4mo waking frequently at night to feed

[whilewildeisonmine]

He goes to bed at 7ish and has last feed of the day around then. Usually sleeps longer for the first stretch (until 10:30-11? and then wakes every 2 hours or so. The past week has seen him wake 2 hours after first feed and then hourly through the night. I'm exhausted! HVadvised to give baby rice at tea time to fill him up but that hasn't made any difference- he still wakes up hungry. He's good in that once he's had enough he'll go straight back to sleep but it then takes me ages to drop off afterwards and before I know it he's wanting
me again.

Mother has advised I just leave him to cry to break him out of the habit but there's no way I'm doing that. Not sure if I should try formula to keep him satisfied for longer? But what if that makes no difference?

This probably isn't making much sense- DS has decided that 5:30 is his new wake-up time so not only is he up every hour but ready to get up and play ridiculously early. I'm frazzled and each day its getting harder to function.

What can I do?

[scrivette]

There is a growth spurt at 4 months and lots of babies seem to sleep particularly badly at this age.

Could you try putting him to bed a little later so that the first stretch of sleep coincides with your sleep a bit more?

My DS was still waking every couple of hours at this age, I just kept repeating 'this too shall pass'

[scrivette]

I also meant to say, are you co-sleeping? It might help you to get more rest as you can feed laying down.

[BikeRunSki]

Normal development phase at 4 months. Mine both grew out of it in a week or two. Often happens again at 9 months!

[ZuleikaD]

Perfectly normal. There's a huge growth and developmental spurt at 4mo and it generally comes with a stretch of bad sleeping - I'm afraid you just have to ride it out. Feed him as much as he wants at night - it is genuinely necessary. This too shall pass! (Try searching for 4m sleep regression on MN!) Glad your instinct is not to let him cry . You might find it useful to go to bed at 8.30 every night for a bit so that you can get a longer stretch of sleep when he does. If it's any consolation my DS was waking every 40 minutes at this stage .

On another topic am with your HV for suggesting baby rice. Solids and make absolutely NO difference to sleep and because your baby's gut is too young to digest it it will just fill him up without providing him with any calories he can use - he literally cannot extract nourishment from it. So baby rice is actually counter-productive in that it will make him HUNGRIER overnight. Formula won't make any difference either.

But it WILL pass!

[Cydonia]

My DS is exactly the same. I don't want to scare you but he started the 2 hourly wake ups at about 13 weeks, 7 weeks later it's still going on, though I think getting slightly better. He will also have quite a good chunk of sleep at first, then wakes gradually more frequently. I would also maybe put your DS to bed a bit later, then it doesn't seem like he wakes up as often! My DS is usually asleep 8.30 - 9ish, then wakes 2 or 3 times for a feed then up for the day at 7am. But if your DS is getting up at 5.30am I would definitely be going to bed with him for that first longer stretch of sleep ( if you can, I know it's tempting to use that time to get things done and to eat, shower etc! )

I was advised by a bf counsellor to feed him every time he wakes as he will be hungry. A couple of times if it's been less than say an hour and a half since the last feed I've managed to settle him without, but tbh if you're up anyway you might as well feed!

Was also advised to give baby rice, though think my HV is slightly more sensible, she said start to introduce it at 20 weeks just once a day at lunchtime as putting them to bed with a full tummy can be counter productive. I haven't given it yet though, we've got this far we might as well wait another few weeks!

I wouldn't bother with formula, I did try this once out of curiosity. He did sleep better, ( 6 hours, then 1.5, then 3 ) but then he didn't poo for 2 days and when he did it was vile! I also felt guilty so haven't given it since.

Definitely look up 4 month sleep regression on here, there are so many people going through the same thing! I found it really helped to know that its both normal and common, as I felt like I must be doing something wrong! No doubt someone will tell you that you are Making A Rod For Your Own Back and someone else will probably tell you to give him water!! Ignore them and hang on in there. It will get better. Apparently..... :)

[Weezie85]

My 18wo DD is going through the exact same, in the last week I would say. She was sleeping really well, going down at 7pm, dream fed at 10pm, then up at about 3am, and awake by 6.30am. Now it has gone crazy, she is waking before the dreamfeed, then waking every 2/3 hours. Naps have gone wrong as well. She wants to sleep but doesn't go down without a lot of coaxing. We used to be able to put her in her cot awake but sleepy. Now we have to rock her to sleep.
I hope it does pass soon as I am shattered, even more worrying is that the clocks go back in a few weeks. I can imagine me just sleeping while puching her pram.

[CrackersandCheese]

Have you got the Wonder Weeks App from the book with the same name? It's really good for reassuring you about milestones like this. It's normal at 4 months. We've just gone through it. There's a great chart on the App which lets you know when things might get a bit tricky for a while!

[Softlysoftly]

19 wks here and has always been a high needs baby (ty lovely MN people for helping me figure this out, that she's not just broken!).

Her already appalling sleep is now worse, 11-3am then awake AWAKE, that it other than a 1 hourish nap in the day.

Am going dolally, HV also told me baby rice but I baby led wean so I gave her some in a bowl to see if she was ready, she just at me and didn't touch it. Also tried a formula feed, as her tummy isn't used to it she was uncomfortable and woke up more if that's flipping possible

So yes ride it out, I'll hold your hand through to the other side

[mamij]

It's normal! And honestly will soon pass.

But and at your HV for suggesting baby rice at this age!

[ElphabaTheGreen]

Who/where are all these HVs suggesting four month old babies have baby rice? Do they not read their own leaflets on weaning? Mystifying...

[DontstepontheMomeRaths]

My children both start teething at 3 months and had two teeth come through on the bottom as well as the sleep regression

Don't wean yet, just try and get an early night as others have said and feed them when they wake. My boy is 3.9 and seems to be waking at 5.30am. Sleep is for wimps I tell myself

I was consistent with daytime naps though when 4 months and used PUPD at this stage to ensure they took them, as I knew they were tired.

This too shall pass I promise. No magic tricks to help though, just time x

[homeaway]

Another tip that you probably already know is when they wake up after an hour or so put them back to feed on the same breast so that they get the hind milk and then move on to the other side.

[DontstepontheMomeRaths]

Started not start

I see my glass of wine is already effecting my typing.

[whilewildeisonmine]

Thank you all for your replies. It helps knowing that I'm not the only one and that I'm not doing anything wrong or that is going to make life harder in future. As for the HV recommending baby rice I was surprised at the time but thought she obviously knows what she's talking about but it would appear that is not the case.

So I shall continue wit the 'this too shall pass' mantra and ride it out.