New to EASY 6 week old - night time waking question

[Laurenrobbo]

Hey all

Im New to this forum and fairly new to EASY. I have a six week old baby boy and we started EASY about a week ago but I have a question about night time wakings

Let me start with telling you about him, he is on formula and takes around 4/5oz per feed. He feeds around every 3 hours just depending on nap times during the day. He has a cluster feed before going down to sleep at 1930/2000, and dream feed around 2230.

He had been waking previously at 0230 most nights but I was re reading my BW book and read if baby wakes the same time it's habit rather than hunger so the last two nights when he has woke at 0230 i've offered his dummy and within probably half an hour (if that) he has settled back to sleep! Now this is my problem between 0400 and 0600 he keeps waking (never crying properly just making little attempts to cry and fussing) so I keep giving him his dummy but of course every time he drops it he starts again so I'm getting very little sleep during this time.

So I'm not sure what to do?? Is waking out of habit or is hungry? I would of thought if it was hunger he would eventually cry/scream for food? Do I give him a little feed at 4?

At the minutes in the morning at 6am I usually give him a 3oz feed as I need him to sleep a little longer to get ready before the hubby goes to bed (he works nights) and sort the dog? So ideally I need to get him sleeping till 7am so I can do this! So would giving a 4am feed do this? would feeding at 4am make it difficult to get him to sleep through from dream feed to 7am?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated! and please let me know if you need any more info!!

Lauren

[KookyK]

What is his daytime routine? Could he be OT? My dS just always is restless at that time - I'm still newish to EASY and BW - often wind or trying to poo. My DD was the same but grew out of that altho was always an early riser.

[Laurenrobbo]

Generally our days go like this

E - 0600 smaller feed 3oz
S
E - 0800
A - kicking / nappy change / get dressed
S - 0900/0930

E - 1030/1100
A - nappy change / kicking / singing etc
S - 1230 ish

E - 1430/1500
A - nappy change / his dad wakes up so plays with him / in bouncy chair
S - try for catnap (doesn't always nap)

E - 1700 first cluster feed
A - usually left in bouncy chair kicking and watching
S - cat nap in chair or mosses basket
A - bath approx 1830/1845 depending on cat nap
E - 1900 second cluster feed
S - 1930/2000
E - dream feed 2330

Them obviously we have the wakings as already described 0230 now settling with dummy, and then on and off between 0400 and 0600

L x

[KookyK]

The catnaps late afternoon - does he do both or is the 2nd one when the first doesn't happen? I guess catnaps only between 3 to 8pm maybe he's OT? I'm new to this so someone more experienced might come along with a better idea. Perhaps an earlier bedtime? I'm told awake time shortens if baby ha a catnap so from the last catnap to bed might be too long?

[Laurenrobbo]

It varies on the catnaps, he can do both or just the one between half five and half six! Could he be over tired at 0600 when he's slept well from 1930? I know he has his dream feed and is waking at 0230 but I would of thought that is enough solid sleep to not be over tired and waking at 0600!! These babies are strange creatures! I might just try feeding him at 0400 a few nights and see what happens I don't mind doing this but I'm just worried this could be hard to drop! But maybe this feed will just get later as he gets older and we can turn it into a 0700 feed! I guess until we try things we don't know

Thanks for your reply!

L x

[Ima shel Alon]

Hi there!

At his age one should expect around 3NF (if not 4). If you are doing a DF (which should be between 22 and 23) then feeding him two more times is perfectly normal and what he needs right now.
My DS was FF as well and was only weaned from NF at 5.5m.
I don't think you need to be worried right now about weaning this feed. When the time will be right for it you can do it gradually by reducing an oz from the NF bottles every 3 nights.
But like I said, this is later on. Right now I would say he wakes up simply because he is hungry.

Re OT, I agree with pp, he might OT, because at his age you are looking at around 1h-1:15h A time, so if he is doing more than that he is probably OT. And after short naps he might need a bit less than normal A times (Average A times- BOOKMARK ME! ).

HTH

[Laurenrobbo]

Thanks for your reply! If he was waking at night due to hunger would he not kick up more of a fuss than what he is? The last two nights he's woke but not crying or screaming for food and has settled with dummy, last night the waking was less between 0400 and 0600 !! It's confusing as I try to be led by my LO, but obviously reading all different things! In any of my baby whisperer books it doesn't mention anything to do with night feedings!! Infact the example routine in my book for a 4 week old says dream feed and cross your fingers till morning which suggests no feed if baby doesn't want it! Gosh these little creatures are sure sent to try us!!

I'm still confused as to why his waking between 0400/0600 could be related to OT? How would you change the routine to see if it helps stop this waking??

Thanks again
L x

[Ima shel Alon]

Yes, of course you don't feed at night is baby doesn't ask for it, and if he settles back with a dummy then great. But if he doesn't, then I'd put my money on hunger.

One can't know if the 4/6NW is related to him being OT. It could be hunger, it could be change of temp. in the early morning, light coming in, noises in the house, it can even be UT... I know, confusing. But even if the NW is not because of OT it would still be good to keep him awake for an age appropriate time because your afternoons will be easier (hopefully) as it looks like his afternoon and evening are very long right now.
The way you would change a routine when LO is tired due to too much A time is shorten the A times.

[Laurenrobbo]

Thank you for replying! He does seem to fight his sleep in the afternoon and I struggle to get more than a cat nap out of him! I'm going to try moving everything forward half an hour to see if I can get a better afternoon sleep out if him!!

Thanks again
L x

Ps today has been a write off he didn't sleep or nap all morning and had to resort to a two hour walk today so he would get some sleep! These little creatures are certainly sent to try us xx

[debo620]

Hi there, you might just have an angel type baby. At that age, my daughter was the same. She would wake and fuss but not really cry for food....
I've read that with night feeds if they keep waking after having the soother, they are probably hungry. Personally, I would choose to feed at the 4 am wake and then maybe he'll sleep more solid until morning....

[Laurenrobbo]

Thanks debo620

That's what I decided to start doing this morning in the hopes it see him through till 7am once I've sorted myself and the dog!! It didn't quite work this morning though (won't bore you with the details!) and we've had a nightmare day with hardly any naps so we start again tomorrow!!!

L x