how do i cut out that 4am feed?

Question

i asked the question earlier but i dont think i was very clear. my baby boy is 4 months goes down at 7pm and wake at 4am drinks 2oz but seems like he doesnt really want it. how can i settle him back down without feeding, so i can teah him to sleep right through. thanks!

Answer 1

If your 4 month old son goes down at 7pm and wakes up at 4am he is sleeping through the night. He is sleeping 9 hours straight! That is more than most 4 month olds that I know, including my own who still wakes up 3-4 times a night for a feeding.

Don't let him cry...after nine hours of sleeping he is probably hungry but just wants just enough to satisfy himself so he can go back to sleep. Don't add cereal to the bottle either as it can cause him to choke. He is only eating 2 oz so he doesn't need you to add anything else. If he was really still hungry you can give him more formula.

I'll be honest with you...you are lucky. Your child is sleeping through the night. Anything more than 6 hours is considered sleeping through the night. And if he goes down after that 4am feed you are extremely lucky.

I'd say just keep doing what you are doing and when he gets older he'll probably start streching out his sleep because his tummy will be bigger and able to hold more food.

Answer 2

At 4mths its normal for a baby to wake up hungry through the night. By 6mths they can go without a top up during the night.
It you think he is okay to sleep through now then there are a couple of things you can try.

Try giving him a sip of water and a dummy (if he has one) instead of a bottle of milk.Try not to pick him up, talk to him or make eye contact. Although this is very hard and seems cruel, the stimulation awakens them more and once they have your attention they want to keep it. It is usually only the comfort they are seeking not the food itself.
If he takes this you can do it for a few nights and then when he wakes up, gradually stop giving him the water and just go in and do a shush-shush sort of thing, tuck him back in and leave. If he responds well to that but still wakes up, try letting him go and see what happens. He may fall back to sleep himself within a few minutes. If he doesn't then go back in shush-shush again, leave, wait 5 mins, repeat etc... Remember even if he cries and sounds like he's about to die, they always do that because they know it grabs your attention and you'll rush in. They always cry louder before they go quiet and fall to sleep.

Another idea may be to keep him up slightly later in the evening (you may have to extend the day sleeps to accomodate this) so he might sleep later in the morning.

Remember though, babies change their routine so often. Just when you have him where you want him, they go and start teething or get sick and the whole cycle starts again!
Make sure whatever you do, that you keep being persistant and consistant or nothing will work. Some techniques for babies can take several days or a week or two to take affect so keep trying and be persistant in any approach before you give up.
I know the only thing that worked with my kids was the tough approach of self settling/control crying, call it what you will. And most parents will swear by this also.
The younger you start the easier it is to do and the quicker they will fall back to sleep. Babies don't have a lot of stamina so they fall back to sleep quickly. Older babies and small children can have the stamina of 1000 elephants so its better to get the night sleeping thing down pat asap!
Best of luck

Answer 3

a clean born toddlers tummy is purely the dimensions of a small marble. i'm sorry to declare, your infant in the event that they wake will choose and choose a feed. a infant will end waking for a feed while they are waiting. you opt to attend till around 6 months in the previous introducing a feeding recurring. Feed on call for, your infant is universal with while they are hungry, and not Gina Ford. Her e book may be insightful. in spite of the incontrovertible fact that this is far to early to be removing any feeds jointly as they are doing a substantial area of coming up an turning out to be. My lady dropped her night feeds on her own at 6 months. sturdy success. if your lacking out on sleep attempt slumbering jointly interior the day ;) much less complicated reported than finished. A 365 days on we nevertheless are up maximum nights. no longer for milk, yet tooth or getting to know new skills an stressful her sleep Congratulations on your new born. do no longer bow right down to pier stress. purely supply that infant what the infant needs :)

Answer 4

I always fed my baby some cereal from a spoon out of a bowl and then gave them a bottle of milk and they would sleep all night long. I never mixed the cereal with the milk due to the fact that it is better if you feed it from a spoon at a thicker consistancy and that will help fill their belly a little more.

Answer 5

don't run straight to him when he crys. i had this problem and went to seek advise from the health visitor who told me its ok to let them cry for a while as long as it is just to get attention. you say he doesn't actually want the feed maybe it is a comfort thing more than a hunger thing, try giving him a cuddle with no feed and put him back if he Carry's on after that then try feeding him it might take a week of cuddles or just the two nights but it is worth a try. if you would like more advise then ask the health visitor, i wouldn't recommend starting him on solids yet as he is only four months if you give them solids to early there tiny organs cant digest it properly which is why the recommended age is 6 months for solids. hope this helps its tiring being a mum and doing the night feeds but well worth it when they smile and say they love you.

Answer 6

I'm assuming that if you are putting him down at 7pm, you are doing the Gina Ford routine!?! at 4 months they should be sleeping from 7-7 if you have followed the routine to the letter.
I found that my little girl woke at about 5am, we would normally give her a bit of a cuddle and she would normally fall back to sleep.

try a bottle of water - he may be thirsty, especially given that it is the summer

Answer 7

Cry it out is cruel and can have negative effects on the baby. Even proponents of CIO or variants, such as Ferber, do not suggest using it for such a young baby.
As he is less than 6 months, please don't give him any cereal, and certainly not IN the bottle as that's a choking hazard and is thought to be linked to a higher risk of obesity.
That's actually a pretty good sleep for a 4mo, you are lucky. But if he does wake and you don't want to feed him, just sit with him and rock him to sleep. If that's not for you, change/cuddle him if he needs, then lay him down in his cot and pat/shush him. Please do not abandon him to cry, comfort is a NEED for such a young baby.

Answer 8

does he have a dummy? if not try that its just a habbit he is in and just needs to get out of it yes easier said than done why not try just lying him down and continue this 4 as long as it takes it might mean a few unsettled nights but im sure he'l get the message when ure not giving him his bottle. but if he is down at 7 i wouldnt complain thats a good sleep he is having 4 his age try putting him to bed a bit later make bath time 8ish or summit.

Answer 9

I think if he acts like he doesnt want the feeding then he is in it for the cuddle and teat. Try cuddling him and placing a pacifier/dummy in his mouth and put him back in crib and pat a few times then tell him he should rest cos mommy is gonna be right there and he shouldnt worry. Communication and assurance is the key. If he still cries after this then he might be hungry but its unlikely.

Answer 10

At 4 months you can start a routine reassure him your there don't pick him up or turn lights on only if he has a dirty nappy or been sick e.t.c keep doing this consistency is the key word think about giving him baby cereal during the day. It does work