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False starts at bedtime giving me the fear

20 replies

MolliciousIntent · 15/04/2022 08:20

DD2 is eight weeks, and so far a dream baby. If I'd had her first I'd have been super smug and thought I was a brilliant parent, but DD1 was a screamy clingy colicky failure-to-thrive demon who woke hourly for a year, so I'm aware it's just luck.

Anyway, DD2 usually spends the evening feeding/playing/napping with us downstairs, and then we go up to bed between 10 and 11pm, for a v brief bedtime routine and feed before she goes in her next to me. She often goes down awake and drifts off after boob, and will usually sleep for about 4 hours that first stretch, which is bliss.

However, the last few days, she's been having a false start - waking up after about half an hour and needing both breasts again, despite having had both sides less than an hour before, and cluster feeding all evening. Why!? Is this the gradual start of hourly waking? Am I doomed to become a sleep-deprived lunatic again?

Obviously I am not going to sleep train a newborn. But is there anything I can do to prevent the false starts?

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littlegiant · 15/04/2022 08:40

I expect it would be a growth spurt. Don't worry it shan't last more than a week xx

BertieBotts · 15/04/2022 08:46

Oh she's only 8 weeks old! :) Most babies don't have any kind of routine at this age and things can change rapidly.

Do you know about cluster feeding? She is likely just having a growth spurt as PP says.

MolliciousIntent · 15/04/2022 08:49

I know aallll about cluster feeding, she's latched on from 7-10pm most nights and has been for weeks - I think that's why she sleeps so well, because she's absolutely tanked up. She's recently started weightbearing on her legs and rolling front to back, so maybe growth spurt is the answer.

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Val2021 · 15/04/2022 10:25

Weightbearing and rolling at 8 weeks?!

MolliciousIntent · 15/04/2022 10:40

@Val2021

Weightbearing and rolling at 8 weeks?!
Weightbearing with support, as in if I hold her under her arms she'll push down through her legs and hold herself up, and rolling only front to back - my older daughter was exactly the same, rolled, crawled and pulled to stand really early but didn't walk til much later - they're both very petite so I think it's because there's not much weight to heft about!
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BertieBotts · 15/04/2022 11:04

It's the newborn step reflex rather than weight bearing, but they are learning so much at that age it can really get in the way of sleep for sure.

MolliciousIntent · 15/04/2022 11:56

@BertieBotts

It's the newborn step reflex rather than weight bearing, but they are learning so much at that age it can really get in the way of sleep for sure.
She lost the newborn step reflex a while back, there was a few weeks where she didn't push through her feet at all, and then she started doing it again. But yes, you're all on the money I think - new skills/growth spurt = different sleep patterns.
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sauceyorange · 15/04/2022 12:08

4 hours at this stage is pretty good.

MolliciousIntent · 15/04/2022 13:04

@sauceyorange

4 hours at this stage is pretty good.
Absolutely, I'm thrilled with that (funny how having small children makes 4 hours feel like loads of sleep), it's the false start 30min in that I was wondering about.
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SpeepDeprived2 · 15/04/2022 13:17

In my experience false starts are usually due to overtiredness. At 8 weeks they are getting more alert so might need more active help to nap? If she clusterfeeds for a few hours before bedtime and is awake during that time it may be why. I think awake window at that age should be about 1.5 hour max?

Don't worry though, I get the fear but it doesn't mean you'll be back to hourly wake ups and full sleep deprivation like with your first. Good luck!

MolliciousIntent · 16/04/2022 07:46

No false start last night, and this morning a very happy baby who just wants to play with her own toes.

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Fts21 · 24/06/2022 21:15

You really shouldn't be letting a baby that young bear weight

shivawn · 24/06/2022 21:24

Fts21 · 24/06/2022 21:15

You really shouldn't be letting a baby that young bear weight

Why not...?

shivawn · 24/06/2022 21:27

I agree with a PP, I normally associate false starts with overtiredness. With a baby this young though who knows, its anyones guess. We had a similar sleeping pattern at 8 weeks when he would do 4-6 hour stretches at the start of the night, it all went to hell around the 14 week mark though!

shivawn · 24/06/2022 21:28

Ugh sorry, just realised that previous poster bumped up a thread from months ago.

Fts21 · 24/06/2022 21:30

@shivawn because you can damage them Hmm

shivawn · 24/06/2022 21:37

Fts21 · 24/06/2022 21:30

@shivawn because you can damage them Hmm

Very informative answer, can only assume you're referring to the old wives tale about bow legs. Also, you do realise that baby in question will be 4 months by now since this thread was posted back in April.

MolliciousIntent · 24/06/2022 22:06

Fts21 · 24/06/2022 21:30

@shivawn because you can damage them Hmm

I call bullshit. If a baby is physically capable of holding their weight up and happy and comfortable doing so, they're not going to sustain any damage. Forcing babies to weight-bear early, in jumperoos etc, is damaging, but holding your baby upright because they enjoy standing is not.

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Fts21 · 25/06/2022 09:14

It's actually harmful to spine development. I agree about the bow legs thing being out 9f date.

MolliciousIntent · 25/06/2022 09:55

Fts21 · 25/06/2022 09:14

It's actually harmful to spine development. I agree about the bow legs thing being out 9f date.

This isn't true either.

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