Growth Spurt at 5 months old?

[esinclair]

My LO is 5 months old and has been wakening a little earlier every morning for the past week or so.  She had been sleeping well from her bedtime feed at 7 pm and through her dream feed at 11 pm until I have to wake her at 7 am to start the day.  This morning she woke at 3:50 am and definitely seemed hungry.  Is it possible that at 5 months she is having a growth spurt?  What I have decided to do today is to increase her intake through today by pumping after each breast feed and giving that to her in a bottle at the next feed.  Her bedtime feed should be around 7 pm, so do I also feed her at 9 pm as well as the dream feed?  I assume that the 9 pm feed is also a "dream feed".  Thanks!
Also, could this mean that my LO is ready to start solids?  She is only just 5 months and I wasn't going to start solids until at least closer to 6 months.  She can sit up well and I give her a spoon to play with while I am eating my cereal in the morning, which she does quite well with.  She does take an interest in what I am eating now.  No teeth yet. 

[ZacsMumme]

Hi Hun, can you post your EASY? Are you feeding 3,3…5 or 4hrly? X

[esinclair]

Hi, She is on a 4 hour EASY and has been for over a month now.  Her morning wake ups have not been consistent.  I used to have to wake her up at 7 am, then she started waking just after 6 am for a few days sometimes 5 am and then the 4 am wake up which she did for 2 days in a row.  What I have been doing because she seems hungry is that I feed her and put her back to bed.  Sometimes she takes a little time to settle back to sleep on her own, but today she was asleep within 10 minutes.  So EASY has been looking like this.

E:  7:30 am I wake her up (not too hungry as she only ate 2-3 hours earlier)
A:  7:30-9:45 (2.25 hours)
S:  9:45- 11:15 (1.5 hours)
E:  11:15/11:30
A:  11:15-1:45 (2.5 hours)
S:  1:45-3:15 (1.5 hours)
A: 3:15-  she can easily go 2.75 hours here, so sometimes doesn't have a catnap, as it is so close to bedtime.  I usually feed at 7 pm, then bed, but often bring it in to 6:45 or 6:30 pm.  Alternatively, if I see she is tired a little earlier I go out for a walk in the stroller and let her have a 30 minute nap (no longer than 45 min).  Last night her feed was just after 7 pm and she didn't fall asleep until 8 pm, but she still woke up just after 5 am. 

I am just unsure of what is best to do.  Do I do an earlier bedtime and accept the early wake up as her natural rhythm for now?  However, she does seem hungry at that earlier time and goes back to sleep, which is why I thought it might be a growth spurt.  I have been giving her EBM after every feed for the past 3 days now.  Thanks!!

[ZacsMumme]

I remember Z all of a sudden needing a feed again through the night around 4am..he just couldnt quite last for whatever reason. It lasted about 1 month I think

I suspect your LO may be the same, esp if BF. A lot of BF babies do need a NF or DF until 6months, some later.

Your EASY looks good, and the fact you can get her back to sleep with a feed makes me think she is hungry rather than EW from OT in which she wouldnt go back to sleep I think.

I would certainly try EBT of 6pm if you are not going to do a CN, some LOs will pull 12.5hr nights with EBT so its worth a shot If it doesnt work too well than maybe alt 2/3 nap days for a while as it looks like she is close to being able to drop the CN but not quite. Gently extending those A times a touch over the next few weeks will get her there xx

[esinclair]

Forgot to mention that I do DF at 11 pm.  It is reassuring to know though that I may not be "accidentally parenting" by feeding her in the early morning.  It isn't always the same time, but has been going in 3-4 day cycles.  Thanks for your support and advice.

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs. The early morning is often a tough time for LOs anyway, they come into light sleep and easily wake...if you start to feel its habit and LO isn't takig a good feed and going back to sleep then feel free to post again x