I have become a zombie in the last 3 weeks!
DS (second baby) is breastfed with the occasional evening bottle and is 20 weeks. He sleeps in a cotbed in our room, I "cosleep" feed him at night iyswim and transfer him to his cot once he's asleep. He'll happily fall asleep in his cot himself for daytime naps. Up until about 2-3 weeks ago he was a dream - slept beautifully at night, going down when I went to bed and usually sleeping 4 but often up to 8 hours straight before waking. He'd wake, feed, and go more or less straight back into a deep sleep. I was sane, normal and couldn't quite believe my luck.
Roll on recently, his sleep has gradually morphed into shorter and shorter blocks with much more wakefulness/fidgeting. He seems exhausted by about 8.30pm doing a "screamy" cry (he's so laid back normally, this is reserved for real extremis only!). Hence introducing the evening bottle in an attempt to feed him up before we go to bed, but it's had no real effect. He'll feed to sleep (on the boob, he goes off, sighs happily, turns head away - all signs he's satisfied?) and go down, but only for maybe an hour. Then he's up for another feed. Down for 2-3 hours if I'm lucky. Then up every hour until a final fed about 5.30 at which point it's all over anyway as DD (3) is up and shouting by then.
He wriggles/head scratches when he wakes, he doesn't scream or cry - and I'm not keen to leave him to get to that point. I do try sushing/ finger sucking before I get him up but it's milk/a feed he wants. I'm ready for you to tell me this is a phase/4 month sleep regression etc - but what can I do to help him before the habit and memory of sleeping through becomes just that - a hazy memory!?