13 week old waking hourly from 4am

[Hedgehogging]

DD is 13 weeks, EBF, and for the past week she's been really unsettled at night.

Previously she had been going to bed between 7 and 9 (depending on how long it took her to settle but always aiming for 7/7.30) and would wake after a 4 or 5 hour stint and then at least once more before waking up for the morning at 7.20 on the button. Two or three night wakenings was fine with me.

Recently though she's up to at least 5 wakenings with a cluster every hour from 4am- she just can't seem to settle from 4/5 onwards. Constant shuffling and flailing in the cot and ultimately starting to shout if I don't rescue her and either feed her (after which the dance will shortly begin again) or bring her into bed with me for boob/soother holding and cuddles.

I'm still managing okay as I've taken to going to bed very soon after her for the night! Naps aren't great in the day in that she's a catnapper but she will go for 30-45 mins four or five times daily. I generally try to have her last nap end about 2 hours before bedtime....

I don't know what I want from this but maybe just to hear that someone else has been here and it is just a phase! I did comment on a similar post a few days ago so I know there's a growth spurt at 12 weeks but I think I need more reassurance! I always cope better if I know when I can expect the end to be in sight, but I suppose that's always the great unknown with babies. Sigh! Zzzzzzzzzz........

My 20 week old is EXACTLY the same (even down to the short naps, which are annoying for Mums but totally normal!)

My solution - he comes in bed with me as soon as I can't get him to settle in the cot any longer.

This morning it was 6am, yesterday it was 4-something.

Just do what you need to do!

Thanks MrsMugoo. Sod it, you're right. Early mornings in the big bed it is. It's just not satisfying trying to catch up on sleep during one of her ladyship's micronaps!

Good to know there are others in the same boat.

"Do what you need to do" is a useful motto for these early weeks

Ds2 is 14 weeks and I could have written your post! Cat naps that never last any time and only way to get him back is to breastfeed him to sleep ( rod back yes I know!!) and in the mornings he wakes at 4 ish and then comes into bed with me and snacks until we wake up. Tried to fight it with ds1 and just ended up being exhausted. Feel much better now and not beating myself up about him being in my bed- won't last forever! Oh and have a look at the wonder weeks book/ app/ fb page - it's a godsend I explaining why they go through these stages ! Good luck!

Thanks Another!

Yes I'm another feed to sleep back rodder .

I am a bit sleep deprived at the moment but generally only stress about DD's sleep after reading sleep blogs/books of the "You're doing it all wrong" variety.

Hence coming on MN to have someone tell me to relax and do what feels right. For now that'll obviously be including a spot of early morning co-sleepy snacking!

Will def check out the Wonder Weeks as keep coming across it on the boards here.

Oh how relieved am I that I'm not the only one! 16 week DS is the same. Wakes hourly for snacks from 4am onwards. I usually end up feeding him lying down in my bed. Pass me that rod.

Here you go! I polished it.

Oh yes, all three of mine have done this to varying degrees. Ds is nearly three months and currently doing it - though generally from about 5am.

I think, actually, the most important thing is to keep treating this period as night time. We always co-slept and fed back to sleep too. But the alternative would be to get up for the day at 5am, and what does that do but reinforce a daily pattern of a 5am start to the day?

I'm fairly sure I've heard that even Gina Ford says that early waking is the one scenario where you should do anything and everything you need to do. Though my night time parenting style is about as far from Gina as it's possible to be, I'd certainly agree on this.

Well I actually left her to her rustling this morning after the 5am feed- just stuck on Ewan the sheep for a bit and then pulled the duvet around my ears to block out all but the most persistent thrashes or any whimpers/cries. And she settled! More or less. A few occasional hoistings of the grobag by little legs, but it got us to 6.50 which is fine by me .

google the 4 month sleep regression. DD's started at 13 weeks old. It has all sorts of variants, including multiple night wakings, early waking, crap naps, etc.

Short story is, it passes. For us it took a while, but we survived - by co-sleeping and learning to feed lying down whilst dozing. DD was in a co-sleeper crib anyway, so after her first or second night waking/ feed I'd bring her in to bed right next to me and we'd feed and sleep on and off until morning. Neither co-sleeping nor putting my boob in her mouth every time she woke up set a 'rod for my back'. By 6 months she was pretty much self-settling and in a cot in her own room. By 8.5 months she slept through (7-7). And none of that involved crying it out or controlled crying. These are not stealth boasts, merely information meant to give you hope that this is a phase that will pass and my advice is to do whatever you need to do to maximise sleep for all of you during this particularly tricky sleep period.

I'd actually be glad if this ended up as her 4 month regression- I'm dreading it so the sooner the better!

But it's so good to know your "rods" turned out not to be rods at all. I'm happy to be led by DD as long as I feel I'm doing right by her.

Glad to hear it worked out well for you-know-what It gives me hope!

For you! Not you-know-what! Stupid phone!

For you! Not you-know-what! Stupid phone!