Night wakings in 4 month old - when to feed?

[debetha]

dd is 4 days short of 4 months, and has been waking most nights 3 or 4 times. We have just restarted EASY "properly" and are aiming for a 4hourly routine, although sometimes it is more like 3.5 hours.  Her A time is between 1.5-2 hours. She usually wakes after 45 mins of napping, and we are doin PU/PD to extend the naps, with success after about 20 mins. Her routine:

Woken 7am (having been awake 5.30-6.15 trying to settle) and fed
A
S between 8.30- 9am, wakes after 45 mins, may be able to resettle for another 45 mins (yesterday a well meaning aunt got her up when she cried - doh!
E 10.30am
A
S 12pm, woke at 45 mins, took 20 mins PU/PD to resettle, the slept another hour

E 2.30pm
A
S Catnap 4-4.30pm
Bath 6pm, fed 6.15pm, asleep 6.30, woke briefly 7pm, settled with dummy
DF 10.30pm

Woke 2.15am, fed (reasonably well but not massive), back to sleep after feed 2.30am (no dummy)
Woke 3.45, settled by DH Pu/PD in 15 mins
Woke 5.15am, PU/PD to resttle at 6.15am
Woken 7.10am for day, and fed (but didn't seem to take a huge feed to me)
Back down 8.20am, woke 9.05, resettled in 20 mins

We have just started PU/PD, but need to get rid of the dummy - set for Friday as starting work on Wed/ Thurs. so not ideal I know.
My question relates to the night wakings and when I should feed? previously she was waking around 3.30am, and I would feed her. Other times she has gone to nearly 5am without waking. I think I should only be feeding the one time. I don't want her to wake more often overnight for feeds than during the day! But maybe 2.30 is too early to feed her, and I should try resettling here, and feed at the next waking? she has also woken around 2.30 am for the last few nights so is this a habit? I figured with the shortened naps and increased night wakings that she needed to move on from the 3 hourly feeds. BTW when she wakes overnight, before she would settle with the dummy but now she doesn't seem to want the dummy until she is just about ready to fall asleep.

Thanks! deb

[debetha]

Sorry, should add that might try dropping the DF, so I can go to bed early, to see what happens - I would still end up feeding twice from the 6.30-7pm bedtime, but might get more sleep!! plus maybe the DF is actually not really working for her? 

[Colin Macs Mom]

The DF doesn't always work - it didn't for us. It can mess with LO's biorhythms and sleep cycles and ultimately make things worse. If you suspect that's what is happening, it's ok!

You're right that at her age you don't want to be feeding more than once a night, but if she's having a growth spurt that might be different. Do you think that's possible? Sometimes a LO will need an extra feed at night for a short while then.

[debetha]

thanks! no growth spurt as have extended day feeds from 3ish hours to 3.5-4hours, and she has plenty of milk (offer 2nd side but usually only wants one). plus fed 3.30am this am and wasn't too interested at 7am!. droppind df, so at least can ge to bed early. woke 10pm 1st night and 11.30pm last night, then approx 3-4hrs later. tomorrow is D day - dummy wean!!

[Colin Macs Mom]

 

[happyhelen]

hi! I initially had problems using the dream feed... there seem to be 2 types -

one where you dont rouse baby at all, 
two you wake them up to feed them change nappy half way and finish feed then put back to bed...

I tried "one" for ages and it made no difference to babys night waking pattern, she still awoke at 2 and 4 as if she hadnt dream fed at all.  then i tried "two" out of frustration when she reached 13wks and she slept striaght through to 4, i then managed to drop the 4 am feed pretty quickly... which ever option you are using give the other one a go ! 

good luck Hx

[jess, lukeys_mom]

Hi Deb,

Funny, I just logged on here to post about pretty much the exact same situation as you're having with my 4 mo (born jan 19th, very close to you i think?)... Our routine is very similar, also with tons of night wakings that have only started in the past couple of weeks. Before that we had a few nights where he slept until 5 or 5.30 before waking.  For months now I've spent my whole day on naps (when I'm not working that is), and now my whole night is devoted to resettling and wondering when to feed!!!  For the moment I don't have any words of wisdom as we're right smack in the middle of trying to figure this out, but please keep us posted on the paci weaning and if anything has helped for you since you posted! x jess

[debetha]

paci went cold turkey last thursday, and that smae night we were down to 2 brief waking to feed... improved each night from there, but the last 2 nights we have gone back to multiple wakings. not sure if this is regression, as we didn't ever have to do anything at night once the paci was gone, or maybe she's a bit under the weather as ds has had a cold & we are all a bit viral (she isn't showing any symptoms)... we will see how we go - but let me know if you find anyting that works for you. I'm going with the flow, but trying not to feed more than 3 hourly overnight as I don't want to become her dummy!
deb

[Colin Macs Mom]

Some regression is normal - so stick with the plan and things will turn around for good 

[jess, lukeys_mom]

I hear you - it's not only not fun to be a human pacifier but also means you're the only one who can get the job done!  I just went to a lactation consultant who suggested I give bottles of expressed breast milk for a day with each one containing 150 ml. This way with daytime feedings plus df I can be sure he's gotten the right amount of calories during the day and can hold out for at least 6 hours after the d.f. before feeding him again. Then from there on she said at each breast feeding to firmly massage the ducts on the breast a few minutes into the feed to make sure he's getting milk from it. Doing this will make him take his mouth off if he only wants to suck and doesn't want milk. We did this and didn't feed him last night and although it took longer to settle him he eventually slept through till 7. (I use 'slept through' loosely - there were several awakenings in there, just no feedings!!)

Wow...cold turkey on paci, eh? I am very scared to do that but... At the same time I know we've got a sleep time paci addict on our hands, he often wakes up when the paci drops from his mouth and can't re-settle . It's definitely responsible for a few of our wakings. How'd you do it?!
Hope tonight goes ok for you and you get some sleep!!! xjess

[mossy1981]

This is so bizarre! This has just started happening with dd - she has just turned 4 months and previously was going through the night! the past week or so she has been waking at 2, then 3.30 then half 4 then 5! its been killing me! When I've gone to her she is sometimes crying out but her eyes are tight shut and other times she's staring back at mum wanting to play! At first I thought it may be hunger, then perhaps a growth spurt? Please can you advise me on what to do for the best? She has good naps during the day 1-1.5 hrs in the morning and the same in the afternoon, then a snooze of 4 minutes late afternoon, is this too much? please help... I miss sleep! x