3 month old waking every 3 hours....

[Trisha_Dawn]

My almost 4 month old consistently wakes every 3 hours at night, he has ever since he was born, I think I've gotten one or two 5 hour streches, but that's it!

What’s his/her daily routine? I try to follow EASY, and it usually works, sometime he only naps for 45 minutes and then I have to put him back to sleep, but not all the time, and sometimes he will be away for 2-3 hours before bedtime, but shows no signs of tiredness
What’s nap routine? Swaddle, rock a little, lay down awake with soother
How long are naps? usually 1-2 hours
What's bedtime routine? Time? Bath, massage, eat, swaddle, lay down with soother...between 7-9
Do you bottle or breastfed?? Breastfeed
How much? or how long? Every 3 hours....day and night, 10 minutes
If breastfed.. one side or both?? (at each feed) both sides, he empties both sides usually, 5 min a side
How many wakes per night? 2 - 3
What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up? Fussing, won't take soother, crying, up until I feed him
When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry? Crying
What have you tried to settle?? Rocking, shh-ing, can sometimes rock back to sleep, but then he just does the same thing the next night
What do you do for A time and how long is it? Ususally his 2 1/2 yr old brother entertains him, or he sits in his bouncy chair, or lays on the floor
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones? Could be teething, but this has been going on since he was born
Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months) No
Do they have a prop? If so what is it? Yes a soother, I can't imagine trying to do it without it
Do they have a lovie? A soother? yes

[lilac83]

Hi ~

If he's feeding every 3hrs around the clock I'm wondering if he's not getting enough at any one feed to fill his tummy? I didn't BF so I don't know too much about it. I'll see if someone can pop in here who knows more!

[Canwi]

3 quick questions while I contemplate this a bit:
- does your LO finish the feeds or do you take him off?
- is he peeing 6 - 8 times a day and pooping regularly?
- is he gaining weight well?

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

And have you ever tried offering both breasts a second time at a feed?

[heatherjo_999]

I am having a similar problem with my almost 3 month old, but I have just switched to bottle feeding. In one of the books, I read that if they are 12 pounds and you are doing a dream feed between 10 and 11, then they should sleep until about 5 a.m. and not your typical 2-2:30 wake up time. However, if during the DF they don't get enough, they will have an additional NW. Tracy suggests upping their intake during the day. So, if you are feeding 5 minutes on each side, you might up it to ten on each side or whatever works. Your breasts will make what you LO needs. She also suggests stopping the second cluster feed, so that there is a longer stretch between feeding and so the DF will be a full feed and take the baby through longer. My babe is still getting up even with a DF but I am just trying to wean the 2nd cluster feed and get a good 4-5 oz. in at DF time. I find it very hard as he has been in this routine for a few weeks. If it is a growth spurt the wake up times are sporadic and they usually need the food; however, in many cases, they get used to this waking time (habitual) and expect to be fed. She suggests trying to use a soother and pat shush back to sleep as well as what was mentioned earlier (tanking up and DF) . I am in the same boat as you and I wish us both luck!!!

[Trisha_Dawn]

3 quick questions while I contemplate this a bit:
- does your LO finish the feeds or do you take him off?   He finishes, I feed him until he won't take anymore
- is he peeing 6 - 8 times a day and pooping regularly? definitely, always has very wet diapers and poops lots
- is he gaining weight well? Very well, he was 15 pounds at 3 months

I know he can go longer without eating, the last 2 night I have DF him around 11, then fed him when he wakes around 2-3, but then when he wakes again around 4-5ish, I have been putting him in his swing and that puts him back to sleep...and then he sleeps fine until 8. I know this isn't a good habit to get into, but is which habit is worse....waking every 3 hours to eat or needing a swing to go back to sleep? He is a very unsettled sleeper, I have a very hard time getting him down at night, I think maybe I keep him up to long and then he is overtired and fights going to sleep.

[lilac83]

Could you type out what a typical day looks like for him? Perhaps there is something there that can be tweaked. IMHO I think the swing is the lesser evil. If you can use the swing to break the feedings, then you'll have an easier time breaking the swing habit later on. That's just my thoughts though. Obviously it's better to have no props, but it's super hard to resettle a baby who wakes habitually to eat and is smelling your milk while you're trying to resettle him.

I'll let everyone else comment on the feedings.

[Canwi]

Sounds like he's getting enough to eat.
You could try a DF or cluster feeding and see if it helps.

Could you try your DH/DP doing the overnight settling so that your LO doesn't smell the 'mama-milk' and think that it's eating time?