Baby T Sleeping?

Like most new moms, a lot of my energy is focused on the baby doing three things (in this order): eating, sleeping, eliminating.

At this point (4.75 months) eating and eliminating are happening without much thought. Sleeping on the other hand...  could use some help.

T started sleeping through the night 8, then 10, then 12 hours by 8-12 weeks old. Then hit the 4 month sleep regression while Andrew was away in England for work. Yay! I loved waking 6-8 times a night to a really sad unhappy baby T by myself.

Since the regression T has not gone back to sleeping through the night. He's waking up at least once a night, usually somewhere between 4-6am. At times we can just pat him and he settles other times we can't figure out a way to get him to sleep without milk.

I should note here that T is REALLY WELL FED. He has gone from 5% to over 50% in 4 months. So I don't worry that he needs a night feeding.

While I was searching for another book in our packed boxes from our move 2 years ago, I came across a couple parenting books I had with E. This is the one from the box I've found most useful.

Highlights so far:

• At 4 months babies need to switch from a 3 hour cycle (1.5 awake, 1.5 asleep) to a 4 hour cycle (2 awake, 2 asleep)
• Eat, Awake, Sleep, You (mama) time - EASY method
• Is not a sleep training book so much as a day and bedtime routine book
• Milk yield to see how much you're supplying your baby (by pumping and bottle feeding or weighing on baby scale)
• Between 4-6 months baby will seem less interested in feeding (mental development leap)
• Perils of rushing in when baby wakes at night
• Myth of the evening catnap
• Many babies wake between 4-6am "to play" and will settle themselves if we don't go in
• Habitual night waking (same times every night) means you're probably using a sleep prop and need a long term solution

4 Hour Cycle

So yesterday was our first day giving the 4 hour cycle a shot. The books says there will likely be 2-3 days of transition so crossing our fingers!

The *best* part about this new schedule is that for the first time T and E will be napping around the same time for ~2 hours!! Well, that's the idea anyway.

Our bedtime feed is also a cluster feed of sorts. I offer T both breasts twice to tank up before bed. They also recommend a dream feed which I'm not a huge fan of because then it means T will definitely soak through his night time cloth diaper instead of just being really wet. I may add a snack in after the catnap and start the catnap a bit earlier at 5:30pm. I don't think T will want to wait 4 hours at that time of night to eat.

Milk Yield

My friend lent us her baby scale which was great when T was a newborn and super teeny. Hadn't used it in a few months, but decided instead of pumping and trying to bottle feed (he doesn't take a bottle) I would change T's diaper and then weigh, feed, and weigh him. I took the difference in grams and converted it into ounces since that's what most sources use for recommended daily amounts.

According to John Hopkins babies 4-6 months of age should have 28-32oz a day over 4-6 feedings.

• 8am feed - 10.3oz
• 12pm feed - 7.4oz
• 4pm feed - 6.7oz
• 6:25pm feed - 3.5oz (after catnap)
• 7:40pm feed - 2.1oz

Total for one day = 30.0 oz (somehow magically)

Overnight

I'm feeling reassured after doing the milk yield that he really is getting enough in the day. I'm hopeful that with the Pat and Sshhh method (which we've been doing off and on for a few weeks) that we'll get this last wake-up overnight sorted out soon. Then I'll just need to re-train myself not to wake up and listen to every little noise.