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Pick up put down questions

3 replies

SunLolly · 09/11/2016 09:22

Hello

My baby is 14 weeks old and had no real sleep or nap routine until this week. He would be fed to sleep for almost all naps and at night. This week I have started with pick up put down for all sleeps.

I have managed to get him to settle in his crib for daytime naps with minimal fuss just a bit of shhing, which is excellent as up until now he was feeding to sleep for all these I would sometimes be able to transfer him to the crib without waking but not often. He was mostly sleeping on me or in the car during the day.

I have also started a bedtime routine: walk in the pram straight after he wakes from his afternoon nap (he has stayed awake for this) followed by bath, grobag and milk. Then I shh or pick up put down until he settles. This took 40 minutes on day 1 and 20 minutes on day 2 and he was asleep around 7.30/8 on both nights.

Following this, both times he has only slept for around 50/60 minutes before waking. He has then been very difficult to settle. On day 1 it took 1.5 hours for him to sleep, then he was up again after 20 minutes so I fed him and he then settled properly after around 20 minutes. On night 2 it took slightly less time for him to settle, but he didn't sleep at all this time and was just lying sucking on his hand for a while before starting crying again at about 10.50. At this point I fed him and he settled to sleep within about 20 minutes. After this, on both nights he has woken once during the night for a short feed and settled himself after about 5 minutes of whining.

I am worried that he is actually hungry after his first short sleep and I'm not sure whether I should give him a feed at this time or stick with trying to get him to settle. I also wondered whether he is just not used to going to bed so early. Until this week he would stay up until 11/12/1 every night. I hate the thought that he's crying because he's hungry rather than just wanting to comfort suck to sleep as he has done previously.

I would really appreciate any advice on this.

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FATEdestiny · 09/11/2016 12:59

It's quite usual and normal for babies (specifically breastfed babies but also formula fed babies) to cluster feed in the evening. This is often most noticeable around 3-4 months old because babies calorific need significantly increase.

I am worried that he is actually hungry

Why worried?

Yes, he's probably hungry.

Most parents just keep their

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SunLolly · 09/11/2016 13:51

Thanks, I didn't realise cluster feeding could still be a thing at this age. As he goes comfortably 3 hours between feeds at all other times I wasn't sure if he was actually hungry or just crying as he couldn't settle. I'll try feeding him after his first sleep tonight and see what happens.

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FATEdestiny · 09/11/2016 19:01

14 weeks is still tiny.

he goes comfortably 3 hours between feeds at all other times

That's what cluster feeding is. Baby will go longer between feeds at other times, but during cluster feeding (usually in the evening) they feed lots more frequently.

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