Dream feeding

[buttonbear]

Water is really not good for babies, they don't need it. If waking and feeding then baby clearly needs it not filling on empty calories. I really don't see why we need to force a full nights sleep on a baby who wants food/changing/comfort or whatever else reason they wake for, they don't just wake for attention, they are teeny babies that ave only been in the big world a few short months so far. They've no clue what's going on really except they want food or cuddles.

My LO has slept all night pretty much since birth but has now started waking at 4 am for a feed and its so tiring and a shock for me lol but its her 4 month leap and they have a huge growth spurt top so I'm not bothered.

 

[babyscotcher]

I am not a massive fan of leaving them to cry at this age as they dont understand why but had to give it a go as he is a huge sleep fighter during the day. Can tell he is tired as he rubs his eyes and gets grizzly but if there is anything interesting going on he fights it. Thought putting him in his quiet bedroom might help.

I understand that he may be hungry at night when he wakes but I am not convinced that it isn't now just becoming habit. He obviously wasn't hungry last night but fed for comfort as it then all came back up yet he still went back to sleep. The frustration is that he was going through till 4am until about 10 days ago. He was having a bottle and then going back down till about 9am. Now it he goes about 8-2 and then wakes every 2-3 hours. Just worried that it is going to become habit.

From experience can babies sort themselves out from the 4 month sleep regression or do you have to sleep train them out of the bad habits?

He now has a cold and got jabs tomorrow so expecting the next few nights to be hard. Starting a diet yesterday was a bad plan... all I want to eat is chocolate (Sorry long post.)

 

[buttonbear]

With my son(whos now 6) he just passed through the leaps and went back to normal, he's always been a great sleeper other than the growth spurts etc. Hoping this one is following suit lol

 

[babyscotcher]

He is definately growing and developing a lot the last few weeks, put on lots of weight, learnt to roll and giggle as well as trying his first bit of food. Let's hope he gets through it and goes back to how he was. X

 

[kumber]

I think at 4 months you just need to let babies do their own thing. I think offering an oz or two (no more) in the night would do no harm but when the 4 month sleep regression hit DS1, he went from waking up once to four times in the night, and 30-odd ounces in 24 hours to 50-60!!!

I think you're just gonna have to ride it out, the sleep regressions only get worse and they can't be trained out of them or made to go against them, you can't even make it easier for them which is so frustrating!

 

[babyscotcher]

Thanks kumber.

He now has a horrid cold so was awake half the night bless him. Co slept last night as he just wanted cuddles and comfort. Poor OH slept on the sofa. X

 

[kumber]

Sorry that should have been an oz or two of water! To see if he's hungry or drinking out of habit or just needing it to settle. If he still looks afterwards (usually around 5 or 10 minutes if hungry) then offer milk. That's what that should have read!

If it's this awful cold that's going round, I really feel for you cus it's bloody awful!

 

[Colleen1988]

My lo goes to bed at 7pm and I dream feed at 10pm or 11pm if he didn't sleep til 8pm, he then sleeps til 4am or 5am! When I don't dream feed he wakes at 1am or 2am but is really unsettled xxx