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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

14 week old stopped sleeping through - why?!

10 replies

fabulosa · 29/12/2009 09:11

He was going very well and for over two weeks was sleeping about 11 hours through the night. Then he had his 12 week jabs, caught a cold and we went on holiday for a week over Christmas and so now hasn't slept through for two and a half weeks. When he wakes up I feed him and he takes it enthusiastically, but then I feel that it puts us out for the rest of the day for times of feeds.

I know that pride comes before a fall and I was feeling very pleased with myself for thinking that we'd cracked it, but will he be able to get himself back into sleeping through again? I'm feeling a bit concerned that he'll get used to these night time feeds and so not have so much of an appetite through the day, then wake up hungry again through the night. I don't know what to do!

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seeker · 29/12/2009 09:21

14 weeks is very young to be sleeping through - and it's also (sorry) a classic time for a growth spurt and needing more to eat. If he's taking night feeds enthusiastically, he's obviously hungry and needs the extra. At this age they don't have any wants that aren't also needs.

I would just go with it if I were you. He needs the extra milk, and feeding presumably settles him to sleep again? Don't think about what happens next, just give him what he needs now. He'll be a different person with different needs in two weeks time!

Remember to get more rest yourself - if you're out of the habit of night fees you'll be tired. And you'll need to make more milk as well, so rest when you can in the day.

Original poster

fabulosa · 29/12/2009 16:16

Thanks - I know that most babies are not reliably going through the night for some time yet so I won't get too worries about it. I'm just a bit frustrated that he doesn't have proper feeds (he's on formula, sorry, I should have said that before) through the day because he's filled himself up in the night and I'm not sure how to break the cycle. Or even if I need to - he got himself sleeping through whithout waking for a feed in the night before. It also seems to be affecting his mood (broken nights not good for anyone!). A feed in the night does settle him down again and I'm not up for long, just apprehensive that this is going to go on and on!

OP posts:

AnnamariaHun · 09/01/2010 19:59

I used to give him water at night when he woke and if after he was still taking the bottle in his mouth, i gave him about 3oz then gradually reduced the amount each night and that turned the cicle around and he'd eat a lot during the day as he knew that daytime is the eating time
your story scares me a bit as we are going to see my parents back in hungary at the end of feb and scared that the change of scene will throw his routine out ... fingers crossed

ProfessorPoopyPants · 09/01/2010 20:15

My youngest did this too. He was hungry, I think. It was a knackering time. It didn't happen with ds1 as he was smaller weedier baby but ds2 big bouncing boy who was starving and couldn't get through the night without visit to the milk bar. I bf and was shattered. It was the beginning of - sorry to say this - three years of crap sleeping with him waking and asking for "a milky drinky" (by this stage in a sippy cup, not bf!)at all hours until, on the verge of divorce, we went cold turkey and refused. Make of this what you will!

petisa · 09/01/2010 23:38

Mine did this - was a growth spurt and lasted about 3 weeks I think. Went straight back to sleeping through afterwards. I would say give the extra milk and wait and see and look at how much he's having during the day before deciding on whether you're going to reduce the milk etc.

Monty100 · 09/01/2010 23:47

Cold?

brettgirl2 · 10/01/2010 17:55

The problem is that he isn't old enough to take enough milk during the day. He should be fed on demand - all this formula feeding to schedule doesn't work for all. If he goes back to sleep after a feed then happy days - he'll sleep through again in time.

Have you tried offering him a bottle before you go to bed? That works for some people.

pigleychez · 10/01/2010 19:01

Yep. My DD did the same, Had started sleeping really well then hit about 4mths and it all went to pot!
Go with it for a while as he does need that extra.

Cant remember when but we switched to doing a dreamfeed for a while. (feed before we went to bed) which worked for a bit too. Untill wanting that became a habit for her and we had the change tactics again.
They constantly change the rules when you think youve got it sussed!!

Sadly our DD didnt sleep consistantly sleep through again till she started crawling at 9mths! But fingers crossed you wont be so unlucky!

CoteDAzur · 10/01/2010 21:05

fabulosa - Just stop the night feeds. He will sleep through in a night or two.

Effjay · 10/01/2010 21:11

Don't ever think you've cracked it, as it always changes. Mine go through phases the whole time - DS is 4 and DD is 20 months. Both were mostly sleeping through by 5 months, but that's quite early compared to some I know. They still both wake up during the night, my DS more than my DD. The worst time is when they are ill, especially if they get a cough as that really wakes them up and they struggle to get back to sleep.

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