Tell me this is normal: extra night waking/hunger at 4 months, when will it stop? Wean?

[moomaa]

Before I start, I know I have got off lightly with sleeping so far.....

DD, breastfed, slept through 7 - 7 from 7/8 weeks, just did, I didn't do anything special. At about 14 weeks had an obvious growth spurt but has since woken me once or twice a night for a feed. She feeds well at these feeds and goes straight back to sleep. Feeding patterns are unchanged in the day and I have tried putting feeds closer together and making double sure they are really good feeds with no effect. I think she can no longer go all night as she is bigger and needs more food. She has dropped a line on the growth chart in this time too, although I'm not worried by this as she's happy, alert etc.

She's 17 weeks now and I'm starting to get pressure from dh and mum to give baby rice. I'm not happy to do this yet so won't. Are they right? Will she start to sleep when she is weaned (I mean on 'real' food at 6 months plus not rice and veg puree)? Has this happened to anyone else? Is she really hungry, or has she formed a 'habit'?

(BTW HV suggested formula at the end of the day if I can't bear it, but I can at the mo.)

classic 4 month growth spurt - don't wean just feed milk.

Thanks MrsJamin. When does a 4 month classic growth spurt end??

I'm off to get some sleep, hoping for some more replies in the morning

My ds2 is also 4 months old, and exactly the same is happening. He is waking more often in the night despite being a good sleeper Its completely normal, keep trusting your DD and your instincts. It will settle down soon.

Try not to get anxious because she isn't sleeping 7-7, as that is very unusual for breastfed babies. I think a 5 hour stretch is considered 'sleeping through'. So waking a couple of times a night is still doing really well. I know this because I survived true sleepless nights with ds1!

Well done on resisting calls for baby rice, do what you feel is right.

growth spurts don't last much more than a week normally. but even if it goes past that, doesn't mean its time to wean, it's best to wait til 6 months for real food, as you say!

Try another feed (dreamfeed at 11pm) plus split feeding before and after bath. This might help and only give you one night waking instead of 2.

i would pump in am, and give about 10 pm. it helped...

I would agree with everyone else - we had to add a dreamfeed and our dd still woke up at 3.30 or so - but if she needs more milk then thats what she needs...what has helped has adding another layer to the clothes at bedtime as I think she was a bit cold as well. Now she is 6 months she has just gone back to sleeping through (without being weaned) so it definately wasnt the lack of baby rice.

I think its also developmental as well btw - our dd did a lot of learning in that time - rolling over, sticking tongue out etc and now she's over that she's ready to sleep through again - make sure she doesn't start waking up out of habit once shes through the spurt as well - you could leave her a few minutes before getting out of bed if you're able.

Giantkatestacks is spot on, it's not just a growth spurt, baby is more interested in the world around her.

Read here.

Personally I would rather give some formula than baby rice - baby rice has no real nutritional value compared to BM/FM.

Do you express? Could your DH give some EBM to give you a break?

I can promise you it won't last

Thanks all, that article is really interesting and sounds spot on for us and nice to know that this isn't uncommon.

I'm not going to go down the dreamfeed route, mainly because I go to bed anytime from 8pm - 10pm when she's waking in the night so a 10/11pm feed can be more of a disturbance for me than a 3am if that makes sense.

giantkatestacks - I wondered about the cold too. I'm now giving her a long sleeve vest instead of a short sleeve one.

I have noticed she is more distracted when feeding these days, and often will only have one side instead of two. She does feed better in a quiet, dark room and that's how I do the last feed of the night but I've resisted doing that in the day because I don't want to get to a situation where she won't like feding out and about.

Here's hoping that it gets better at 6/7 months!

I have a 4 month old and the same is happening here too, and he used to sleep 8-7, I am trying to keep off the weaning until 6 months , I have put him in long sleeved vests and it helps I think.

debinaustria - nice to hear someone else in the same boat. Lets hope it doesn't last too long.

last night was even worse - he was awake at 2 and 4 - aargh