Early sleep regression, hungry baby or something else??

[noseyparker80]

Tips needed please!

My 13 week old was starting to progress to longer sleeps when he first goes to bed between 7pm and 8pm. However we seem to have ceased this and are getting worse and I don't know why, is it something I have or haven't done?

His routine up to 7 weeks was 7 5oz bottles a day with last one for bed at 7pm, sleep in cot by 8pm fairly easily and then feed at 1.30am and again at 5.30/6am, after these feeds he would go straight back down until getting up between 8 and 9 for the day. When he was 9 weeks I upped his milk to 6oz and we dropped the 1.30 bottle but he would wake at 3.30/4.30 for his night feed and go back down. Then somebody advised me that if he was draining his bottle dry every feed I should give him another ounce, this is more than the tin States is usual, but I did it and he did start to finish these bottles dry straight away and was going longer between feeds, we were getting sleep from 7pm feed, 8pm sleep until 6.30am. I thought we had cracked this sleeping malarkey! However he appears to have got used to the 7oz bottles and drains all 5 in the day, 8.30am, 12pm, 3.30pm, 7pm, 12.30/1am.

But he is now starting to wake earlier and earlier which means his first long sleep when he goes down is shortened and then after his bottle at 1.30am, he wakes every hour, maybe for dummy, redoing his swaddle, tucking him back in. If I bring him into bed with me, he will sleep soundly next to me until 9am, but I don't want this as I don't really sleep when he is next to me like this.

Is he simply hungry and his 7oz bottle at 7pm just not lasting him? Should I try hungry baby milk for this feed to see if it helps him stay in this deep sleep longer? Or is this 4 month sleep regression early?

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks for reading.

[gallicgirl]

It is entirely normal for small babies to wake through the night and it's nothing to worry about. Your baby hasn't read the same book as you and is simply responding to his needs.

Hungry baby milk is just harder to digest and personally I think it's unnecessary. However, lots of people will probably tell you it worked for their baby who automatically slept 12 hours solid from birth!

You're doing a great job so stop worrying and just listen to your baby.

[ffffffedup]

My opinion is the opposite and to try the hungry baby milk if he was previously sleeping through and is now waking for a feed then he must be hungry. My ds was sleeping through then started to wake for a feed soon as I switched to hungry baby (he was about 4.5m) he slept through again straight away.

[FATEdestiny]

Hungry milk doesn't contain more calories, is just harder to digest. Not sure why that would help a baby who is, urm, hungry. Surely a hungry baby needs more calories? Draining all bottles definitely signals a baby who needs more calories

I would aim for (much) more frequent feeds. Not bigger feeds, just more of them.

My DDs milk intake went up by 25% at 12 weeks. Literally one day she was happy with how much she was having. The next day she needs loads more. The change was permanent.

At from about 3 months through to 6 months my DD was having a full feed every 2 to 2.5 hours through the daytime (Seven 7oz bottles in 24 hours). She usually wouldn't drain the bottle. You want to aim to provide more milk than is needed anyway.

As an example:
7.30am
9.30am
12.00pm
2.00pm
4.30pm
7.00pm
11.00pm woken for a dreamfeed

So 6 bottles through the day then 1 at night as a dreamfeed (or a night feed if you prefer to wait until baby wakes)

[noseyparker80]

Thanks all, maybe il try more milk in the day instance and see if that helps first, then if no joy maybe try some hungry baby formula. However I know what might work for one week might not work the next!

[kayla999]

My lad was a hungry fella tried diff milks and hungry baby meant he went two hours instead of feeds every hour. I think he was 10 weeks when he had rusk mushed in baby milk which he loved. Drs advice was if he's rdy give him food as long as its not steak n chips lol. Health visitor moaned on her nxt visit but never mind lol