Is this normal....?

[MamatobeFeb20]

My 19week old baby is EBF and used to sleep good stretches - anything from 4-7hrs at night.
However, for the five nights, shes woken at 9pm, midnight, 3am and 5am, on the dot. I could actually set my clock to her, shes that regular. Is this becoming a habit?! Do they form habits this young? Or is it just a phase that I need to ride out?
She self settles to sleep for her naps and bedtimes and her naps haven't been affected.
Thanks in advance for any advice!

It's usual for a baby's sleep to change at around 4 months old, so yes quite normal. Now is a good time to start thinking about longer term sleep habits and good sleep hygiene. For example, I would try to resettle baby back to sleep (in the cot) at night wakes, rather than feeding every time. Also try to develop independent sleep habits like baby going to sleep initially in the cot.

Thanks very much for the reply @babySleepTeacherUK.
She settles for all her naps and bedtime in her next2me crib, and goes in awake. We're so lucky with that, i know. I am definitely guilty of feeding every wake up when she probably doesn't need it, purely because I know it settles her quick and less risk of waking the toddler. But I am definitely interested in settling her in the crib - how do I go about that?

A dummy probably would help. How do you feel about dummies? They are a great way to achieve independent baby sleep, but without any crying.

I'm a big fan of dummies and would love her to take one but unfortunately, she isn't even entertaining the thought, despite the fact we've consistently tried from 6 weeks through to last night. I've tried all different types, tapping on them to encourage her suck, at all different types of day and night yet she just gags on it and spits it right back out. I'm at a loss - my first took a dummy straight away and shes always been a great sleeper.

I know the feeling!

After my first child, who I didn't introduce a dummy for until 20 weeks and then wished I'd done it sooner, my second and third child both took to a dummy immediately without any hassle.

Then along came DC4 who just wasn't having it. However, such is my insistence that a dummy is essential, I just would not give up. I worked so hard for absolutely ages to get her to accept it. So I know the feeling with a baby who won't naturally take one. But it is worth persevering IMO.

If baby is gagging on a dummy, it means dummy is going too far back in the mouth. Similar would happen if a nipple or teat hit the gag spot in the mouth. Try aiming the teat upwards towards the roof of the mouth, rather than backwards. This also encourages the natural suck reflex.

It could also be that the teat on the dummy it too large for baby's mouth. Mine always took to cherry teat dummies best, they are more bulbous and round, rather than long and thin, iyswim.

That's good to know your first accepted one at 20weeks though, I feel like the further on shes getting, it's just never going to happen. Shes pretty terrible at taking a bottle too but again, feel the need to persevere as it's important to me for her to take one, no disrespect to those that don't.

I'll definitely continue persevering. Funny you should say that, the one with the most success (and by success, I mean not immediately gagging and spitting) was with a prem dummy I bought. Thanks again for all your advice!