very small baby not sleeping thru - linked to weight/tummy size?

[titferbrains]

Hi, my ds is v small, about 4.6kg at 21 weeks, I have seen GP and am waiting for apptmt with Paed. to check nothing amiss.

He co-sleeps but goes down in his cot for the first part of the evening. He still seem to wake in the middle of the eve, and I wonder if it's due to his low weight/small tummy. I go with it, just feed feed feed, he's been on formula for about a week and a bit too, no real impact on sleep except he sometimes sleeps a bit longer in the first part of his night.

Anyone remember if their tiny baby got better at sleeping a longer stretch when they got over say 5 or 6kg?

Also just wonder if I should be doing more to limit his awake time to encourage more growth? Difficult to know as I have toddler so life rather busy for observing his every sleep cue and rushing off to begin winding down to nap PFB stylee. Am trying to follow his sleep cues but I do often to forget to get him down within 2 hrs.

I had hoped to just get him sleeping longer and longer in his cot but it just doesn't seem to be happening! I end up bfing him in bed and falling asleep instead of transferring him to cot. He has naps in his cot during the day if we're home.

I'm no expert but my DD was still being fed 2-3 times a night at that age and she weighed about the same as your DS at two weeks! She was huge but settled on 75th centile. I guess I'm just saying that even if he was a lot bigger he still might not sleep through, it sounds like you're doing a great job!

tks fifi.

anyone else out there with a tiny baby? how do they sleep? I truly don't understand how babies get used to sleeping thru the night, we still struggle with DD's night hunger and she's bloody 3!! She doesn't eat enough during the day... but that's another thread altogether.

A baby's tummy will be in proportion to it's size so I wouldn't get t

Whoops!

I wouldnt get too hung up on size and sleeping through.

DS was 9lb 4 and slept through at 6 months twice then consistently at 12 months. His friend born a week before weighed 6lb at birth. Slept through pretty much the same time. He was a slight baby and still is quite small.

He'll be waking for any number of reasons not just hunger - teeth,
Overtired, developmental leaps etc etc..

I'm no expert either but dd2 is 21 w, 91st centile & doesn't sleep through (or settle in the early evening)

& dd1 maintained her off the chart bigness with frequent night feeds for nearly two years

All my three have been on the higher centiles and only one was sleeping through by that age, equally DN is mini, at 3 he is the same size as my 14 month old and has slept like a log 6:30 until 7 from 15 weeks.

thanks all! I guess I find it hard to believe that some babies actually sleep thru from an early age as DD was a terrible sleeper and DS has not yet shown any signs of being able to do a longer stretch... Not worth worrying about though eh? it'll all come out in the wash

I had a 6lb5oz (slept through from 9 weeks) and a 5lb 10oz who decided not to do sleeping until much later. (12 months................yawn)

I have a friend who has a 12 week/ 12lb theory. Am not sure, they are still hungry and it will all change, good luck it is horrific when they don't sleep and you really need a sleep! I think finding other ways of doing it (expressing and getting oh to do the feed) or formula? I think its the rocky road of parenthood though

DS was 5.05 kgs at birth and did not sleep through until he was 6 months.