help!!! we've lost the magic........

[stilldazed]

Please any advice....

My 4month old dd (exclusively bf) has spent the last 3 weeks sleeping thro (falls asleep by herself around 8 and then wakes up for her next feed at 7). during the night she'll make noises a few times like she is going to wake up and I just put her dummy in her mouth and she goes back to sleep.

This all changed 4 days ago when she started to wake up earlier and earlier til last night, she got up at 2 for the first time and wouldn't go back to sleep. I took her out of the cot and feed her (she feed a few times but imo wasn't hungry and both times she fell asleep on the boob in bed with me....just like the old days!)

Don't think it's teething as she is not in pain.

shoud I leave her in her cot?
should I resist the temptation to feed her?
Is she too young for controlled crying?
Should I start giving her a bottle at night to help her sleep more deeply?

Any advice would be great (first baby and I'm fairly clueless!!)

hi stilldazzled. I'm no expert, but have been through this as well.
Can you tell me, when she woke up at 2 how soon before you lifted her - did she stir or cry?
With me, dd and ds were both so different in what I could do with them when they woke in the night. With dd, if she woke, I could just gently pat her back and she'd fall back asleep, but DS always needed the comfort of the breast. (but then again he was first born and I probably made a rock for my own back there)
anyway, sorry for the rambling

My ds used to self settle when put down awake and ssh/pat worked to resettle but ever since he had his 3 injections around 4 months this has all fallen apart! We now co-sleep and feed on and off regularly through the night, its the only way I can get any sleep. I have no experience of controlled crying, although my hv said not for babies under 9 months and I personally couldn't do it. We tried a bottle at 10.30 feed and it didn't make any difference.
It seems to be comfort with my ds and since I accepted that co-sleeping is the only way for us to get through this I am so much happier!

thanks tomthumbmum for letting me know what the official line is regarding controlled crying (I live abroad and we don't have hvs it's just mumsnet for me!). I agree though I would find it very dificult at this age.

last night was much better she woke a few times but went back to sleep with the dummy. so we could be back to the old routine which would be great.I think it is comfort that she wanted...I'll wait and see how tonight goes....