Can I replace a comfort nighttime feed with water?

[TheWeatherGirl1]

It's suddenly become a habit that my 17 week old wakes at 9.30pm, he's been doing it for a week.
He'll wake up again at 11.30.
Only feeding sends him back to sleep.
How can I knock it out of his repertoire?
I read something about giving them boiled water? He's not waking cos he's hungry as he had 5fl oz of formula at 7pm bedtime.

I'm desperate to get rid of this as he wakes A LOT through the night as it is

Thanks

You need to adjust your expectations. He is 17 WEEKS old. At 17 months you might have a point.

You shouldn't give babies water. At this age his tummy is tiny and will need filling regularly. He'll also be having the 4 month regression. Google it.

A 17 week old still needs frequent feeding.

Please do adjust your expectations, there are slot of rough patches with sleep and growth spurts in the first year, I’m currently knee deep in the 8 month sleep regression. They really do need the milk!

I have googled it. Thank you for your help.

He sleeps in around 40 minute increments for most of the night so the only chunk of sleep I did get was between about 7 and 11.
Now I don't have that and before I go completely off the rails with sleep deprivation I'd like to try and see if there's an answer.
So back to my original question; is boiled water a no-no?

I think that advice is generally for children who are older than 6 months sorry OP.

As [Titty] said it's likely to be the 4 month sleep regression. You kind of just have to ride the wave at this point.

If he doesn't use a dummy currently it might be worth trying one to see if that offers him comfort?

Oops bold failure.

Glad that didn't bring up a random emoticon

17 WEEKS.?? No you can't.

Water at that age is a nono. You expect a 17wo to go through the night on 5oz??

What is he drinking when he wakes?

I really wouldn’t offer water. He is absolutely tiny still and the won’t last forever. I am sympathetic - I am currently waking every 1 1/2 -2 holly with my 19 week old. It is knackering and in the middle of the night I think of all sorts of ‘solutions’. Really though, time is all that will work.

What is he drinking when he wakes?

I really wouldn’t offer water. He is absolutely tiny still and the won’t last forever. I am sympathetic - I am currently waking every 1 1/2 -2 holly with my 19 week old. It is knackering and in the middle of the night I think of all sorts of ‘solutions’. Really though, time is all that will work.

You can't replace a feed with water at that age. After weaning at the earliest I would think.

Every 40 minutes sounds incredibly hard. I am not surprised you are considering all things.

Is he waking in distress? Could reflux be an issue?

Otherwise a dummy or bedsharing might help - he may need the closeness.

TheWeatherGirl1

When baby wakes frequently through the night, do you have a settling method to use that is not feeding? A dummy for example.

In answer to your question, babies under 6 months should only be given milk made to the correct dilution. So water is a nono. Your health visitor will confirm this.

I don’t get how replacing the 9:30 milk feed with water would help you? Surely you still need to feed it to him so the amount of effort on your part is the same?

Anyway, no, don’t give water. Unfortunately, this is just the way of the four month sleep regression. I’ve had it for the last three months so I feel your pain.

If he wants comfort and currently gets it from the sucking reflex, see if a dummy will settle him instead. If he has ‘found his hands’, you could see if he will try sucking on his fist if you help hold it up to his mouth, and then he might pick up self soothing, but that will probably develop closer to 4 months. I wouldnt try water for another month-ish.

I feel your pain - I’ve had 3 children and it’s really tough

However. Replacing feeds with water is definitely not acceptable at this age. He is hungry he needs milk. Sorry. I know it’s shit but it’s the truth

he might pick up self soothing, but that will probably develop closer to 4 months

17 weeks is 4 months and the vast majority of babies can't self settle at that point because they don't have the brain function to do it yet.

Titty I’m glad you’ve said that because someone from the health visitor team told me that my 14 week old will learn to self settle if I put him down to sleep awake - and not to worry about overtiredness because he’ll just sleep if he’s tired. Hmm.

@Lallypopstick such bad advice and really untrue!

Gosh I first read 17 months and thought yes bottle of water would be sensible.

But no. I think at 17 weeks he most probably genuinely needs the feed. Possibly due to a growth spurt. Don't deny him of his night feeds yet.
At 9months my baby started waking 4+ times a night so I decided I needed to start night weaning as at 9 months he can't need that much milk. I started night weaning at 10-11 months. I gradually gave him weaker and wear bottles and now he just gets water if he wakes. When he was ill I gave him one bottle of milk in the night as I thought it would be nice on his sore throat.

sarahockwell-smith.com/2014/06/30/self-settling-what-really-happens-when-you-teach-a-baby-to-self-soothe-to-sleep/

I have her book Titty - totally agree with what she’s saying.

No, you can't. Babies that young need milk.

I assume you're formula feeding from the 5oz reference - can you go to bed early and get your OH to give the baby the first bottle so you at least get 4 hours or so of uninterrupted sleep?

Hey.
I feel for you getting little sleep. But I wouldn't advise water. I had this with my second child, until she was 7 months. She just wanted a tiny top up of milk between feeds, and as she got too around 6 months literally just wanted the bottle for comfort and didn't take any of the milk at all. I was reluctant to use a dummy. But following monther in laws advise I did, from the first day I used it she slept perfect other than when she was actually due a feed. I took the dummy away at 10 months, and by that age after a few troublesome nights, slipped back into routine with no dummy. Time and patience, its tought but it won't be forever.