4month Old Sleeping

[hayles86]

Hi, I have a 4month old that im trying to get to sleep a bit better at night. I have been using the CC method for about a month now and shes ok with it. During the day shes great. She's asleep withn minutes and no crying. Where as night she feeds to sleeping but the wakes at 10ish for a dreamfeed (which i put in place as i heard that might help her sleep better at night). Then she wakes around 1:30am ish but she takes ages to go back to sleep. Then she will wake every hour or two after that. I have just out her on a 4 hourly feed to get thinking that might help. Shes also on solids, which has helped a little. During the day she will only sleep for around 45mins-1hour. So any suggestions to get her to sleep better would be great. :thumbsup:

[misskittyfantastico]

I think it sounds like your Millie (great name btw) is doing great - it's all very normal for them to wake at different times and want different things.

Unfortunately most bubs wake at night - part of the deal so to speak. She will continually change and need different things and have different patterns.

It'a all normal - if I had any tips I'd give them to you but my 14 month old still wakes through the night!

[Nan]

Hi! :wave:
It sounds as though you're doing the right things. Whenever my DD woke in the night unexpectedly (after sleeping through) we took it as a sign that she needed more food during the day. If we had moved her up to four hourly day feeds and she woke, we went back to 3.5 hours etc etc until she slept through, which she did.
Good luck!

[hayles86]

DD wont sleep through but. Her current routine of the night time is 5 pm dinner, 5:30pm Feed and 6pm bed time. 9:30pm - 10pm dreamfeed. Then 2:30am feed. Then up at 5:30am for an hour. I would like to know of some ways i can get her to sleep all the way through?. Or at least skip the 2:30am feed. She eats so much and it doesnt seem like she has a belly ache but she is always hungery. She's 4 months old and ate a 1/2 a jar of fruit gel today for lunch and she could have went more but wasnt to sure about it giving her a belly ache if she ate to much. Any advice would be so greatful.

[melbryan]

I have a four month old and what really helps for us, is a big feed at 7pm or later as well as a bottle and he may have another bottle before bed around 10pm. He is a sound sleeper and may wake at 3am but sometimes goes back to sleep when he hasn't eaten much he usually wants a bottle through the night. Last two nights he's woken but I need to get more solids into him. He doesn't cry to sleep as he is really full and if he is uncomfy I give him a big burp and then he is fine.

[hayles86]

I have a four month old and what really helps for us, is a big feed at 7pm or later as well as a bottle and he may have another bottle before bed around 10pm. He is a sound sleeper and may wake at 3am but sometimes goes back to sleep when he hasn't eaten much he usually wants a bottle through the night. Last two nights he's woken but I need to get more solids into him. He doesn't cry to sleep as he is really full and if he is uncomfy I give him a big burp and then he is fine.

So he still wakes 2 times a night?. I would love for DD to sleep through. But i think i want her to do it because everyone elses babies sleep all the way through already. But i wonder if it has something to do with how big they are?. The babies i know that are sleeping all the way through are smaller than DD. DD is huge so i was wondering if she needs to feed more often. But how much food do you give him at dinner?. DD gets 2 ice-cubes of vegies then custard. So maybe i need to up the vegies at night?.

[cosmic]

Haylee, what your baby is doing is completely normal! Unfortunately you can try as much as you like to fill her up with food but she will probably still need to wake during the night.. it's just what babies do!! I know all babies are different but my baby (now 7mths) has never slept through. She still wakes at 12.30am and 4am for a feed, and that is a LOT better than what she was doing before. :eek: Between 4-6mths she woke every hour or so for a feed during the night, and I know of loads of other bubs who did exactly the same.

Please don't be tempted to compare your baby to others. Your little girl is doing what she needs and in her time she will grow out of it. :yes:

And in case you didn't know, babies feed regularly for a reason - it's their survival. Babies sleeping too deeply too soon is associated with SIDS. So don't stress. She's doing fine.

[cosmic]

And just another thing out of interest - my little girl started waking a lot at 3.5mths and I thought it was because she was hungry.. it turns out she was. She wasn't putting on any weight. But I started giving her extra feeds of EBM and her weight skyrocketed but she still woke all night. She started comp feeds of formula at 4.5mths and solids at 5.5mths and still she kept on waking, so basically - extra food made NO difference. At 6mths, she turned a corner all on her own and started sleeping better.

[hayles86]

Cool thanks.

[melbryan]

Ds2 was a big baby born 10lbs. He woke at night and then I asked the CHN. I wanted to start him on solids and she said follow your instinct. He wasn't sleeping and waking constantly through the night. I started feeds and am upping it every so often as he has growth spurts. Ds1 was the same but realise your baby may be different and have different needs. But this is what worked for me.
Ds2 has a jar of pumpkin at night 1 hr after a bottle and he soon settles and I put him to sleep> I find when he is doing no.2 he is a little unsettled so i give some water.

Try a few different things and see what works.

Hope it helps.

[Mummy'N'Bubby]

I too know how you feel. however i have finally gotten my little one to sleep through the night.
I find that i give him during the day a nap at around 9:30am in which he only sleeps 30-45 mins, then his second nap at around 2:30-3pm in which he sleeps anywhere up to an hour. I always make sure he is up by no later then 4:30pm. I give him dinner by 5:30pm and bath at 6pm. He has his final bottle at around 8-8:30pm and now sleeps through until 6am . He used to wake up around the 4:30am mark but all i gave him was water. After doing this for around 2 weeks (the water) he gave up waking for that early morning feed.
I do on occasions if he does wake up around the 10pm ish mark give him a top up of formula...
Each baby is different...It takes alot of perserverence to train baby to sleep through and this routine i have my boy in works really well
I hope things get better for you soon:hugs:

[KapowSchazam]

Have you thought of introducing meat (maybe chicken) into Bub's diet for dinner? How long have you been feeding solids?

[hayles86]

Have you thought of introducing meat (maybe chicken) into Bub's diet for dinner? How long have you been feeding solids?

I wasnt sure how old they had to be to introduce meat into there diet. I have been feeding solids as our doc and i spoke about it and put her on 3 meals a day. I have done this for about 2 weeks. I have only introcued solids slowly though. She gets a new food ever 4 days. When should i introduce meat into her diet?.
Thanks heaps for the advice everyone:thumbsup:

[cosmic]

Haylee, I'm pretty sure you don't want to be giving meat until she is much older. Their tummy doesn't have the enzymes to digest food properly which is why the recommendation is to wait until 6mths. I know a lot of people start early but really, I'd be keeping it pretty simple.. just fruit and veges.

Your baby is so little. Don't expect too much of her. She'll get there.

[KapowSchazam]

I've just started Bianca on meat, at GP's advice, but after being on solids for 4 weeks. I only give her chicked ATM, I think lamb/beef would be too much, but they do make it in jars for 4-6 month olds. Maybe just check with GP or ring 13HEALTH - they are really helpful.

[hayles86]

Thanks Naybob. I have to go and see my doc next week so i'll ask her, as she was the one that said to start her on solids. Im a first time mum with no support from family as they all live ages away from me. So the support is great. Thanks Heaps :)