3 month old still waking every 3 hours to eat.

[EricaM31]

so for a while at 2 months, my lo would do a 6 or 7 hour stretch at night but for the last month it is back to every 3-4 hours.  Is this normal?  when he wakes he takes a full feed.  I know a growth spurt can not last this long, can it>??  How could he go from 6-7 hours to 3-4?  Has anyone had this problem?  He goes down at 7pm at night and wakes at 7am in the morning for the day and wakes at 11pm, 2 or 2:30am, and 5am and takes a full feed each time but at 7am won;t take a full feed as he ate at 5am.  Is this normal?  Help?!!???  I am exhausted as I have a 23 month old at home as well and am hoping the night wakings will go down to only one time soon........

[EricaM31]

Yes our routine is pretty standard to babywhisperer.

7AM - Eat (not that hungry)
8:15AM - Nap
10:00AM - E
11:15AM - Nap
1PM - E
2:30PM - Nap
4:30PM - E
I usuallly can not get him to do a catnap but try.
7:00PM - E
7:00PM - bed
I stopped cluster feeding a few weeks ago and do not do a DF.
I do try to put him down awake, sometimes it works, sometimes I have to BF to sleep.  We use the swing during the day for naps as I don't have time for shh pat.  with my first I did shh pat for all naps and sleep until she started falling asleep on her own around 4 or 5 months.  I plan on starting pick up put down around 4 months to get him to independent sleep.  I would do shh pat now but I don;t have time with a toddler.

[brooksieboy]

EricaM31 - it is so encouraging to hear someone else is going through the same situation.  I have a 23 month old with a 3 month old as well.  Just like you my 3 mo used to sleep 6-7 hours but about 2 weeks ago started to wake at 2 or 2:30 and then recently I started to give him the paci at that time and he would go back down.  Then about 1 1/2 hours later he would wake again (close to 4am) and want to eat.  Our schedules seem similar as well (7am wake and bed by 7pm).  Mine takes some naps in car seat and swings as well.  Anyway I would love to hear how you are doing.

[EricaM31]

Well the last 2 nights I put him down at 7pm he fall asleep on his own and woke at 10pm, fed him and then slept through till 7am!!!!  He also found his thumb and seems to suck it before bed and naps so he must be doing it at night too.  But it's weird when he wakes at7am he is not that hungry.  He used to take both breasts in one feeding but now only takes one and even then he is not that interested?  Should I be concerned?  You'd think he'd be hungry after 7-8 hours of sleep?  He has done this 2 nights in a row but last night I did a df at 11pm he did not wake for a feed but he slept till 6:30am and was not that hungry.  He has had bowel movements and lots of wet diapers so I know I shouldn't be too concerned, maybe we just finished a major growth spurt?!??  Anyone ever have this happen???  I worry he's not eating enough.

[EricaM31]

Maybe I need to move to a 3.5 hour easy?  or a 4 hour easy?  I know they don't go to a 4 hour till 4months.  has anyone ever moved their LO to a 4 hour easy early?  my LO will be 13 weeks on Monday.  he was 8lb 4oz at birth and born at 39 weeks via scheduled C Section.

[brooksieboy]

EricaM31 -Glad to hear things have gotten better. Hope it continues! I am hoping things get better for me too.

[*Ali*]

I know you said he's not that hungry in the mornings but if he can still happily go 3hrs until his 10am feed then I would say he is taking what he needs. They do become more efficient around this age. I remember being concerned when DS1 started only taking 6mins to eat around 4mo when he had previously been taking 20-30mins but he had just got quicker at getting what he needed out. Maybe you just have more milk first thing in the morning and he gets more milk nice and quickly from the one side? And like you say he's having plenty of wet and dirty nappies and feeding well for the rest of the day.
It definitely could have been a growth spurt.
Personally since you have just started having success with him STTN the alst 2 nights I would maybe hold out on changing his eating schedule until his A time is closer to 2hrs and just to see if it continues.
Did his waking at night coincide with you dropping the cluster feeds? If so maybe he just needed time to adjust. I would perhaps consider implementing the DF consistently, ideally before he wakes around 10pm. That will give you more control over weaning it when the time comes.

[EricaM31]

thanks for the suggestions!  Well most nights he goes to sleep independently sucking his thumb.  I have been doing the DF while he's asleep so he is not waking for it and most nights he sleeps through till 7am or 7:30AM!  The other night he woke at 5:30am and I fed and he went back down till 7.  So I guess it was a growth spurt!  I will continue to do the DF around 10:30pm and hope for the best!  I am going to try and get him on a 3.5 hour easy in the next couple of weeks as he is up to 1.5 hour to 1.75 hour of awake time.

Thanks for all your help!!!!