7 months and still waking hungry during the night ...

[biddymc2]

Our DD slept through the night from 9-14 weeks. Since that time we have had a lot of family upheaval, DH accepted a job in Singapore and it was when he went there for initial 2 months that DD stopped sleeping through. Since then we've relocated from London to Singapore and taken a trip to NZ to meet extended family. We have (what we think is) a good bedtime routine, the same one we've had since about 2 months: playtime in the bathroom, bath, feed and story (if still awake). We have stuck to this routine wherever we have been and whatever we have been doing. DD is falling asleep on her own in the cot or on our shoulders as we wind her but not during the feed. She has two naps a day and puts herself to sleep well for those.

Our problem is she is still waking regularly at 3-4 hour intervals for feeding through the night. Waking during the night used to be down to wind, so we started using Infacol ? which helped a little and then it dawned on us (duh!) that we needed to change the nipple on the bottle (she was having formula for her last feed of the night only) and since doing that she is not struggling with wind during the night anymore, but still waking every 3-4 hours. Once fed she is happy to settle herself back to sleep in her cot (which is in our room). I have tried to see if its just habitual waking, but experimented the other night with just giving her a little bit (breastfeeding) and popping her back down to sleep. It seemed to work, until she woke up 90 minutes later (instead of the usual 3-4 hours) for the rest ... implying it really is hunger vs habit.

She has learnt to settle herself and we have seen her work to do this before, but not through hunger. We started her on solids 10 days ago (going really well) and I thought that might push her through the night, but the 3-4 hour waking hasn't changed.

Any ideas / help / support that this might be normal in some universe or in some alternate reality?

[moopymoo]

my 2.4 ds still wakes every 3-4 hours, as did ds1 until he was dry at night, about aged3. you can read all advice , some might work, but, unfashionable as it may be, imo some kids just do this and want company, changing, milk, its all very normal though often not talked about. i think some mums feel shame that they are bad mums if the children dont sleep through, so dont talk about it. sorry, minor rant there.. ita hard and i am totally sympathetic (and sleepy)

[biddymc2]

Moopymoo, normal is a word I embrace, especially as so many have told us that our dd's waking is not normal - and unfashionable I can handle.

Thank you for your thoughts. You've given me some perspective and something we have been quite worried about.

[Ivor]

My DS is now 5 1/2 months and has only really started sleeping though, although the last two nights have been a complete mare
We started him on solids at 4 months (Doctors advice) and his sleeping did'nt improve until we built him up to 2 feeds of baby cerial a day.
Hope things get better for you, not having more than 3 - 4 hours sleep at one time is very tiring.

[amijee]

I think it depends how you feel about the wakings. "Normal" is when you feel ok about something, if you don't then it's not normal for you.

My nearly 7 mth old would feed thru the night if I let him...I have restricted him to two feeds a night to try and break the habit. This has made him MUCH harder to settle but I think may be important to go thru in the long run.

For me, his sleep pattern has me nearly at breaking point so definitely not acceptable..I am considering using the services of a sleep clinic privately as I'm desperate.

[WriggleJiggle]

Starting on solids really upset dd's sleep patterns. She was filling up on low calorie vegetables rather than big fat sleep through the night milk.

She also stopped sleeping through just before christmas when the ILS child minded and it upset her (non existant) routine .

Only now 2 months later do I think theres a chance of starting to sleep through again.
Sorry, I haven't given any help, but if you want reasurance that its normal ... Unfortunately it is!

[katewilson13]

My DS is now 7 months old and has been a waker upper during the night. I found two things really worked: (1) him being in his own room (which only works of course if you have a room to put them in) - I discovered that we were waking him up/disturbing him/misunderstanding that he was waking up when he was really only 'turning over' in his sleep; and (2) using a dummy (never thought I'd say it, but they have been a godsend to us. Just pop it in and he goes back to sleep, and then it falls out shortly after. I did find that he was waking up as it became clear that we should start weaning but have started on solids and it still seems to be OK.

[MiaMamma]

My DD has been waking up in the night 2-3 times since she was 4months, now she's nearly 10months and has been sleeping 11-12hours in the night for last 5 days! I'm VERY happy about it!!!
Anyway, I read soooo much about it and there's LOADS of different advise what to do but I just didn't want to do anything about it. She was hungry and I fed her. Simple. She just 'decided' on her own when to start sleeping through

[sunshinebear]

My DS is 7 months old and is currently waking up once or twice in the night for a bottle. He has only ever had the odd night of sleeping til 6am ish. It is so tiring but you are not alone! I am currently torn on what to do, he settles fine after his bottle so I have always just assumed he must have been hungry - he grabs it with both hands and glugs it down, but this week various people have suggested he is probably getting enough food during the day and it is a comfort thing to have a bottle during the night and to try offering him just water or to do controlled crying. I am unsure at the moment what to do.

[Jomaja]

Hi, my ds is "only" 23 weeks but he also wakes still at night. On a good night three times and he wolfs his milk down (he's bf).
Sometimes he just has a quick drink though.

In the evening when he is in bed but we are still up and ds wakes, dh goes up and settles him. This works unless ds is hungry when he will start to get really annoyed and only a feed will settle him.

Maybe your partner could try and settle instead of you if you think your ds isn't hungry?

I am trying at the moment not to listen to all the well- meaning (?) advice given by various people as I have decided they do not know my ds as well as I do and just because he should get all his food during the day doesn't mean that he really does.

And I wake up often enough in the middle of the night either thirsty or hungry and would get food if I weren't too lazy but will have a drink as I have a bottle of water next to me. Why shouldn't my ds?

[sunshinebear]

Hi jomaja well over the wkend things changed slightly as unfortuantely DS was poorly however this meant he slept 6.30pm - 5.30am on fri night (I didnt, as I was worried about his high temperature!) He is now on the mend and back to waking a couple of times. I agree with what you say re having a drink by your bed as I do too. Am just gonna stick with it for now, as also agree with what you say about you knowing how much they get during the day. I think he is just a 'grazer' and needs a top up in the night still.

[claireybee]

My 9mo dd still wakes at least once and often twice at night for a feed. Like yours she will only settle after being fed which does suggest it is hunger (and i've tried cutting it down as you have and it just makes her wake earlier). I know she is hungry so don't want to stop feeding her when she wakes but am bloody tired! Am hoping she'll soon start eating more during day and stop needing as much at night but don't want to force it or make her go hungry! Ps Thank you MiaMamma-it's good to have someone who doesnt say "let them cry it out" or "you are making a rod for your own back by feeding her when she wakes"