15 week old sudden night wakings for feed

[LYDIAWESTWOOD]

Hi all,  I have a 15 week old boy who was born 9lb7oz and has maintained a good weight EBF. I have been struggling through one very sore breast the entire time and last week started him on a bottle just for the last feed of the day (7/7.15pm) to give that side a break and try and help him through the night.

He was on a 3hr easy with A time of around 1hr 30 and generally only 45 min naps but always slept well at night (7.30-6.30am with only 1 nw at between 4-6 since about 8 weeks). The daytime routine is a bit flexible as I have a 4 year old in playschool and we tend to play out most days as my husband is abroad a lot and I get cabin fever otherwise.

The baby is so contented and happy all the time, but as of the last week has started waking so much more and refusing to settle with cuddle/dummy/shhpat the only thing that will get him to sleep is a BF (and he seems to empty the boob so not just comfort)

Is he OT and therefore unsettled? I'm good at looking for his sleep cues though he seems to yawn after 1hr30 still and if I increase the A time he gets OT really quickly. I am conscious of moving to a 4hr EASY and we managed that yesterday except for a tank up at 5.15 and 7.15 (second one was bottle and he didn't take much so I BF too for a few minutes)

I feel he is actually hungry not just waking out of habit as usually a cuddle and pd would work but nothing is settling him except feeding. He's now 14lb and perhaps ready to wean? I am in no rush to do that but I can't take the 2-3 hr wakings all night as I'm home alone most of the time and totally exhausted.

Please let me know what you think - also he'll nap for up to 2.5hrs in the day if I put him in the baby bjorn (though it limitis me doing my work as I work from home) but have done that as I need that time in the day. Could that be part of the issue?

I really want my good sleep back, happy to sacrifice the daytime naps if he is just content on short naps (my other son was too until he was older) but the nights I NEED!

thank you

[becj86]

Hi, Sounds like you've maybe hit the 4 months GS and it probably is time to move towards 4hr EASY (though EBF bubs often don't make it to 4hr til they're on solids - having said that, mine did, so it is possible). The NW's I'd say are probably a combination of needing to up the A time so he gets better day naps (I'd keep that one in the bjorn and try for other(s) in the cot) and needing more food to grow. The 4 months GS is enormous and can last a week but if it goes longer than that, it probably time to look at breaking a few habits gently.

[katie80]

Hi there, I agree with all Bec has said.  I think feeding through the GS and upping your A times a bit to get to at least a 3.5 hr EASY will definitely help the NWs.  I would also keep that one long nap in the Bjorn or wherever you can get it.  My DS had one in the swing until 5 mo, but went down for all others and BT in the crib independently.  

Just wanted to add that you really don't need to start solids yet, esp if you're not ready.  My DS was 10 lb when born and almost 20 lb when we started solids at about 5.5 mo.  He did just fine EBF until then, but he did have growth spurts where I needed to feed more often.