another feeding problem

[nikki73]

My 4+ month old has slept through the night for the past couple of months and without a dream feed. Very very lucky i know! But for the last couple of weeks she's starting waking around 5 am (once at 1 am). She's also going to sleep earlier settling down at 8.30ish. Not sure what to do. Introduce a dream feed around midnight and risk waking her up or just feed when she demands it at 5 am knowing it can take a while for her to settle after? (but I am still on mat leave so not a huge problem). Another idea would be to introduce formula as a last feed but going on holiday and won't be 100% confident sterilising. Anyone been through this? Any tips? thanks

[Fuschia]

Waking from 4m isn't unusual and is caused more by brain development than hunger, I'm afraid...

http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2006/02/qa_what_are_sle.html

[nikki73]

Thanks for that Fuschia. Interesting and reassuring. Better get used to fractured sleep again!

[Fuschia]

You could experiment with a dreeam feed or an early 5am feed... but just be aware it might not fix the problem!

[Belle]

Mine went through a phase of waking early, having his first (ie morning) feed and then going almost straight back to sleep for another hour, could be something like that...they do all go through phases where they're waking up as early as 5 ready to start the day, fun fun! If you're worried about sterilising there are lots of ways to make it easier on holiday. the simplest thing I found is to take a tupperware box to carry your bottles in and then buy some milton tablets - then basically store all your clean bottles in sterile water, remembering to refresh the water/tablets every 24 hours.

[nikki73]

Thanks Belle. I've done the tablets thing once before and found it a bit of a hassle when you're in a country where the water isnt safe because of rinsing the chemicals off although i guess i could just stock up on bottled water. but will bring some as a back up just in case.

[ClaireinSE22]

Great link Fuschia - on the 4 month thang, my biscuit has been wanting 2 hourly dunkings since 17 wks and we're now at 21 wks so lovely to read that we'll be doing it all again with bells on probably before this latest spurt is resolved! Nikki73 - you don't need to rinse after using Milton tabs.

[The Nappy Lady]

Yes, I had the 5am waking thing for a while with both of mine, it is a killer - now back to 6.30am ish which is so much better. Horrible, but it is a phase that passes.

If you have access to a microwave on holiday you can now get microwave sterlising bags to use which makes life much easier so others have told me (never used myself).

Molly