No Longer Sleeoing Through the Night.

He's hungry! Don't wait to nurse as a last resort, do it in the 1st place. He's still just a tiny baby & is probably going through a growth spurt & needs food. Remember, their tummies are only as big as their fist - tiny. I'm so glad you are breast-feeding, it's so good for both you & him. & when the time comes they it's time to ween, it will be harder on you than you can imagine (emotionally). So enjoy it now, nurse him & get back to sleep! We co-slept with our little girl until she was about 10-11 months old. Worked out great, she'd wake, I'd nurse, we'd go back to sleep! Awesome!
Good luck & God Bless!
H. B

believe it or not... it could be a growth spur.

At four months, an exclusively breastfed baby won't go more than 4-6 hours at night without needing a feeding. "Sleeping through the night" IS 5 hours at this age.

Additionally, four months is about the "average" time for a growth spurt! Your little guy probably is just hungry. You milk supply will naturally keep pace with your baby's needs so long as you are nursing on demand. Go with the flow during these times and you will both get more rest.

This website has a lot of great, straightforward advice and information.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html

About this age, I also learned to do a side-lying position for nursing. You can snooze while your baby's tank gets refilled.

If you intend to continue breastfeeding, it is best to nurse on demand during these spurts. Supplementing with formula will likely decrease your supply and can lead to early weaning.

You have to choose the right thing for you and your family, but I wouldn't trade one of our nursing moments for a bottle of formula...no matter how rough it got. Good Luck...you are doing the best thing for your baby!

My baby started sleeping through the night early. At around four months she started waking up also. I read in a baby book that a babies sleep habits may change with developmental milestones. This has been true for her. She is 10 months old now and usually only wakes once per night.

Sounds like a growth spurt...it will pass! Just nurse him when hungry.

ALL FOUR of my babies did this. It is likely a growth spurt. Just continue to reassure yur baby and of course, nurse your baby. Keep a gentle routine and your baby will be fine.

BTW, 5 weeks is very young to sleep all night without being breast-fed. This is unusual and just be glad that you got the rest back then.....

4 months is a big growth spurt age so he is probably growing and needed more food. Feed him first before trying anything else. If he is not hungry, he should not wake up (unless he is having night terrors).

Good Luck!

Your son might be hitting a growth spurt and may need that extra meal at that time. Feeding that extra time will not turn into a long habit. When he gets through his growth spurt he won't need that feeding but if consoling him doesn't work and he does go back to sleep after you feed him I would try that. Good luck.

I remember all of this too well. My daughter would wake up any time she was going thru a mildstone or having a growth spurt. I too am breastfeeding. I would only breast feed as a last resort so it doesn't mess with her sleeping schedule. If it is only these two things it will only last for a week or two at most. Just do what you think is best. This will happen maybe again at 6 - 7 months.

Mom of a 10 month old

At this age, babies start noticing their surroundings more during the day. I'm sure you've noticed he's a little wiggly during nursing sessions, right?!? Since they take in less during the day, they need to make up for it at night. I'm sure he wakes, eats, and goes right back to sleep, right? He really is hungry. Most exclusively breastfed babies do NOT sleep through the night for many months or longer. Don't let anyone tell you that cereal or baby food will hold him longer. It's doubtful he's ready, and even though pedis will tell you it's ok to start them at 4 months, the American Academy of Pediatrics says to wait on all solids (including rice cereal) until 6 months.

Eating is just what he needs to do, so don't do it as a last resort. Do it first and you'll both get more sleep!

Sometimes your baby will seem super hungry and you think, "I've got to give this baby food. He's always hungry!" That's just his way of upping your supply to meet his growing demands/needs. He'll nurse more. Growth spurts *typically* happen at 3, 6, and 9 weeks old, and then at 3, 6, and 9 months. He may be going through his 3 month growth spurt a little late. They need to be fed on demand to make your supply meet his demand.

But what you've got is a very normal little 4 month old who has discovered the world around him. In order to get the nutrition he needs, he makes up for it at night. Here is an article about it: http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/4mo-sleep.html

So whether you have a growth spurt like many have suggested or a "wakeful 4 month old" (I have experienced this with my other two and am going through it RIGHT NOW with MY 4 month old!), the best bet is to feed him when he wakes and go back to sleep. YOu are not forming bad habits. That comes from a generation or a few ago where they thought this. We know better - babies need to be fed when they're hungry, and breastfed babies especially do! They use all the good stuff in breastmilk and there is no "filler" so they need to eat more often than formula fed babies.

And look at the bright side: him eating a few times at night will possibly keep you from ovulating and thus having a menstrual cycle longer! My first didn't night wean for a long long time, and I didn't have my first cycle until he was 17 months old!

I nursed three and none of mine slept through the night. I nursed all of mine during the night. Especially at that age they are having a growth spurt and probably are hungry.

might just be a growth spurt. hang in there. sounds like you are doing good stuff...maybe just a couple more nights.

Babies often wake more frequently during growth spurts or while teething (which would be a bit early at this age, but not impossible). In reality, it's very healthy for them to wake during the night to reconnect with mama, nurse, and ensure their breathing is steady. It's quite normal for this to happen, and actually much better than having a little one sleep without waking at all.

I highly recommend checking out "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" for some great perspective and insight, as well as tips to help you settle your little one when he wakes. My own is waking and needs me now!

Your baby could be teething, both my babies got their first tooth at four months. It's also very normal for a baby this young to wake up at these hours, the baby is most likely hungry or teething or both. You're pretty lucky if your baby has slept for you like this, I wish my babies had done that, good luck.

I have a 7 mos old who has just returned to sleeping through the night. She's also exclusively breast fed. As long as you fed him and he does go bac to sleep I don't think it's a big deal. Like the others said teething is also a possibility. Hylands has a natural teething gel (not numbing like orajel) that might help. I could tell when my little one's teeth were coming in as she was having a hard time latching and LOTS of drool!

Go with your instincts. Never underestimate your gut feeling, only you know your baby best even if he is quite young. Your baby will set his schedule for feeding and sleeping as his body needs it. Listen to him and your heart and the rest will fall into place!

Sure sounds like a growth spurt to me. It happened to us again around 6 months but after that it has been pretty smooth sailing. It will pass, but you are doing just the right thing by nursing him, my son would wake up at that time too, but when he got older he stopped so don't worry too much about a habit forming. Also, I used to feed more frequently during the day, to get more sleep at night. It made the days a little crazy, but I need my sleep! Hang in there:)

Teething is probably your issue. You might not be able to completely tell yet, but check for swollen gums to see. A little Tylenol at night may assist.

He's probably going through a growth spurt. My little guy is almost 4 months old, and he's breast fed as well. He's waking up around 2 or 3, and then again around 6. I don't worry about it, as I believe he'll grow out of it. I've read that they go through a growth spurt at about this time. I know it can be frustrating, but he'll probably grow out of it.

My experience is that hungry babies won't sleep, so if feeding him works and he goes right back to sleep, then that's your answer. As long as he is actively eating and not just playing around then he probably is truly hungry. At 4 months it's not uncommon to eat in the middle of the night. Good luck!

it's breast milk which is not very filling.. just feed the lil fella and go back to sleep.... welcome to the next stage of mother hood