It’s very common for little ones to go through a 4 month sleep regression and, don’t ya worry, I’m here to help. Baby sleep, sleep regressions and sleep training, my oh my!
You are puttering along, enjoying those snuggly soft baby cuddles.
Happy baby is sleeping longer stretches at night. You’re probably even coming out of the “newborn fog” and not having any more witching hours and then BAM….
Baby stops sleeping well.
You wonder what’s going on for a few days, start Googling, and pretty soon realize your little one is smack dab in the middle of the 4 month sleep regression.
This can also happen a tad early or a tad later than 4 months (anywhere from 3 to 5 months depending), but the idea is the same.
So, how do you know if baby is going through the 4 month sleep regression?
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4-month sleep regression symptoms:
Baby might not have all of these, but still be going through the 4 month regression.
- Baby started waking frequently at night
- Naps become shorter (often 45 minutes in duration)
- Baby is much more fussy, whiny, or angry and acts sleep deprived
- Changes occur in feeding patterns
- Doesn’t transition through sleep cycles like before (wakes early or halfway through naps) and can’t seem to fall back asleep
- Overall, your baby’s sleep patterns have changed for the worse and there’s a marked lack of deep sleep
This is actually pretty common with 4 month old babies.
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If baby is between 3-5 months and suddenly hit a major rut, it’s likely the 4 month sleep regression.
New night-wakings, even as often as every 1-2 hours, waking up 40 minutes after bedtime, and cat-naps galore are all tell-tale signs. So what the heck is going on?
This means baby is far more likely to wake up between sleep cycles, begin catnapping, and start waking up more frequently at night. They aren’t able to re-settle from one sleep cycle to the next.
And, more importantly, how do you survive?
The 4 -month sleep regression is actually a misnomer. Although it feels like a huge step backwards in sleep, it is actually a developmental milestone that marks a progression in your baby’s brain development.
During this period of sleep disruption, their brains are going from a newborn sleep pattern to an adult-like sleep pattern.
Create sustainable sleep habits for your little lamb so the whole family can sleep peacefully without the stress, drama, and tears.
Learn MoreThis matters significantly because:
- Their circadian rhythm is now very much in-play and in rhythm with the sun, meaning they will need an earlier bedtime now and will likely start waking with the sun;
- Biological nap windows become much more important (the optimal times of day for nap sleep)
- Their sleep cycle length changes from 4-6 hours to 2-4 hours. They will be spending much more time in light sleep phases.
The last one is probably the most important in terms of the effects on their sleep. A baby that may have been doing a long 6-hour stretch at 3 months might now be waking up every 2 hours.
They will need assistance getting to deeper sleep phases more often. What worked in the newborn stage often quickly becomes unsustainable.
The 4 Month Sleep Regression
Before we go any further I think it’s important to chat about some reasons the 4 month sleep regression is worse for some babies than others.
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Babies Go Through The 4 Month Sleep Regression Because They’re No Longer So Sleepy
So those early newborn days and weeks are so precious. Baby sleep easily and often and you pretty much feed him and he falls asleep and that’s that.
Around 4 months they are less sleepy, they need more wake time, and they stop falling asleep at the drop of a hat.
If you haven’t taught baby how to sleep on their own without you nursing or rocking them to sleep then this age is where it shows. If you aren’t able to put baby down in their crib drowsy but awake to sleep, they may have trouble getting and staying asleep.
This doesn’t mean what you did was wrong, but that four months and beyond is a different kettle of fish.
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Learn More
And it takes longer for baby to get into deep sleep than it did when baby was a newborn so your tricks and hoops will now become much more involved.
“To put that in perspective, if you are holding your baby to sleep, you would need to hold her for at least 30 minutes to make sure she’s in deep sleep and then she might wake up 15 minutes later. Sound familiar?” Baby Sleep Site
This is the point in which you’ll want to establish positive sleep associations to replace the current sleep props.
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At 4 months, Doctors USED TO Recommend Rice Cereal…
In years past the 4 month sleep regression wasn’t quite as bit of a Thang (although it always has been one) for one reason. Moms started babies on rice cereal at this age.
➡️ So *when* the 4 month regression was related to hunger or growth spurts, this nipped it in the bud.
Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age (source).
This means if baby is waking early and more frequently and you want to rule out hunger, you can feed more often and build that milk supply up to the necessary levels.
Perhaps baby needs more frequent feeds for a few days or longer feeds at each nursing session. Trial and error should help you get the right amount. And then, in a month or two, when you add solids or purees, you’ll be able to rule out hunger completely.
Follow your pediatrician’s advice, obviously, but be careful not to rule out hunger. If you add in more feeds and are sure baby is full, you can rule out hunger.
Create sustainable sleep habits for your little lamb so the whole family can sleep peacefully without the stress, drama, and tears.
Learn MoreBaby Is Taking 45 Minute Naps
If baby used to nap for long stretches, but is now waking after 45 minutes, the first strategy you should run towards is feeding more often.
➡️ One of the major ways the 4 month old sleep regression shows itself is by babies waking up after only 45 minutes.
Assume that baby is hungry and simply feed baby as soon as he wakes. If you keep this up for a day or two and notice your baby doesn’t want to feed at these times, then it’s likely a sleep issue, not a hunger one.
