4mo waking for nappy changes - any advice

[CinnabarRed]

DS2 has just turned 4 months. For the past couple of weeks he has started waking several times per night to have wet nappies changed. I don't mean leaking nappies (which would be fair dos) just ordinarily wet ones.

I have no objection to getting up to change dirty nappies, but it's frustrating to be woken three or four times per night to change not particularly wet ones. A big part of the frustration is that there's no end in sight - it's not as if weaning or teeth coming through will make any difference if he's just overly sensitive to the sensation of wet against his skin.

Changing nappy brands hasn't made any difference (he's in Pampers Baby Dry size 4, which is the biggest size he can manage for his weight).

He has a dream feed at 11 and a dream nappy change at the same time, but will wake me at around 1, 3 and 5 to be changed. I change him in his cot, no wipes or anything, and can then leave him to settle himself back to sleep.

The HV was at a loss to suggest anything, and in fact said she hadn't come across the problem before. Has anyone else had this issue? Is there anything I can do to improve things?

TIA

How do you know he's waking due to his nappy out of a matter of interest and not just for a feed?

Because if I try and feed him he yells at me and turns his head away (he does still have one feed in the night, which he takes as a dream feed). But if I change his nappy he goes straight back to sleep.

Long and involved story regarding his feeding. He won't feed from my boobs - I spent literally weeks fighting that losing battle, but when he got to 16 weeks and still weighed the same as he did at 10 weeks I accepted that I had to give in, and he put on 31oz in 14 days - but will take a bottle. So at the moment I'm expressing most of his feeds, the exception being if we're out and about when I can't find a way to keep expressed breast milk sterile. It may be a co-incidence, but the wet nappy waking started not long after he moved from breast to bottle, possibly because he's finally taking enough milk in.

I reckon he's waking because of the 4 month sleep regression, but when he wakes, he wees so he needs his nappy changed, rather than waking because of the nappy IYSWIM.

If it is the regression, it's just a case of sticking it out till it's over. See here, here, and here.

I agree with Angeldog

Although he maybe weeing more due to the extra fluids of course. However I think things will get better again. This too shall pass x

The first link didn't seem to work Angel

Thanks. After reading the links, the 4 month regression does seem the most likely explanation. It's good to know that it should pass in the next couple of months, particularly if he can keep up the skill of self-settling.

Oops, this should have been the first link.