4 mo waking a lot in the night- is it a habit?

[ParanoidAtAllTimes]

Ds used to sleep really well- he would sleep for at least a 5 hour chunk before needing a feed. 4 or 5 weeks ago he had a big growth spurt, waking to feed every 1-2 hours. However he is still waking 4 or 5 times a night! Dp thinks he's got into the habit of it- should we be giving him water/cuddles instead of feeds to put him off waking? Or is this cruel? I'm really unsure as I would hate to deny him nutrition that he needs.

OMG this is exactly the same as what's happening with my DS. He had a growth spurt/injections at 12 weeks and is still at 20 weeks waking up 4/5 sometimes 6 times a night, he's also teething which doesn't help!
I don't think it's cruel to try and give him water, he might not drink it tbh.
I've tried this with DS and he ends up pushing the bottle away, so give it a shot it might work better for you!

Good luck, I'm sure someone will have some better advice for you

Well it's interesting to hear that it's not just me! I think water is a bit of a long shot as he will only very rarely take a bottle. I'm pretty sure mine is teething too, it all comes at once doesn't it?!

Please don't give a 4 month old water to try and force them to sleep through the night. There are two very good reasons NOT to give water at this age:

1. Their food is only milk. They need all of their liquids to be nutritive to prevent them getting over-hydrated. If your tiny baby is hungry, and keeps drinking water trying to satiate that hunger, they can get very, very ill. Over-hydration is fatal. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

1. 4 months is when they go through one of their biggest growth spurts. They need the milk to fuel their growth.

Thanks Ches, I have to admit I was worried about doing this so now I have a good reason not to

Oh I'm glad DS didn't take the water!
If you think he is teething have you tried rubbing some teething gel in his gums or teething powder when he wakes up? I've done this a couple of times when he wakes upset and he goes straight back to sleep. It might also help him sleep a little bit longer.
Or maybe try a small dose of calpol with his last feed.
Let me know if you find a miracle cure!