4 Mth old gone from waking once a night to every two hours! Anyone else had this?

[rollercoaster1]

Hi Im a first time mum who thought I had the whole sleep thing cracked a few months ago when my baby was only waking once a night for a feed around 4am then settling straight back to sleep. However, lately he has started wanting a feed every 1.5-2hrs in the night. Im feeding him around 7.30-8pm and then again around 10.30pm. He seems to feed well but then a few hours later hes awake looking for more. I guess it could be a growth spurt. Wondering if anyone else has had the same experience and will it settle down again - if so when??!!

same thing happening with us too! feels we're like back to the newborn days.

I could have written your message! Exactly the same has happened to my DD who is 4.5 months old. Not sure if growth spurt (but has been going on for the past 2 weeks) or needs early weaning? Anyone?

Growth spurt, DS's lasted a couple of weeks or more. God I can't remember and he is only 7 months.

yep - totally normally and often mistaken as a sign that DC needs to start on solids.

It's actually linked to the brain wireing up for the start of crawling and other exciting stuff apparently. Brain activity is so high that DC doesn't drop into deep sleep as readily so wakes up between sleep cycles more easily.

It was at this stage with DS that we started co-sleeping as I got knackered - he's now 5.5 months and was back to sleeping how he was before the 4 mo growth spurt after about 2-3 weeks.

Ooh we just came through this, it will pass.
I instigated early bedtimes, aimed to have DD in bed by 6, to help us through.

nickymorris - interesting stuff brain development. I figured it was just a phase and hoped it would end sooner rather than later. I think it lasted a couple of weeks in all.

FWIW Lots of my friends assumed it was a sign that they should wean early as they figured their DC's needed something more substantial in their tummies - and the health visitors are VERY keen on weaning round here so didn't stop them.

From what I understand they've had a messy and mushy couple of months and their DC's aren't actually sleeping any better - if anything their sleep has stayed as it was. I guess this is becuase once you fill 'em up with mush they're actually getting less nutrients in so they're hungrier for milk at less convenient times.

My DS is a big boy (20lb at 5.5 mo) and we're still 100% demand breast-fed. Just reading the baby-led weaning book now!

AngusSteaknife yep the brain stuff is interesting - some books have different explanations but that's the one that makes sense to me.

thanks girls - good to know this is a fairly common thing! Spoke to a community MW about it - apparently perfectly normal and I shouldnt be thinking about weaning for another 2 months, just go with the flow for now and keep feeding! Last night DS woke at 12 and 4am so a lot better than the previous week - light at the end of the tunnel?!!