9 week old waking at 4.55am out of habit?

[futurity]

DS2 is now 9 weeks old..fully b/f and weighing over 13lbs feeding 2-3 hourly during the day. He last feeds at 10.30pm and then sleeps from about 11.15 through to 4.55am. That's where the issue lies!

He is stuck on 4.55...every morning for a week or so now. Up to that point he would go a bit longer each week but he seems attached to this time and I am pretty sure he doesnt really need this feed. Last night the feed was fairly half hearted and I didn't even have to offer the second breast and I am sure he doesn't really need this feed but not sure what to do about it.

Some books suggest giving a dummy which he won't take and Tracy Hogg book says about you making them stir an hour before he normally would to disturb his sleep pattern and stop the habit.

Anybody tried this or have other ideas?

he is 9 weeks old, of course he needs the feed.

I have of course considered that!!! I just was posting because it seems weird that he wakes at exactly the same time every morning.

maybe he can only sleep that long as at 4.55 he becomes very hungrey.

when its my 2.5yr old waking at 2am thats a bad habit

Ds woke at exactly the same time every morning for a bit, and then, just as I got used to it, the goal posts shifted again! It is a bit odd though, when you can set your watch by them! How do they know...?!

Hi,

Don't worry - he probably needs this feed at the moment. The fact that it's half-hearted is encouraging as it may mean he will drop it in the near future. Just go with it for the moment and see what happens over the next few weeks. It's probably a coincidence that it's the same time each morning or just that he's starting to get hungry again about then.

Mandy

I agree..if he was very hungry I wouldn't even post but last night it was a half hearted feed lasting 10 minutes (he is normally a piggy taking both breasts with the feed lasting over 1/2 hour)

I think he has an alarm clock in his moses basket!!

Anyone else got any ideas?

If he's only 9 weeks, I think he is just hungry, or wanting a cuddle, or needing to know you are there. A five hour stretch of sleep is quite good for a 9 week old IMO.

Are you worried because your first baby slept longer as this age? Why is it that you think it not normal? I know you said his feed is half hearted, but he is still feeding. Perhaps he just needs topping up? That's what I found the hardest thing with BF - the "on demand" side, but worthwhile in the end.

As hard as it is, I would feed him! My DS did this too. I pushed his last feed of the night as late a possible (usually 11 pm), and he would go till 2.30, then 3, then 4, 4.30, 5 etc until he was sleeping through, and then eventually, I dropped the 11 pm feed.

Good luck.

DS1 did what you said koalabear ..each week he would go a bit longer until he slept through and then he dropped the 10pm feed after he was weaned. I know I shouldn't compare DS2 to DS1 in the sleep department but it is difficult not to especially when he was following that pattern but then stopping at 4.55. I know he will probably go a bit longer soon and I am not THAT bothered about it..it is more the annoying predictablity of looking at the clock and seeing the same time every night!!

I know what you mean - it was the annoying predictable 2.30 am feed that got to me - just after you managed to get to sleep (especially when sister in law's baby of same age slept 7 til 7 from the age of 6 weeks - just goes to show that they are all unique little critters) ...... however, he did progress in the end, and is now doing 7 till 6, so I am very happy

my dd2 is now 26 weeks, i remember well at 9 wks she would wake at4am, as you say, like an alarm clock

she didnt seem to be hungry when she woke either

my dh is very good at this, and he decided to take over cos i was too 'soft'

we would hear her chatting at 4am (she never cried, just chatted in her cot). we left her 30 mins chatting, if she started to cry we would feed her. that was the plan.

funny thing is, she never did reach crying. she would just chat for 20 mins then go back to sleep. then wake at 6am, hungry. eventually she would wake at 4 but only chat for 5 mins, then after about 3 wks she stopped waking at all.

she now still doesnt wake at all til about 630am from 8pm

good luck!

my ds did this until he slept through at 12 weeks. He always woke at 3/4am without fail. I think it's just that their stomachs are too little to hold enough food to keep them going.

his tummy is tiny and it is obviously empty at 4.55am. ds 7.5 months and I still feed him throughout the night. they're not babies for long

My DD did this and she wasn't taking very much milk. She would wake up at 4am on the dot for months and we would feed her. She did go straight back to sleep but as soon as she hit 9 months she would only take 1oz then be awake for two hours. Health visitor advised us at 6 months that this was a habit that need breaking but we thought she would grow out of it. She didn't of course so we have gone through the diluting feed and controlled crying which worked after about a week. She now sleeps 7pm - 6am. Not sure if you have read Gina Ford but I found some of the avice re. routines has worked for us.

My DS did this waking at 4.30am [and we'd feed him about 2-3oz] for about three weeks until last week [at 11 weeks] where one morning at 6am, I felt my husband nudging me saying 'did you feed him?' and I said no and asked if he'd fed him and DH said no! Since then, DS has slept until 6am each morning.

We have changed the late 11.30pm feed to dream feeding though instead of waking him up, change nappy then feed. He seems to take 5oz during dream feed instead of 2-3oz when he's awake at 11.30pm - maybe try that?

Thanks for all your replies. I am breastfeeding so difficult to judge what he has at the late feed but I make sure it is a decent amount of time on both breasts. We have had improvement..first to 5.15 and for the last two nights he's been to 5.30!! This morning he stirred LOTS at 4.20 and I rocked the carrycot briefly and he went back to sleep until 5.30 so at last we are having improvement and not seeing that dreaded 4.55 on the clock!!