The 4 Month Sleep Regression: Making it Through

The last few weeks have been one for the books as the four month sleep regression made it’s way on through! About a week before Halloween, Sadie began waking a few times throughout the night again. I’d simply nurse her back to sleep and lay her back down. What I thought was a few fluke nights, turned into every night and even more wakings the past three weeks.

In addition to that, she started fighting and refusing her feedings during the day. Causing us to have one crazy, fussy, overtired baby on our hands. Cue my Mom brain beginning to spiral on a severe lack of sleep. I’m not producing enough. I’m going to lose my supply. She isn’t eating enough. The list goes on.

I started reading about everything and anything it could possibly be: silent reflux, food allergies, etc. Finally, I fell into information about the four month sleep regression from Taking Cara Babies. (Being a fourth time Mom doesn’t mean I remember any of this- I swear, you go into in blindly each time, forgetting everything!) That’s where I realized all of my nighttime feedings were reversing her calorie intake. She wasn’t refusing to eat because my supply was low or because of reflux- she was refusing to eat during the day because she was already full from the night.

The past week I have been working on reversing her feeds and my supply- increasing it again during the day by pumping after nursing sessions and also limiting her feeds at night. When she wakes at night, I have been essentially letting her snack, instead of taking a full meal. It caused a handful more wake ups at night, but ultimately led to her taking her feedings during the day again without a fight. I was also upping the ante on bedtime associations- a warm bath (hold the soap!), set bedtime, reading a book, sound machine, and a quick nurse. And as of last night, a few days of this proved to work, and we are thankfully back on track to daytime feeds and straight through the night sleep!

My Mindset Through it All

While the lack of sleep is so incredibly hard, especially with three other kiddos at home, I kept reminding myself that this would be my last experience with this. Someday soon, those nighttime baby cuddles will no longer exist in our house. Those little baby cries needing us in the middle of the night will soon be gone. Those precious contact naps will soon be replaced by a no-nap taking terror of a toddler. So for now, as difficult as it may feel somedays, I’ll take it all.

I’m fortunate and blessed to be where I am today- with a handful of healthy, beautiful babies and working for myself. When we’ve had a long night, I woke up and took the work day slow. Because I can. I stayed in pajamas and contact napped for the greater majority of the day. Because I can. I took a nap with her in the middle of the day. Because I can.

So if the fourth month sleep regression has brought me anything (in addition to a lack of sleep, of course), it’s a mindset of gratitude. I am in the most fortunate position raising our babies and I wouldn’t have it any other way.