any ideas - 4 month sleep regression!

[MumNWLondon]

My DS2 is a model baby, has slept all night 10.30pm-7am (or 8am) since he was 8 weeks old, settling happily at 7pm - I feed him at 10.30pm and he feeds when at this time. Occasional night wakings when he has growth spurt, but never 2 nights in a row. Until this week.

During the day I fed him roughly 3 hourly - not on demand though, he's so chilled out would probably go four hours before he demanded it.

Typical day 7,10,1,4,6.30 (bedtime),10.30(I wake him).

Anyway now 4 months old have got used to sleeping all night but now 2 nights in a row has woken at 3.30am. He's definately hungry. Tried yesterday increasing length of feeds (read thing on 4 month sleep regression on kellymom) - he took more, infact he possited after each feed, something he hasn't done for a few weeks.

Any ideas? Am going to try to fit an extra feed in today to see if that helps. Other idea I had was feeding at 9pm and 11pm. Or am I just going to have to wake up in the night?

This happened with DS1 at 4 months so introduced betime formula, this worked initially but the bottle got bigger and milk supply reduced.

What do you think?

No doubt someone will come & claim there is a growth spurt at 4 months

I know! don't mind too much if its for a few nights, and more manageable if once in the night (although I can't sleep while feeding as can't get comfortable enough in a position I can feed in, think boobs just not big enough! - do lie down in bed though.

I wouldn't reintroduce bottle in the night but try to put him back to sleep in other ways - rocking him etc.

He doesn't have bottles at all. Currently EBF. I am going back to work in 2 months time when he was 6 months, so will be either FF or mixed feeding by then.

I don't think rocking to sleep is a good idea for him as he has always been able to settle himself to sleep easily, both in the day and at night when put in cot even when overtired. Thats why I think he genuinely is hungry.

"Or am I just going to have to wake up in the night?"

Yes. Sorry. There IS usually a growth spurt at 4mo, as well as a bunch of developmental crap.

If it's any consolation, I'm currently going through the 9mo one. :(

Oh, fwiw, it lasted 2-3 weeks for us.

jemjabella, actually that made me feel better. was worried that he wouldn't sleep through night until properly weaned onto formula and solids. he fed loads today - long feeds and more than usual, so hopefully that will be good for my milk.

Info on 4 month sleep regression here, here, here and here.

I fed every time DS woke up. After a few weeks he stopped waking 3-4 times a night and went back to waking 1-2 times a night. I didn't do anything different.

Dreading the 9 month one looming...

Thanks, I love the internet!

When this happened with DS1 moved him onto formula as assumed it was because I didn't have enough milk. When it happened with DD (at almost 5 months) gave her solids as thought she must be hungry.