What do you think is causing these frequent night wakenings?

[Swirl]

DS2 is 18 weeks old, and last night woke up every hour and I could only resettle him by breastfeeding (tried walking, singing, holding, teething powders at various times in the night but only good old boobie did the trick). His wakenings have been getting more and more frequent over the last 3 weeks. Three weeks ago he was waking once in the night, then when he turned 15 weeks it was 3 hourly in the night, then from 16 weeks 2 hourly and now hourly.

Really hoping you can help me understand what is going on. Is it hunger? Is it developmental? Is it teething? Is it bad sleep associations? Knowing my luck probably all of the above!

He is dribbling like bad, sucking his fingers all day, but generally happy baby during the day so not sure about teething.

He is feeding every 2-3 hrs during day as normal, although shorter feeds as too flipping nosy to see what his big bro is doing. Am desperately trying to hold off on the weaning that EVERYONE i know is pressuring me to start.

Can settle to sleep himself for naps as long as I get his sleep window right, if not totally overtired and wailing.

Any ideas REALLY appreciated.

just do as you are doing...he will stop!!!

Hunger

You dont think i'm making him dependent on bf to get him back to sleep do you? Last night was the first time I tried hard to do other things to get him over to sleep. Before that I was just immediately offering him a bf when he woke.

its quicker to feed him then you and him getting worked up!!

I would introduce solids

If DS1 hadnt got exzcema i would def be giving DS2 solids, but am trying so hard to avoid doing anything that would increase ds2's chance of also getting exzema

ah, the 5 month night wakenings. Seems very common from what I remember.

With my DS it was definitely teething - it seemed to bother him more as they were bulging in the gum rather than the cutting through bit. Try a couple of doses of Ibuprofen coupled with nelson's powders and see if there's any improvement (this combo is a winner for DS's molars at the moment). The Brufen works best if he gets some at 2pm then again at 7pm-ish.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. Will try dosing DS up tonight with the Ibuprofen... had just used homeopathic powder last night.

Just a quick update. DS2 turned really grizzly later in the afternoon, so think you were spot on about the teething Highlander. Still no sign of red cheeks yet though...does that mean there is worse yet to come?
Dosed him up at bedtime and he only woke 3 times in the night....big improvement. So thank you! You'd think that doing this second time round I would have more of a clue, but have got so tired cant even think straight !

Swirl - he may be hungry as well as teething if you have noticed that he is not feeding so well during the day because he is nosey. However, that does not mean he needs solids. He just needs more milk. Feed him straight off without wasting time faffing about trying other things which is only going to keep YOU awake for longer. You are not instilling bad sleep associations IMO. You are giving him milk. He will improve. Incidentally I breastfed all 4 of mine to sleep at bedtime and never had problems getting them to sleep at night. I had the frequent night wakings at this age but just rode it out. DD (4th Baby) was the only one I exclusively fed till 6 months and she stopped the frequent night wakings once she got the milk supply up. There are ofcourse nights where they are little sh*ts and won't settle . That is when you poke DH in the ribs and tell him to get on with it