"I'd give her a wee bottle of formula before bed"

[stargazer1]

23 week old has moved the goalposts...had us all delighted when she started sleeping through from around 10 weeks old - I should have obeyed the golden rule never to mention it out loud! She's now decided to wake randomly through the night - often between the hours of 4 and 5am but quite frequently earlier too. ONLY thing that will settle her is a feed (I don't leave her fussing too long as it disturbs our other daughter), she is EBF. Sometimes goes back to sleep after the 5am waking, sometimes won't. Absolutely no pattern really, then always awake by 7am.

HV suggested it might be a growth spurt and to try and 'ride it out,' although given that it's gone on 3 or 4 weeks now this seems unlikely.

I've tried making sure she feeds bang on 3-hourly throughout the day, offering both breasts, ensuring she feeds in a quiet room alone with me to avoid distractions etc. Nothing seems to have made a difference. Has a 2-3 hour nap most mornings and a shorter one later in the day.

Just seems such a shame when I know she CAN sleep through, and am a bit afraid new habits are being formed to be honest. Don't particularly want to wean early and just wondered if anyone had any advice other than that given by a well-meaning friend in thread title?

Thanks for reading.

My personal opinion is that such a young baby probably won't be forming new habits. They are changing all the time. I would (and did) just keep feeding at 4am or the time she wakes. She will start weaning in a very few weeks anyway?
I might try shortening the nap slightly, and making sure the p.m. nap isn't too late. Are you putting her down very early in the evening? for my dd2 7pm was far too early, although it worked for dd1.

Also just to add as soon as my dd2 got to 26 weeks and started solids, I did continue bf, but added a wee bottle at bedtime...made absolutely no difference fwiw.

Thanks onepieceoflollipop; it's true they change all the time, every time you get used to their routine! Could cope with the 4am feed if that was just it, it's just the 1.30am and 2.30am ones (like last night) she throws in to the mix as well I struggle with!

She doesn't go to bed early - usually not until 8.30 - 9pm. And I know what you mean about adding a bottle; did this with my first child and it made SFA difference too.

Any further thoughts?

We had a very "easy" dd1 and when dd2 was a more typical, wakeful baby, we struggled.
In the end we muddled through for a couple of years, she had a dummy for quite a while also. I bf for 18 months and when I stopped it became dh's job to get up! Oh and although I didn't like co sleeping when she was tiny, as she got bigger we did co sleep more and more, just for a bit of peace!
Do you have a dp who can take a bit of a turn at night...sometimes daddy can try and settle with a cuddle if the baby has already had a few night feeds?

Yes, that all sounds familiar. And don't worry, Dad's on board and doing his share - just every waking seems to end up resulting in a feed at the moment!

Is she in her own room, OP? If she is still in with you, it might be worth moving her-the random wake ups could be due to her being disturbed by you/DH.

I have 3 DC, and all three slept better for being in their own rooms (obviously you have to be happy with it from a SIDS risk viewpoint) once they were the age of your baby. Admittedly DS3 continued to wake fairly randomly for feeds until about 7m, but whereas he might wake four or five times in with us, it was only once or twice once in his own room and he'd settle back down very quickly. So for me it was worth the faff of crossing the landing to feed him!

IME a 'wee bottle of formula' will make bugger all difference to these kind of night wakings. But a move to her own room might. Obviously if she's already in her own room then feel free to ignore me!

Can't believe no one has mentioned the "four month sleep regression" yet...

Happened to us at almost 5 months. DS didn't regularly sleep through the night til about 14 months. His sleep is now all shot to pieces after a week away in strange houses and I'm kicking myself for doing something so damaging!

She's not in her own room dietcokeandwine - and therein lies (part of) the problem...she's due to move in and share a room with her sister, but obviously we can't really move her until her sleep settles down, otherwise we end up with two awake instead of one! And it was all looking so promising up until a few weeks ago.

What are the recommendations for "four month sleep regression" then Loki?

Here's some 4 month sleep regression tips (copied and pasted). If you're feeding to sleep it is probably that but there are also the options of teething and needing to alter her routine to 4 hourly feeds and fewer, longer sleeps in the daytime. How is her routine at the moment? 8.30 - 7 doesn't sound like quite enough sleep to me, but it is possible.

The 4 month regression comes about when a baby does not know how to put themselves to sleep. Your baby may have a sleep association of being fed to sleep and so she needs you to do this.

A good way for a baby to learn how to fall asleep on their own is the shh-pat method, it's perfect for under 6 months. It does take up to two weeks for them to get the idea of it but it is gentle and not a crying technique. See this link for how to do it www.mybabysleepguide.com/2009/01/shhpat.html

Pick up put down can also be effective at this age.

Another thing it to avoid is overtiredness as at this age, sleep = more sleep. I like this link for awake time length by age. It is just a guide but it really helped me www.mybabysleepguide.com/2009/02/wake-time.html.

Your baby may still need one night feed but when they've gone through without for such a long time I'd be hesitant to reintroduce. A dream feed could work well though.

With clicky links;

Here's some 4 month sleep regression tips (copied and pasted). If you're feeding to sleep it is probably that but there are also the options of teething and needing to alter her routine to 4 hourly feeds and fewer, longer sleeps in the daytime. How is her routine at the moment? 8.30 - 7 doesn't sound like quite enough sleep to me, but it is possible.

The 4 month regression comes about when a baby does not know how to put themselves to sleep. Your baby may have a sleep association of being fed to sleep and so she needs you to do this.

A good way for a baby to learn how to fall asleep on their own is the shh-pat method, it's perfect for under 6 months. It does take up to two weeks for them to get the idea of it but it is gentle and not a crying technique. See this link for how to do it www.mybabysleepguide.com/2009/01/shhpat.html

Pick up put down can also be effective at this age.

Another thing it to avoid is overtiredness as at this age, sleep = more sleep. I like this link for awake time length by age. It is just a guide but it really helped me www.mybabysleepguide.com/2009/02/wake-time.html.

Your baby may still need one night feed but when they've gone through without for such a long time I'd be hesitant to reintroduce. A dream feed could work well though.