she's waking anywhere between every 3- 5 hours (and has been for a couple of months so it's not the 4 month wakeful)

I don't know if maybe she's not taking enough in during the day or something else. i think she's been getting reflux so wondered if that could be disturbing her in the night, but she will not be resettled without milk, and she has a real drink not just a nuzzle for comfort. So she seems genuinely hungry. I do think her increasing noseyness during the day is affecting how well she drinks during the day.

DD1 was completely different to this so I'm just at a bit of a loss as to what to do. I've kept thinking it was just a phase that would pass, but 2 months later and it's not getting better. It's starting to get me down.

Thoughts? Advice? Comforting words of support?

bobbi5342 · May 2012

My 16 week old is the same way. He used to sleep 8-9 hours at a time but we are now lucky to get 5. We have even started cereal at night but that hasn't really helped. Hopefully someone has some advice for us!

maiastar · May 2012

Sorry, no advice here. Just wanted to say we are in the same boat. Although, my LO has always eaten every two hours since she was born and at 5 months still does. Friends of mine say that their LO's did this as well until they weaned at 1 year.

KateLouise · May 2012

Thanks ladies. It's nice to know others are experiencing the same thing. I am in a Mums group and all the other Mums are like, "my baby sleeps from 7pm-7am" which makes me want to bite someone.

I guess this baby is just different to my first and I'll just have to roll with it. At least I'm confident I won't have to go on her honeymoon to help her sleep.

PsyDr04 · May 2012

I want to bite people whose babies STTN, too. DS is 5 months tomorrow and wakes at least twice. Last night he was awake/fussing pretty much every hour from 7 pm until around 2:30 am. Ugh.

janinekrause · May 2012

DD is 5 months but right before 4 months had a few nights STTN, so doctor said to put her down awake, let her cry a bit, and not go in if I could handle it. I didnt do this with my first till 6 months. Surprisingly when I let her cry for a bit, she rolled over and went back to bed. I was shocked. Every kid is different but do you leave your LO for a bit to fuss/cry before you go in, and do you try anything before you feed them? Mine were both formula fed by this point but i actually dont think it necessarily matters. My friend's 3rd kid- she decided to let her cry/fuss and not immediately feed and was STTN at 3 months- not so with her first two. She was EBF too.

Just a thought. Not saying straight CIO, but there is definitely a reason most 2nd children STTN earlier.

janinekrause · May 2012

Sorry! Just realized this is your second. My theory is if she was giving you long stretches before, she is capable of it, and if you can do it, I would let her cry/fuss for a bit...

KateLouise · May 2012

janinekrause:
Sorry! Just realized this is your second. My theory is if she was giving you long stretches before, she is capable of it, and if you can do it, I would let her cry/fuss for a bit...

i've tried rewrapping/ inserting her dummy/ patting her/leaving her for a couple of minutes and it might buy me an extra 20 minutes but ultimately she ends up screaming, so i'm at the point where i get more sleep if i don't leave her to fuss.

hlc820 · May 2012

All the moms in my moms group all EBF and NONE sttn. My LO wakes up 2-6 times a night between 7pm and 5:30am. He always has. Random nights we will get a 7 or 8 hour stretch but I can count how many times on one hand.

diana.filipi · May 2012

We're only at 3 months with this little guy but are you able to get her to settle without nursing her? Does she take a binkie? Is she still swaddled (if you ever swaddled her)?

DD was STTN 8-11hrs by 6 weeks. She was EBF and I think I just got really lucky. Who knows. This little guy is EBF as well but he gets up once every night with the occasional all nighter. I try to push him off and not nurse him at night but like you said, if they really want to nurse you just prolong the lack of real sleep for yourself.

In any case, I hope it gets better for you guys :-)

guccikat · May 2012

I don't EBF so don't know how useful this would be; what about pumping a bottle to see how much she is actually getting from that last feeding, then adding an ounce or two to that bottle ( maybe saved from earlier) and make sure she is full before bedtime.

karleegirl · May 2012

My dd is3.5 months and still wakes every 2-3?hours. I'm sooo tired as I've gone back to work and it's soooo hard to function. Shes my third baby but I can't figure out how to make her go longer. CIO isn't an option due to her sharing a room with ds2. If I read another post about how someone wants their kid to go 12 hours instead of 8 at night I'm going to scream.

jb2rn · May 2012

I know it's hard, but try not to compare yourself to other mums. I felt the same way - I thought I must be doing something wrong. If she needs to nurse, let her. At four months my son woke 2 times usually between 1900-0600. Sometimes more. It won't be forever. Maybe it's just s growth spurt.

Lena122 · May 2012

I read on kellymom that EBF babies start to take in less during the day as they become more observant and so they need more at night. Is it possible for you to feed in a quiet room during the day so LO can concentrate more on eating and might not need to wake as much to eat at night?

Auburngirl32 · May 2012

Try the swaddle me wrap by summer infant. I give DD a bottle of bm before bed so that I know how much she gets and is full. If i don't use the wrap she stays down about three hours with wrap she sleeps seven straight. HTH.

messfam07 · May 2012

I wish i would help my little guy the last week has seemed to be attached to me through out the night. i fall asleep to him eating and wake up to him still latched an hour later. I know he is getting milk i hear him guzzle it down and then the milk droole i miss sleeping through the night then dd is waking also. driving us nuts we have to tag team dh takes dd and i take ds we both work long hours so no sleep is getting to us. we have also tried rice before bed mixed it with bm in a bottle but nope little guy wants his boob juice straight from the boob.

ENev · May 2012

My son wakes up anywhere from one (rare) to four times per night. He was doing six-hour stretches for awhile and only waking up once, which was delightful, but he's back to 2-3 times per night most nights. My first son was the same way and didn't sleep all night til we did CIO at eight months old. I think it's pretty normal - babies who sleep 10 or 12 hours straight are the exception, not the rule! (though I am always VERY jealous of their parents!!)

cabee310 · May 2012

I knew I was in for it this time around. DS1 slept 8pm-8am from 6 weeks on. Being as young as I was I thought this was normal. obviously not. DS2 is still getting up 2-3 times a night. We have to swaddle him still and at 5am when he wakes he still goes in his swing. He only naps in his swing. He is almost 20lbs and we are SCREWED when he out grows it. I know babies do things at different rates. Oh, and he's FF (with rice cereal for reflux). So I don't think he EBF has anything to do with it.

cecilyandgautam · May 2012

Sounds like the 4 month sleep regression: it's normal and it generally passes. We started instituting an elaborate bedtime routine to reduce the number of wakings and it's helped. Sorry if you've seen me list this out before: 15 min oil massage, 10 min bath, cuddly nursing sessions with white noise & lights out, wrap up in blanket, and then put in bassinet with binky, patted on the back until she falls asleep.

When I was on maternity leave, my daughter used to wake up 1xnight, now she wakes up 2xnight - at midnight & 3/4am.

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