4 month old midnight feast

6 replies

WoodyOak · 05/02/2019 09:36

Not really midnight feast... more like 10pm, 1am, 3am, 5am, 6.30am snacks...
My baby is 4 months old and was having a good feed a 10.30pm then 3am then 7am. Would go back to sleep immediately afterwards. She then dropped the 10.30pm which I thought was a good sign that she is getting ready to sleep through.

However, the last week or so, she's decided that it's fun to wake up every few hours. I make up a bottle but then she only has about 30ml. She has 5 daytime feeds (7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm) and usually takes in about 6oz/ 7oz which is what she's meant to have in 24 hours at her age.

Last night, when she woke at 5am, I didn't feed her and she whinged for a bit then went back to sleep. Do you think I've been disturbing her unnecessarily by trying her with a bottle every time she wakes up? I don't want her lying there hungry obviously. Should I try leaving her to settle herself considering I'm pretty sure she's getting enough during the day?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

OP posts:

Alyosha · 05/02/2019 11:47

How long does she go between ferds in the day? How much sleep does she have in the day?

LordPickle · 05/02/2019 11:53

I have no personal experience of it (my DS didn't change) but a LOT of people moan about a 4 month sleep regression. Head over to NM and it's literally what every other thread is about. Maybe that is the problem?

Original poster

WoodyOak · 05/02/2019 11:59

Thanks for the replies.
She goes about 3 and a half hours between feeds during the day and usually has a nap in the morning and a nap in the afternoon. Each about an hour/ hour and a half each. Sometimes an extra snooze in the evening but not for very long. As soon as she's in pram or car seat she goes to sleep too but I never feel like that's a proper sleep.

Yes, I've read stuff about 4 month sleep regression and it's quite possibly that. I'm just wondering if I should keep trying to feed her when she wakes during the night or just let her settle herself to sleep again.

OP posts:

Alyosha · 05/02/2019 12:15

3 reasons why she might be waking more at night

She is genuinely hungry because she isn't getting all of her calories between 7 am and 11pm

She isnt tired enough to stay asleep

She is neither hungry nor too awake but just can't settle herself between sleep cycles

At around 16 weeks they only need 3 hrs daytime.sleep (in a 12 hour day) - you should count pram and car sleeps in with this. Can she self settle.for daytime naps?

Original poster

WoodyOak · 05/02/2019 12:34

She's not great at self settling for day time naps. I usually put white noise on an app in the background or dry my hair (that always seems to work!)

I'll start timing day time naps properly - thanks!

OP posts:

JiltedJohnsJulie · 15/02/2019 22:38

She could be hungry. She needs roughly 2.5 floz of formula per pound in weight in 24 hours. Is that what she's getting now?

Have you tried offering an extra floz in the daytime feeds?

When she wakes at night, have you tried gently laying your hand on her tummy? I used to find that my DD would sometimes drift back off if I did this

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