4am waking

[willsmum]

Just wanted others thoughts on whether to put up with this and see if it pans out as she grows.  Our gut feeling is she is genuinely hungry and that when solids are really well established it will disappear as she has the ability to self settle.

DD is 9 months old, small for her age and in a really good 4 hour EASY, naps well  and self soothes well. We have never been able to get her to have a dream feed (unlike DS it just really disturbed her whole nights and general mood and we tried a few separate times) so she goes down well at 7pm, sleeps through but always wakes at 4 or 5am for a feed.  She is now bottle fed and seems desperate (to us) for the feed (she is also a very thirsty baby so that could contribute).  She downs the milk and she goes down awake but sleepy and falls asleep until we wake her at 7am.

Obviously this is not as bad as some people have it and it is 9 hours which classes as sleeping through but we are tired!  Our DS now 3 df at around 10pm and would therefore do the same timings between the last and first feed but in more sociable hours!  Should we be taking steps to get her out of this habit or is it a hunger issue.

Would just like others thoughts really.
Thanks

[ZacsMumme]

If she is downing the milk and seems genuinely hungry she probably is Can you post your EASY including solids?

We had a similar feeding time for a while with DS till about 6 months (but he is a big boy and eats a lot too)

[*Kara*]

Sounds like hunger in that she downs the bottle and goes back to sleep, but at the same time, hunger wakings are generally random.  Have you considered W2S?

[willsmum]

Our routine changes slightly if DS at pre school as the lunch time nap tends to be cut short so sometimes a quick cat nap has to be added in but day usually goes;

4/5am wakes for feed 70z
7am wakes for day- has top up of milk with breakfast - porridge, toast and drink of milk
9/9.30am nap (first activity time has always been a bit shorter.  Def gives me cues for this!)
10.30/11am wakes and has 7oz
12ish solids of puree and /or little sandwichs
1.30/2pm nap (this timing changes as I said with pre school.  She will drop off a bit earlier than I would have liked as in car or pram and it is cut short by pick up.  Always try to make sure she has an hour even if she goes down and wakes up early.  She is angel baby so copes well with this but if out of car or pram will make it to 2 ish and sleep for hour and half/ two hours.).
3pm or 4pm - 7oz feed and small snack - crackers etc
4.30pm teatime of veg and meat puree and custard type pudding.
5pm short cat nap if woke at 2 from nap or if woke at 3pm then just play time.
6.30pm bath etc and wind down to bed at 7pm with 7oz.

The solids issue is a bit frustrating as she had no teeth yet so I cant give her as much as I (or she I think!) would like.  The early wakening for the feed does not alter if she has had the cat nap or not.

We had thought about W2S but think it will probably just lead to her wanting the feed then.  Not sure really?  The wake up is usually 4 or 5am but can be 3am too so is that random?
Thanks

[*Kara*]

I think that she is waking out of real hunger if it varies between 3 am -5am.  Habitual waking is at the same general time each day.

[ZacsMumme]

Agree with Kara. Also around this age they are moving around so much more and burn more energy.

[mmom]

((HUGS))) I would try and stretch out that morning A a bit.  I know she gives you cues, but you go from a 2.5 hour A, to a 4 hour A, to a 3 hour A.  Typically the last A of the day is the longest and sometimes LOs need a longer A at that point, especially after a 2 hour nap. 

[willsmum]

Thanks for the support ladies, think we will continue to ride it out and just our guts!

mmom - Yeah I know you are right and that probably is something I should do and to be honest she would cope I think as she doesn't tend to get OT quickly (unlike DS!).  The problem is that how do people with more than one child manage the first activity time extending when they just need to get the am nap out of the way so they can take the older child out and about.

 At the moment it works ok as we tend to get out for 11am and manage to get home for them both having the later on nap.  Or DS doesnt have his nap that day (trying to wean him off it) and Gracie has hers in the pram.  I can just see him not getting out at all if she goes down at ten or something.  How would you suggest adjusting the timings generally in the day then?  What would a better day look like for her

Thanks xx

[mmom]

You could push that morning A by 10-15 minutes and then offer a shorter nap at that point and aim for a longer 2nd nap with your other LO.   A lot of parents with older LOs try to get the long afternoon nap, if they are both napping.