Help! Am I creating a monster?

[Gurke]

Ok the title is slightly misleading - I've already created a monster, he's my adorable DS, and anyway I'm fond of monsters.

But he seems to be developing some new nighttime breastfeeding habits, which I think I'm handling all wrong...

So DS is 8.5 months actual (5.5 months according to due date), and he's been a brilliant nighttime sleeper (daytime naps we've struggled with periodically, but that's another story). Because his weight gain was great I stopped waking him to feed every 3 hours when he was 3.5 months actual (so less than a month corrected age). From that point he's tended to sleep from around 8pm to around 6.30/7am, with initially two dreamfeeds but then only one (around 11.30pm). Amazing, right?

But it all unravelled a few weeks ago: He started waking up earlier and earlier (6am, then 5.30, now 5am or earlier), and now can't seem to go back to sleep after his feed. As a result he's already overtired in the mornings. His naps became very erratic and often a real struggle. And now he is also waking up several times at night. I've now started to offer him breastfeed when he wakes up, and he drinks huge amounts before, eventually, going back to sleep.

Sorry this is rambling on, but my question is this: is there a way I can tell whether he is genuinely hungry, or am I just enforcing bad sleep habits? Should I feed him or not? If I do, as I have been for a few nights, is this not encouraging him to drink less during the day and thereby enforce the night-habit? But if he needs it he has to be fed, right?

I know it could be a lot worse. And obviously there are lots of things going on which muddy the issue: he's been teething on and off for weeks now (no actual tooth yet though), he's started eating solids, he's getting more alert and interested, etc. Also, I'm not a schedule fanatic, but DS just seemed to be so regular in his habits for so long (and get upset if they were interrupted) that I'm now completely stumped about what to do.

Any ideas, anyone?

If he's drinking lots at night, it sounds like he is hungry. Can you try bfing him more in the day? Is he filling up on less nutritious solids?
Also, with the early waking, have you got blackout blinds? Is dawn disturbing his sleep? Or is he too hot in the night?

It's possible that it's a developmental thing too, learning new tricks often leads to disturbed sleep, I find.

Thank you, noble. You always give such sensible advice

I've been wondering about the impact of solids too. I do bf him not long before and not long after giving him solids, but it does seem that there is a link with the new (lack of) sleep patterns. But I offer him a bf every 2 hours or so throughout the day, and he usually just screams at me if I do it more frequently...

Blackout curtains are a good idea. He's still in our room and I was going to put some up when moving him into his room, but I really should get it done sooner.

But in the meantime, while we work on increasing the day feeds: you don't think he would be waking up & drinking loads if he wasn't genuinely hungry? That's good to know. (Sleep is for wimps, anyway )

Does anyone else have any experience of this?

Generally if babies aren't hungry and waking for other reasons don't take a full feed on each waking, they snack, or only have a few sucks to settle themselves. You could always try not feeding and see if he settles anyway? (Might need to rope a partner in as babies smell the milk on you!)

I just checked the Wonder Week chart, and 5.5 months (from due date) is in the middle of one, when they are supposed to be more clingy and unsettled. Are you giving anything for the teething? Baby bonjela or dentinox?

There's so much going on at this point that it could be a combination of things. But, like everything, it will pass

Noble and snow, thank you for your ideas.

I will get some blackout blinds and see. It is true that when the clocks changed he did not sleep that extra hour he should have; maybe that was the start of it (but the night wakings are new).

I'm also off to get some bonjela today.

As for feeding him more during the day: for most of today he's been refusing breastfeeds completely, so that's not going too well.

If in doubt, it's bound to be a wonder week, isn't it...