7.5 mo night waking. Developmental or Growth Spurt?

[ordinarymum]

DS has been waking up around 2-4 am for the last few nights. I do not know if he is going through a growth spurt or its a developmental thing.

When I go in to settle him initially, he's wriggled his body around his cot and he is lying horizontally across it. I reckon as he's just started to learn how to roll onto his front, he's been trying to practice this at night. However, after wriggling about I think he then realises that he's hungry and refuses to settle until I move him back vertically across his cot AND I give him milk. He will take a full bottle (250 ml) and sleep until 7am.

I've tried settling him for 30 mins to no avail before we give up and give him the bottle. We need advice if we should stop giving him the bottle and continue to try to settle him or let him CIO. However as he takes a full bottle is this a growth spurt? This is he's routine.

E 7am - milk 150 - 200ml
E 8am - brekkie 0.5 cup cereal with fruits
S 9.45 am - nap 1.5 - 2 hours
E 11am - milk as above
E 12.30pm - Lunch 0.5 cup vegies with cereal
S 2.30 - nap 1 hour
E 3.30pm - milk 100 ml
E 5pm - dinner 0.5 cup meat and vegies
E 6/6.30 - milk 100 - 200 ml
S 6.30 - 7pm bedtime

I need to know if we should stop these night feedings or maybe start a dream feed or something else.

[Skadiver13]

Hi hun, question are you saying he's up from 2-4 (2hrs) or is waking anywhere between 2-4. If it's the latter that is quite common. If he's drinking a full bottle then it means he's hungry and I would just feed him.

I've tried settling him for 30 mins to no avail before we give up and give him the bottle. We need advice if we should stop giving him the bottle and continue to try to settle him or let him CIO. However as he takes a full bottle is this a growth spurt? This is he's routine.

It could very well be a GS. Was he not eating at night before this? At 7.5m i wouldn't' bother starting a DF as most mums are weaning the DF now. Waking at night one time for a bottle and sleeping 12hrs is actually quite normal.

[ordinarymum]

Thanks for your reply.

He's waking up anytime from 2 - 4 am. Before this night waking, he had been sleeping through. Started since 15 weeks from 6.30 pm to 6 am.

Ok good to know that DF is not advisable. What should we do if this continues on more than a week as apparently GS only last a few days? We don't want this night feeding to become a norm as he use to sleep through before.

[Skadiver13]

Ill pop back tomorrow with more. But you could try upping his day milk intake.

[ordinarymum]

My mum who is visiting is suggesting putting cereal in his bottle during this GS period? I'm not keen on this as when do we stop, why introduce something that he had no need before and it doesn't seem to be a practice that is encouraged anymore.

[Skadiver13]

I agree with you. This is an old wives tail and as far as I know there is no proof this actually works plus you'll be introducing something he's not used too yet. Will write more tomorrow. Off to bed.