4mo reverted to waking twice in night but not ready to wean

[33goingon64]

My 4mo DS (PFB!) has been waking only once in night since about 8 weeks (not religiously but most nights) until about a week ago. He goes to bed at 8pm, straight to sleep, used to wake at approx 3am then again at 6ish. I was very happy with that.

In last week or so he now wakes some time between 11pm and 12.45, then again at 4ish, then again at 6.30. I try and wait to see if he will put himself back to sleep but after 5 or 10 mins I go in and feed him. He does seem hungry and goes straight back to sleep after the feeds.

Four possible causes I can think of: he has a cold, it has been hot/warm weather ( if either of these then I will carry on feeding him and hope it passes), he has become used to waking and being fed, or he is hungry and I need to feed him more or even start weaning.

Although he is gaining weight, he is a small baby, just below 9th, which isn't surprising as DH and I are smaller than average, but I do wonder if he's not getting enough to eat. For ages now he has been feeding very efficiently, in 10-15 mins, and hardly ever wants the second breast. He decides when to finish, unless he falls asleep feeding which he only does before his main daytime nap.

He hasn't shown any interest in grown up food and isn't quite ready to sit up for any length of time although he holds his head well. So I don't think he is ready for weaning. He seems satisfied after feeds.

One final (other) thing, he doesn't seem to burp after feeds anymore. Is that normal? He doesn't suffer from wind much so I'm not worried, just interested to know if it's normal.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

[RitaMorgan]

Twice is the night is totally normal for a 4 month old - most babies his age feed that often. Nothing you have said suggests he's ready for solids.

My ds very rarely burped after feeds.

[LeoTheLateBloomer]

I'm no expert but I believe strongly in the four month sleep regression when good sleepers go awol.

It's happened to me and several friends and lasts for varying amounts of time so don't worry too much about other causes.

I'd go with it for now (I know, easier said than done) and see how you get on.

[RitaMorgan]

You could always do his first night feed when you go to bed, then you're still only waking once in the night.

[EauRouge]

Yep, 4 month sleep regression. My DD2 is going through it at the moment and it sucks. Mind you, the only reason I never noticed DD1 go through it is because she's always been a terrible sleeper and even now she wakes up more than DD2.

I very much doubt there's anything wrong with him and there's nothing that you've done wrong to cause it. Don't worry about what other parents say their baby is doing either, 'sleeping through' can mean so many different things.

My DD2 has also stopped burping so much, I put it down to my milk supply. She used to get terrible gas due to my oversupply in the early days but now my supply has regulated she's not having to drink really fast to keep up!

Don't worry about his being small, as long as he is gaining weight and having lots of wet and dirty nappies then he's getting enough milk. If there is a LLL group near you then they do a really good info sheet called 'is my baby getting enough milk?' and there's some info on the website here. HTH :)

[33goingon64]

Thanks all, very useful.

[milkyjo]

Also could be a growth spurt, my DS's growth spurts seemed to be at completely different times as the books said and he also started waking up early morning about 4:30 at 4 months - which sounds quite good but we had got used to him sleeping from 7:30pm until morning from 8 weeks (very unusual for exclusive breastfed baby by the way). He only started waking up at a reasonable time when he went into his own cot in his own room at 6 months. And he started solids at 5 months which did not make his sleep patterns change. So even if you started solids it probably wouldn't make any difference to the night waking. I would hold off until you know he is ready and you will know. If its any consolation my DS has food (breastmilk or solids) every 2.5 hours still in the day and doesn't really nap well!

[treesinthebreeze]

Yes I definitely remember a growth spurt ad sleep regression around 4 months. It lasted a couple of weeks if I can remember rightly.

[PossetFeatures]

Hi 33, agree with treesinbreeze and others about the 4 month sleep regression- DS was a great sleeper from birth, only waking once in the night to be fed and then going straight back down, then at about 15 weeks it all went tits up and he started waking 2,3,4 times a night and DP were distraught, wondering what we'd done wrong! Tried upping his daytime milk intake, giving hungry baby milk before bedtime, etc, and nothing worked. Then after about 3 weeks, he started to improve, and now we are pretty much back to normal (waking once), but annoyingly not quite as good as before! Babies eh? It probably is a phase, but if your baby's had jabs lately, being poorly can last up to two weeks, not just a couple of days, so could be a reason- if so, up the calpol! DS is 5 months now btw

[33goingon64]

I'm liking the growth spurt theory. Let's go with that.

[jeckadeck]

My dd who is now five months had a marked sleeping regression at four months. No idea why think all the things you suggest can be factors and its beginning to improve a bit now but there's definitely something to that four month theory. I'd just bear with it, make sure you're doing everything right and don't be too hard on yourself if it goes on -- it will end.