hungry at 4:30am? don't know what to do!

[Sarah and JT]

Hello folks!  I would love some advice about my wee boy who has just started waking at 4:30 am and seems hungry...

My wee boy is 5 months old.  Over the last two months he has slept through the night - the last four weeks he has slept from about 8pm to 7:30 with his last feed at 6:30pm.  On Saturday night, we moved him through to his own room.  He went to sleep without problems and a couple of times seemed to wake up a bit but settled himself (so he can do it).  At 4:30 am, he woke up and didn't settle himself.  I shhushed and patted for a while and it looked for about 10 minutes that he would go back to sleep.  HOwever, he then started to cry with more force.  I tried pick up and put down and it quickly escalated into full on screaming!  When I picked him up, he started scrabbling to find my breast and trying to latch on through my pyjamas....so I fed him.  He did seem very hungry and went back down awake very easilly.

On Sunday and Monday nights we have repeated this.  I gave him an extra feed during the day yesterday and last night particularly I tried not to feed him, and even gave him some boiled water (which was not appreciated at all!).  I felt though that he was hungry - and as nothing else was working I ended up feeding him - he did seem ravenous.

I'm not sure where to go from here - I'm wondering if he is just having a growth spurt and needs the extra milk...I haven't started weaning him and I'm wondering if maybe I should start....I'm wondering if I should hold out and try to carry on doing pick up - put down until we get to his morning feed time???  Maybe he is adjusting to being in his own room but I don't know how to help with this.  I really don't want this to become a habit after several blissful months of plenty of sleep!

Thanks so much for any help/suggestions,

Sarah and JT

[NYCKelly]

Hi there, sounds like your boy was really hungry.  From 6:30p to 4:30, that's 10 hours...I can see why.  Have you thought of feeding him right before going to bed?  That way his tummy is full.  I've heard stories that it helps..however in my case it never worked for my daughter.  She never really slept through the night maybe a handful of times.   Sometimes growth spurts and teething causes interrupted sleep.

[Jo-FrasersMum]

Hi Sarah

I agree with NYCKelly - it is likely that your DS is hungry because he is going for a really long stretch without a feed.  Some Mum's do a Dreamfeed, which is where they try and feed their LO sometime around 10.30pm, to try and get that long stretch of sleep after that feed, rather than after the earlier evening feed. 

You could decide to try that or you could decide to let your DS take the lead, and feed him when he wakes around 4.30am.

It it possible that your DS is starting to get a bit more mobile during the day and using up those calories a bit faster - meaning there's not quite enough to get him through the night any longer.  You might find when you start solid foods at about 6 months (6 months is the recommended time to introduce solids) that your DS is able to go slightly longer stretches again.

Good luck

[Sarah and JT]

hiya many  thanks for your help. 

last night was great.  i did dream feed at 10:00 - I had stopped doing a dream feed when JT was about 3 months old because he kept waking up and seemed really freaked out - it was when I stopped that he started sleeping right through.  He still woke up at 5am this morning but chatted and blew raspberries to himself!  He did sound like he was going to start to cry a couple of times but he turned it into a raspberry and after 40 mins went back to sleep! 

I have always thought it seems a long time to go without a feed especially as I'm solely breastfeeding- however it has suited him (and me!) so far.  YOu are right - he is moving about loads more the last few days because he has discovered he can move about by slamming his wee feet down and has polished off the 18o degree turn!

I think he was hungry the last few nights but also I also wonder if i rushed in to his room too quickly when he sounded like he was going to cry - I was anxious that he knew that we were still close by even though he was now in his own room.

anyway, thanks again

sarah

[Katet]

My little rule of thumb for my ds has been if he is 5mo & goes more than 5 hours & wakes up I feed, at 6mo 6 hours & now at 8months 8 hours... that said if I know a day feed was poor or like now he has started crawling, I just feed, I don't fight it.
It is very normal for bf babies to need 2 & even sometimes 3 night feeds (ie 7-7) up until 6 months & sometimes longer.

[Dina]

Have you started him on solids yet ?

If not, Then it might be a sign that he needs more food.

If he has started solids, try to increase the amounts . . . that worked for us when mine was 5 mths old.  We increased his breakfast amounts only by 1 tbsp more and a bit more at each meal time and extra milk throughout the day.

Or it could be a growth spurt, which will last 3 or 4 days (I think).

[Katet]

I actually wouldn't start him on solids if he has been going 12 hours without a feed, if you keep the df & he sleeps through the night, then he is right on track. Him going 12+ hours without a feed is not normal, so before you start on the solids keep in mind a night feed either as a df or at 4.30am is Normal & not an indication of needing solids. The longer you go (up to 6months) exclusively bf the better it is for the digestive system.

[Sarah and JT]

I feel a bit worried now that I haven't been feeding him enough!  However, he hasn't wanted feeding during the night for ages and his weight is fine.  (I'm trying to reassure myself!).

I guess I'll keep on the dream feed until I get him on solids and hes eating plenty during the day.  He has only just started showing any interest towards what I am eating so I'm in no hurry at the mo.

Thanks folks.

Sarah

[Katet]

Sarah if he was sleeping well you were feeding him enough... it is just as he has got bigger not feeding for 12 hours isn't enough.

You are doing great. Motherhood has enough worries without worrying extra.

[Sarah and JT]

thanks!