5-month-old wakes twice to feed at night - normal?

[lisen]

I'm so confused.  I have a 5-month-old (this is my first child - hence my cluelessness) who goes to bed around 7:00 at night.  He wakes up for a feed around midnight and then again around 3:30-4:30 for another feed.  I had assumed this was normal but now I've been reading that at this age he doesn't really need to feed twice at night.  So my two part question is, is this a normal night sleeping/feeding pattern for his age? And if not, how can I change it and what should I be trying to change it to?

And now for the background information.  He eats 6 oz at a time at three hour intervals during the day.

I don't have him on a strict napping schedule, just a general routine.  He naps from two to three hours after the end of his previous nap (generally closer to two).  By and large he's a 40 minute napper - I know that's short but he always wakes up happy so I haven't interfered with that.  So usually that's 3 naps a day.

I bottlefeed only.  He used to sleep closer to 7 hours at a stretch during the first part of the night (from 7-2) but he has gradually dialed that back to around 5, I assume because we only give him 6 oz per feed and he's a really big guy for his age (95th percentile).

I should also mention that he's a dream to get back to sleep at night.  We feed him, change his diaper and plop him back in his crib...zzzzz.  So even though we don't sleep through the night getting up for such short periods isn't that bad.

Does this sound okay?  I works for us, but...I don't want to create any bad habits.

[calebs mommy]

A couple of questions...
   You said you only give him 6 oz at each feed.  Are you limiting him to 6 oz or is that all he wants?  If he is draining the 6 oz, then I would add another oz to his bottles and see how he does. 
   Have you tried doing the dreamfeed to see if he will go longer? 
   Have you tried cluster feeding before bed? 
 

[lisen]

We only give him 6 oz at each feed because that's all he wants, not because we're limiting him.  We have tried feeding him right before he goes to bed even if it's not time for him to eat, but it doesn't have any effect on when he wakes up for his first nighttime feed so we gave that up.

Cluster feeding and the dreamfeed - no, we haven't tried that.

[calebs mommy]

Okay, so if he want drink more before bed, then cluster feeding probably won't work.  Maybe you could try the dream feed.  Try around 10:30 or so.  Give it a several nights and see if it makes a difference. 
Another question...When he eats in the night is he taking a full feed? 
Sorry I have so many questions, I am just trying to gather the whole picture.  I think it is great that he goes back to sleep do easily in the night!  Good for you!

[wfabby]

Have you tried putting him on a 4 hour routine?  Does he want to eat at the 3 hour interval?  Like Calebs mommy asked, I wonder if he is taking full feeds at night?

If he moves to a 4 hour routine, he may be willing to take more at each feed and it will also get him to sleep longer intervals at night.

Check out the EASY forum and you can see some samples of routines for babies your lo's age.

[lisen]

Please, you don't have to apologize for asking questions!  I appreciate your advice.

So to answer your questions, when he eats at night he takes a full feed.  (But when we were "topping him off" by feeding him just before bed even when he wasn't due to eat he didn't take a full feed.)   

I'm afraid I can't claim any credit for him going back to sleep so easily at night..it's just his nature.  When he's tired he can't help but sleep no matter how much he may want to resist.   

It may be that he's ready to move up to 7 or 8 oz per feeding and space them out more throughout the day and head up to a four hour routine.  I may try that and I will definitely check out the EASY forum.

Honestly, I'm not desperate to get him to drop the nighttime feeds if that suits him.  But I'm just concerned about whether or not it's a bad idea to keep letting him do it.

[wfabby]

IMO, if he is taking full feeds at night, he is not getting enough in the day.  At his age, he should be able to go through the night without the extra feeds.

It is great he goes back to sleep easy, my lo is a terrible sleeps , but you are probably right about worrying in the future.  He will wake and eat out of habit rather than need.

[calebs mommy]

I think if he is taking a full feed at night, then is really hungry.  I agree with wfabby about switching to a 4 hr routine and trying to get more in him.  I would also try the dream feed.  Good luck to you!

[Freya'sMum]

Sorry to highjack this thread but my 5mo dd sounds exactly like this, and I just can't get her to eat more in the day!

She is on a 3.5-4 hour bf schedule (altho not EASY coz her naps are too short!), she has 4 full feeds in the day (finishing the feed herself and not 'asking' for more) and usually 2 at night (at approx 22:30 and 02:30). She doesn't fall asleep during the night feeds and also goes back off to sleep without worries at night - am not sure what else I can do?!

Have to return to work in 6 weeks, and whilst I can just about cope with night wakings at present, think I'll struggle when I'm also working full time!

Ax