Dawn chorus baby

[margaritaville7]

My dd keeps waking up at 5/5.30am and it's an absolute killer!

Just to set the scene, we are first time parents, she's 10 weeks (9wks if corrected) and solely bottle fed. She was 6lbs and now weighs 11lbs, always had a good appetite. She's a really happy and chilled little thing, and I think dh and I are too, however the repeatedly early wake ups are really starting to catch up with us. She's always had a bedtime routine that we introduced when she was 2 weeks old (and dh went back to work) where she'd have bath, bottle and bed by 7pm, regardless of how many times she'd wake in the night.

I know it's not the most popular, but I am a lover of routine, so we're doing Gina Ford. Sorry in advance for all the detail... We wake her/she wakes about 7ish, has bottle, nap 9-10, another bottle and goes down 12ish-2ish (often disturbed and then I have to wake her), another bottle and then naps 4-5pm, another bottle and at 6pm bath, bottle and bed, in bed by 7ish and if she hasn't fallen asleep having her milk she usually settles herself and is out by 8 latest. Dh wakes her at 11pm for dream feed and then she goes down until 4am (until recently was 3am so we consider this a feat!!!). The problem starts with the 3/4am feed (and has been for about 5 weeks) - more often than not she's isn't tired after feeding, so I let her kick around for 10-15mins on her mat after changing her and then usually she'll go down at 4.30ish. She will then wake up an hour later really crying and in a state. We'll repeatedly go in and pop her dummy in, but she'll kick off every 15-30mins and eventually I just scoop her out and lie in bed with her wide awake while she sleeps on me.

This is what happens nearly every night (occasionally she goes from 4.30-7.30) but it's probably 1 night a week. We swaddle her and she doesn't tend to go to sleep with her dummy in - could it be the swaddling? She seems to like it when I do it at 7pm and 11pm?! Also she's drinking decent amounts at 7pm and 11pm (5-6ozs) - the 4am one varies (sometimes 2ozs and sometimes 6ozs).

I feel like a bit of a shit after writing all that because she really is a good little thing, but dh is wrecked for work some days and I not a natural napper so it's not like I'm catching up on my sleep in the day. Are we just being impatient, and should wait for the 4am wake up to gradually become the 5am/6am/7am? I'm a bit concerned this 5am is becoming an established wake up time. Is it the dawn chorus? Have I got a bird for a child?!

Any advice gladly taken!!! (And please excuse the essay!)

[Luckystar1]

I will be of no use to you, but if my DS had slept anywhere nearly as well as that at 10 weeks (or even 10 months!) I'd have been throwing a party. That is excellent for a small baby.

DS is now 18 months and has recently taken to 5.30 wakings again, it's the time of the year.

At your baby's age everything is a phase (a mantra you should chant at every available opposition!), don't worry, it sounds like everything is going well.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Ds was a 5.30 was until he was 3,sorry!

I think you're being inpatient. Can dh sleep in another room or take the night shift in turns?

Put the GF book down. It's all very well writing what babies should do but they can't read

Feed your baby when she's hungry and she'll sleep through eventually x

[BisherBasherBosher]

At that age DD was coming to bed with us at 10/11. There's no way she would have slept from 7 to 7 at that age. It sounds like your DD has had enough sleep for the night and is quite simply awake. You could try a later bedtime. You have an exceptional sleeper on your hands btw.

[BisherBasherBosher]

Btw DD is now 10 months and goes to bed at 7 and wakes up at 7, so they do it eventually but at their own pace IME. There are two to three wakings in the night for the dummy, but 9 times out of 10 she drifts off straight after reinsertion without a fuss. Sometimes she finds the dummy herself and pops it back in.

[nephrofox]

She's a great sleeper,you need to adjust your expectations.

Why are you changing her at 4am? Unless soiled I would leave the nappy, it's possible you're waking her up by changing her. If she takes the milk and goes back to sleep then let her. Many many people Co sleep from 4am ish at that age, it's perfectly normal and will slowly drop away as she sleeps longer.

[underrugsswept]

My 2 year old wakes up anywhere between 5 and 6, always has done. Some people are just programmed that day. Try telling that to that crazy bitch Gina.

[underrugsswept]

^ that way

[Lules]

Ha. My 8 month old wakes up between 5-6. It's light outside then which doesn't help.
My only advice is that you and your DH don't both have to be awake so take it in turns. It's a lot more manageable.

[FizzyFeet]

Your baby sounds a bit like mine at 10 weeks (before it all went to pot and she started waking hourly at 4 months! Sorry!) We counted ourselves very very lucky.

Like a pp suggested, try not changing the nappy unless dirty or leaking. Keep everything completely boring and night like - lights as low as possible. Also check her temperature - I think babies often get cold at around that time of the morning/ the temperature in the room can drop then too. Though obv take care about overheating if you are swaddling. Finally - could she have trapped wind? That kept (and sometimes still keeps) our DD awake and miserable in those early hours.

[Zaurak]

She's a great sleeper!! Mine wakes every 20 minutes and has never slept as well as yours... And he's 7 months. A 5 am wake up is pretty normal to be honest. She's sleeping very well for such a little one.

Don't change the nappy. Change her when you dream feed or come to bed instead. In the morning just bring her in with you and doze or take turns to look after her while other sleeps.

[margaritaville7]

Thank you all for your advice, I really do appreciate it. Also, it's good to know it's me being impatient and not the little mite. We've got so many friends with babies and they all boast about how theirs slept through after 8-12 weeks, making us feel a bit inadequate. (My sister told me that they're probably fibbing!) nephrofox, Fizzyfeet and Zaurak - I didn't change her last night and she went until 6. Thanks! xxxx

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Most people say sleeping through is when they get 5 hours straight, very few babies sleep 12 hours without waking.

[underrugsswept]

People lie about sleeping through or, as above, have very different definitions. I have a friend who's other friend was outed by her husband on a boy's night out - she claimed baby was sleeping through but he told the guys he was waking up several times a night! Welcome to competitive parenting .