4 months old NW!!!Help!

[Emma08]

Hi Ladies!,

I always read all the threads on this forum, they have been a real help!, thank you.

Today I've decided to write to the forum because my LO , who is 4 months old and 1 week,(born 3 weeks earlier), has been waking in the night for a long time now we are just exhausted!...he is on 3hs EASY routine(changing to 4hs in2 weeks time).

He is  having erratic waking in the night that range from 2am to 6am, almost everyday, last night was at 2am, then 3.30, then 4.20, then 5am, 5.15, 6am and the 6.20 awake to start the day. When he wakes up, I reseltled him with sush and pat method, and many times in 2 minutes he goes back to sleep, but he keeps waking up after that and honestly I don't know why!! he's been like this for a long time, before we used to feed him in the night, but he wasn't taking much (60 ml and somtime less than that) so he wasn't hungry, so now we just do the DF at 10:30 or 11.

He is still sleeping in our bedroom as he wakies up very often.

During the day he naps for 1 hour each tima. I've been trying to extend his nap using PUPD or sush and pat, sometimes it worked  and he slept for 10/15 mins more 

Here is an example of our EASY routine

E 7:00 90ml
A: playmat,
S 8:30-9:30

E:10  120ml
S: 11:30 12.30

E:1pm 130ml
S:2.30pm-3.30pm

E:4pm 140ml
S:5.30 Catnap 45 min

E:7 120
S:7:30

DF: 1030 or 11pm 120


Does anybody have any advice? or can tell where we are going wrong?


Many Thanks

[*Kara*]

Erratic waking during the night is generally hunger driven.  There is a massive growth spurt around the 4 month mark that messes with sleep/eating for a couple of weeks...

I would start by feeding as soon as he wakes during the first NW and see if that has an effect on the other NW's - I suspect he keeps waking because he is still hungry as you are not feeding him... babies will go back to sleep in the middle of the night as biology helps you out a bit, but hunger that is not satisfied will keep waking baby

Other than that, your routine is great!  Moving to the 4 hour EASY is something that baby will signal - he will start to refuse feeds or only take a portion of his usual amount - showing that he wants to go longer between feeds.  There is always the 3.5 hr EASY to try as well

[Emma08]

Hi Kara,

Thanks so much for your advice.

The other reason why we stoped feeding him in the night last week, was because he wasn't eating much during the day(average 80ml 90ml) but since we stoop feeding at night he improved the amount he takes during the day. But I understand what you say about the massive GP at 4 month, I'll feed him again at night and see what happens 

Thansk a lot!!

[*Kara*]

Good luck and let us know what happens!

[~Sara~]

I agree with Kara that the NW and not being able to resettle does sound a lot like hunger.  I would also say that it looks like your LO is ready to start increasing A times.  Those 1h naps seem UT to me.

[*Kara*]

Agree with Sarah, very likely that the one hour naps are UT

[Emma08]

Hi !

Thanks so much for all the comments :-) . Yes it can be that sometimes he is a bit UT, although he goes down as soon I put him to sleep. I'll try to extend his A time following a  3.5 hs routine.

Last night, He woke up at 3am, so I fed him, took 80ml and then after a bit when back to sleep, and then I woke him up at 7am this morning! :-) BUT when I wanted to feed him at 7am he wasn't hungry at all!(this happened before, a few weeks ago when I fed him at 3 or 4 am), tried a few times again and nothing not even an oz. So I tried again at 8am(I wasn't sure if I should try again at this time as in the past he was a snacker and don't want that back) and then He took 110ml but the routine when a bit out of the window. I put him down to sleep at 8.45 and slept for an hour. Then I fed him at 10:30, and took 130ml  .
I still a bit confused of what to do as when I feed him at 3 am 4am he wont have his milk at 7, and then I can't keep him in the routine  , maybe if I don't do the DF He will wake up earlier and I'll be able to feed him well at 7am? Although  I think we have tried that as well, and he woke up also at 5am ish 

[*Kara*]

Start cutting back on what you give him at the NF of 3am... Though, 80 mls shouldn't effect what he will take 4 hours later... Is it hot where you live?  If so, he could just be waking from thirst... you could try an ounce of water.

The other option would be to dilute the formula that you give him... make it half the strength so that he still takes the same couple of ounces, but isn't full when he wakes

[Emma08]

Hi Kara thanks very much for replying.

Yes it's wierd that just 80mls affect the first feed in the morning. I'm in England, and it's not really hot!, although is summer!.
OK, I'll try your suggestions next time and see how it goes.

Last night was good, he had a full feed(150mls) at DF and then He woke up at 3am, but He wasn't really crying so I let him to see if he would go back to sleep and He did!!  till 6.30 this morning .Maybe he is in the habit now of waking at 3am even thouhgt some times he is not hungry   

Thanks very much for the help I hope things settle and that last night wasn't just a one off again 

[~Sara~]

Wow, that's a great night!   Well done!

Let us know how the longer A times affect his naps.  We also had to cut back on a night feed when DS was about this age because it threw off his appetite for the rest of the day.  We reduced the amount we gave him by 1 oz every 2-3 nights.  It worked well for him.

[*Kara*]

I did the same thing as Sara and it worked for us too

[Emma08]

Hi!!,

Thanks, yes that was a good night, last night was good as well, He woke up at 3ish, but this time he wouldn't settle so I thought he may be hungry this time, so I fed him and he had a full feed!(150mls), then he went back to sleep till 7am  . At 7:15 tried to feed him, and he took 75mls. I'll definitely try cutting back the night feed gradually and see if that work also for us ,thanks

His nap time has gone slightly worse lately, but I haven't tried to exteded  his A time yet as after 1 1/2 he seems tired :-(,  we have been doing a very quite A time, so that he is not over stimulated  but he is still sleeping for 1 hour or like today, he slept for just 45min in the afternoon nap, I tried PUPD for 45 min, without luck:-(. I'll try to extend his A time to see how it affects his nap and let you know,
Thanks so mych for all the help