Waking up 2x at night now - 12:30am ?!

DD and DS have just started waking up 2x a night. They were going until 4:30 or 5:30 and they just turning 3 mos. I thought this was around the time they would start sleeping through, not waking up earlier and more often!

What to do??? They are too young to let them cry and they also wake eachother up. They are in the same room but separate cribs. Anyone else have this happen? If so, what did you do? Sometimes they are waking up to eat, but sometimes they just take one or two ounces and fall back asleep on the bottle. Sometimes it is just gas.

I have been picking them up, reswaddling if neccessary, and laying them back down. If they then continue to fuss I will then feed them. Is this the right thing to do???

Amy

 

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I have been picking them up, reswaddling if neccessary, and laying them back down. If they then continue to fuss I will then feed them. Is this the right thing to do???


That's what I'd do. I think it's a big myth that babies are supposed to sleep through the night at 3 months. Go longer stretches, sure, but lots of babies can't go 12 hrs with no attention.

With mine, I always err on the side of being too "nice." I'd rather offer them a feeding and have them turn it down (which they never do, so I think they must need it) than risk letting them go hungry.

The 2x waking may be just a phase, too, if they're in a growth spurt. It can vary a lot. Typically, DD's last feeding is at 6:30, and she'll go easily til 3:30 or 4 or even later. Typically, DS gets a feeding around 1 am and another whenever DD wakes up. But some nights she'll take 2 feedings, and some nights he'll take 3. The overall trend is toward more and more sleep, but some nights they are just plain hungry!

 

QUOTE(ahmerl @ Sep 5 2007, 04:43 PM) [snapback]393986[/snapback]
I have been picking them up, reswaddling if neccessary, and laying them back down. If they then continue to fuss I will then feed them. Is this the right thing to do???



I think what ever you feel comfortable doing is the right thing. Many babies are NOT sleeping through the night at 3 months, and your response seems to help them settle back down.
I was one of those types that could not ignore my child's cries and would respond to them. They ended up sleeping through the night on their own 4 months of age. Every baby is different, and I really think it comes down to what you feel is the best way to respond; not only for them but for yourself.

 

Mine were doing that around 3mo. They were just starting to get into a night time sleep routine at that point. THey would sometimes wake up around 12 or 1 and then go back to sleep and then they were up for the day by 7. Things have changed over the last 3 weeks they just naturally started sleeping longer consistantly and they still wake up at 4:30 and then at 7:30 but then they will go back to sleep until 9 or 9:30. Just try and hang in there I think they might just be gowing through a growth spurt and need that extra feeding. I think they will naturally fall into a longer and more regular sleep routine as long as you just keep doing the same thing you're doing. When mine wake up at 4 they litterally nurse for 5 minutes and then go back to sleep. They may just need a little top off.

 

Oh my gosh mine have done the same thing the last 2 nights. I think we may be going through a growth spurt. Who knows. We have also been throwing bed time fits. Last night it was awful. They screamed and screamed. I fed them a bottle got their sleepers on and they set in crying. They would not stop till I gave them another bottle. They weren't hungry but it got them to calm down enough that they finally fell asleep. Probably the wrong thing to do, but whatever works is my motto. good luck. missy

 

My boys are almost 3 months and just started sleeping from about 7pm to midnight or 1 for a feed, then again at around 4 or 5, then for good at about 8. I did a thank heavens dance when they finally started this schedule so I guess I'm really not of much help other than to tell you that yes, it's normal (?). Just a couple of weeks before, we were still on the waking EVERY 2.5 hours. I nurse them though so that may have something to do with it. I feel like a new woman now that I have over 3 hours in a row. Another thing that helped (and don't crucify me all at once please) is that I've been letting them sleep on their tummies AND in the bed with me between me and the co-sleeper, not me and DH. I don't ever put them both in with me, we switch at each feeding. I know...bad mommy, but they love it and they're happy and I love being able to just roll them over and nurse without either one of us really waking up

 

QUOTE
I have been picking them up, reswaddling if neccessary, and laying them back down. If they then continue to fuss I will then feed them. Is this the right thing to do???


Yes that is exactly what I did.

 

Mine did this too, I just blamed it on a growth spurt and fed them, and they soon started sleeping through the night again (along with consuming more food during the daytime feeds). I have noticed it happening again now at 6 months...UGGH!

 

if you think it's a growth spurt, try adding one ounce to each bottle during the day or if you are BF, try switching boobs and putting them back on for another 5 min. whether bottle or breast, keep them on a 3 hr feeding routine if possible until they are sleeping 12 hrs. adding the milk during the day will help them consume enough calories so they can sleep at night.

around 3 months, our swaddles were coming undone and so i switched to sleep sacs. with fall/winter coming, you could put them in a short sleeve onesie and a fleece sleep sack (with or without sleeves)

3 months, 4 months, 6 months, 8 months are all big growth spurts.

 

I think you just got lucky early on. Your babies are still so tiny in the grand scheme of things. My boys did the same thing around the same time. I just fed them when they woke (but I always tried the paci/snuggle/re-swaddle first to see if they were just restless rather than hungry). I also started adding an ounce to their daytime bottles (better to eat during daylight hours than at night). By 4 months they were both sleeping 12 hours.

Good luck!