She Doesn't Need a Feed - So WHY Does she Scream at 4.30am Every Day?

[MummaLove]

I'm finding this very strange indeed!

My DD2 is 9 weeeks old and is doing wonderfully having her last bottle around 6pm, bed at 7pm then only 1 feed at night around 1am. She then sleeps until about 4.30am but wakes crying which quickly escalates to screaming if not picked up and settled promptly.

Thing is, if I resettle and put her down she'll only sleep another 20 mins or so then same again but if I hold her in my arms and offer the dummy she'll happily stay there until a 7am feed. I can tell it's not wind and she doesn't need a bottle - so how can I stop this as like most of you, I just need that bit more sleep!?

[BigRedV]

I rarely did co-sleeping (well I mean in the same bed, DD was in our room in a bassinette) but I have done it on a handful of occasions when she just woke up inconsolable.

Maybe just put bubs with you in bed, that way you can still get some sleep.

[bonbon]

Well I personally thought that a 9 week old would feed more than that. A bottle at 6pm then 1am. That is a 7 hour gap which is a long time for a 9 week old. So when she wakes at 4.30 she might be hungry. You said she doesnt need a feed, have you offered her one too see if she takes it or not?
I know when my girl was that old, she was still feeding every 3ish hours.

[c38]

Well I personally thought that a 9 week old would feed more than that. A bottle at 6pm then 1am. That is a 7 hour gap which is a long time for a 9 week old. So when she wakes at 4.30 she might be hungry. You said she doesnt need a feed, have you offered her one too see if she takes it or not?
I know when my girl was that old, she was still feeding every 3ish hours.
:iagree:

[biscotti]

A feed at 6pm, then 1am and then 7am ? That's a long time. I think a 4.30 wake and feed sounds about right to me for a 9 weeker:yes:. Their tummies are so tiny. I read in your post that you offer a dummy at 4.30am, do you offer a feed first?

[Sheer Bliss]

Well I personally thought that a 9 week old would feed more than that. A bottle at 6pm then 1am. That is a 7 hour gap which is a long time for a 9 week old. So when she wakes at 4.30 she might be hungry. You said she doesnt need a feed, have you offered her one too see if she takes it or not?
I know when my girl was that old, she was still feeding every 3ish hours.

:iagree:

Sometimes as they hit growth spurts they can pick up a night feed that they dropped too, and it's different for all babies. My bubs are 14weeks, and DS feeds 3hrly, day and night. Whereas DD will go 2-4hrs during the day, cluster feeding from 6-8pm, then sleep through until 4am.

[MsMummy]

To be honest, the only thing that seems unusual is that the baby sleeps so many hours in a row.:D

My baby still feeds every 3 hours, even at 11 months. And won't go to bed before 9pm.:rolleyes::laughing:

It sounds like you have a solution in your post anyway - just throw her in bed with you at 4.30am, and then you can both sleep in til 7am. Maybe get some really heavy blinds as well, as I find they wake up with the light which is a problem coming into summer.

[Harriet]

Sounds like you've got a great little sleeper there:) I would say she wants a feed at that age, or perhaps just to suck and that's why the dummy works.

My DD (8 months) feeds every 1-3 hours during the night. I am rapt with a 4 hour stretch:D

[jembelina]

My DD (8 months) feeds every 1-3 hours during the night. I am rapt with a 4 hour stretch:D
So glad I'm not the only one!!!


Anyway, PP, I agree with everyone else! I'd be offering a feed, if she doesn't wan tit, I'd then be popping th edummy in and having sleepy cuddles in bed till her next feed.
IMO, at that age(or any age really!) just do whatever works. She might just be waking for a cuddle. The temp tends to drop at that time of the morning too, so maybe she feels that.

[ElizaDoLittle]

Well I personally thought that a 9 week old would feed more than that. A bottle at 6pm then 1am. That is a 7 hour gap which is a long time for a 9 week old. So when she wakes at 4.30 she might be hungry. You said she doesnt need a feed, have you offered her one too see if she takes it or not?
I know when my girl was that old, she was still feeding every 3ish hours.


A feed at 6pm, then 1am and then 7am ? That's a long time. I think a 4.30 wake and feed sounds about right to me for a 9 weeker:yes:. Their tummies are so tiny.
:iagree:

[MummaLove]

Thanks girls, it seems very obvious doesn't it but she doesn't feed???? She won't take it and it's the 1st thing I try. If she does it's only

I did read somewhere that the temp drops around that time so have tried another blankey which worked 1 night then never again.

It's only because she wakes crying, but isn't cold, no poopey nappy, doesn't seem to have wind and won't feed.

So I pick her up and try to settle without the dummy first and if I can settle her, I pop her either back in her bassinette or in with me but guaranteed she's awake within 20 mins or so but still not wanting to feed???! So it's constant rocking and the dummy til around 6.30-7am that she tells me dummy and cuddles aren't enough. During that whole time she'll spit the dummy several times and I'll also have to get out of bed several times to rock and settle her.

It just seems strange to me that she doesn't want to feed either, but perhaps that's just her "arsenic hour" as opposed to the usual afternoons for most babies???!

Thanks anyway for making me focus on the fact that I'm pretty lucky as she does seem to have settled into one L O N G stretch during the night and for that I'm very grateful!

[Areca]

This is very left of field but was she born at the time?
I have heard of babies crying around the same time they were born, needing extra comfort but nothing more. Just wondering if there's a chance it's that?

[MummaLove]

Hmmm, I'd never thought of that! No she wasn't born at that time but that's pretty much EXACTLY when my labour started!!

I woke at that time of the morning and thought - it's all starting to happen. It's going to be today, she wasn't born until 11.30am that day.