If you keep this up for a day or two and baby seems to lengthen his stretches of sleep instead of continuing with the 45 minute intruder, then you have your answer.
Baby was hungry, your milk supply was low, baby was having a growth spurt, or all of the above.
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What To Do When Baby Wakes After 45 Minutes:
- Throw out your routine for a few days and feed baby immediately after he wakes. Try to give baby a full feed and not let him fall back asleep while nursing, which can be contributing to sleep props as well as not getting to the more nutritious hind milk.
- After the few days are up, determine if baby was actually hungry during those extra feeds. If yes, keep feeding baby until he passes through the growth spurt and your supply catches up to the demand.
- If after a few days you see baby wasn’t hungry for those feeds, you know you’re likely dealing with a sleep issue. This means you need to work on teaching baby to go to sleep on their own as their circadian rhythms have changed and they’ll need more support now.
- If baby seems to be waking up, but not irritable or fussy, then perhaps baby is getting plenty of catnaps throughout the day, but could take longer naps with a few routine tweaks. This might mean putting baby down to nap 10 or 15 minutes later than normal and seeing if that helps.
Baby Is Waking Frequently At Night
If baby used to sleep much longer stretches at night and has now stopped, hunger is likely the culprit.
I’ve heard said that around the 4 month mark you should move to 4 hourly feedings, but I personally don’t recommend this if you’re nursing because you aren’t able to track exactly how much milk they’re getting and this could make things significantly worse if it’s due to hunger.
However, if baby used to wake up every few hours at night and is now waking up more frequently and needing you to nurse him, rock him, or do something else to get him back to sleep then you’ve likely got a sleep prop on your hands being made worse by shortening sleep cycles at night.
These daily baby and mom legs help you track the things that seem to be going haywire.
Learn MoreSteps To Take If Baby Is Waking Frequently At Night:
- Give full feeds where possible, don’t feed for two minutes then put baby back down. Try to coax baby to take as long a feed as possible.
- Make careful note of what is causing baby to wake up. Does baby want something particular to go back to sleep (to be held, fed, etc.). If this is the case, baby has a sleep prop and you’ll need to create a plan to wean baby from that.
- Determine exactly what baby is waking for (a feed, to be rocked, to be held, etc.) so you can help ferret out the appropriate solution.
- Realize that whatever is happening, you can find a solution, you will find a way, and that both mommy and baby were made to sleep long restorative stretches. You can get there.
How to beat the regression (summary)
- Give baby full feeds.
- Have an age appropriate daily routine.
- Cluster feed in the early evening when milk supplies are low.
- Help baby transition through sleep cycles with settling strategies appropriate to their age and personality.
- Help soothe baby to avoid over tiredness.
- Feed as often as baby wants, always focusing on full feeds.
- Begin working on independent sleep routines.
Create sustainable sleep habits for your little lamb so the whole family can sleep peacefully without the stress, drama, and tears.
Learn MoreIs the regression a growth spurt?
Some parents are tempted to think that the frequent wake-ups are because of a growth spurt, so they start feeding at every wake-up. But this unfortunately only reinforces the problem as your baby is likely using those feeds to get himself back to sleep, rather than for nourishment.
Although a growth-spurt can cause an extra wake-up overnight, it will not cause the need to eat every 2 hours (for a healthy, normal sized 4-month old).
You can rule out a growth spurt as the cause of the 4 month regression by feeding more often for a few days. If it resolves the issue, it was a growth spurt.
Why is the regression worse for some babies than others?
There are certain things that can make the regression worse – a baby who is already overtired from short naps or a too-late bedtime, will often hit the regression hard.
Also, a baby who is not on any sort of schedule and has a lot of sleep props (must be bounced/rocked/nursed to sleep, etc.) will also often have the hardest time during the regression.
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Can you prevent the 4-month regression?
No, it’s not possible for baby to skip this developmental stage, but there are certain steps you can take to help minimize the negative effects on sleep.
- Establish healthy sleep hygiene before it hits. This means following age-appropriate wake-times, a consistent nap and bedtime routine, and an optimal sleep environment.
- Encourage a healthy schedule. Even during the newborn stage, you can start following a flexible schedule for sleep and feeding, that includes full feeds, age-appropriate wake-times, and as they get older, an earlier bedtime.
- Work towards independent sleep. Give your baby opportunities each day to work a little bit on self-settling. This means not responding to them the second they wake-up and fuss if it’s not time for a feed- give them 5 minutes to see if they’ll resettle.
This is a great time to start sleep training.
How long does the 4 month regression last?
It’s different for every baby, but it will usually pass within 2-4 weeks. If your baby’s sleep is still disrupted after several weeks, you can safely assume it is not still the regression.
More likely something else is off in the daily routine. But you don’t have to wait 4 weeks to start implementing positive changes. In fact, implementing positive sleep changes now will help them pass through the regression much more quickly.
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FAQs about regressions
Every baby’s circadian and biological rhythms begin to mature around this time, but not every baby has severe sleep disruptions. Some may simply “wake up” more.
This really depends on whether baby has self-soothing skills and what methods you use to teach baby these skills. All babies’ brains are changing around this time regards to sleep, and helping baby learn new sleep habits makes it pass faster.
Breastfed babies are typically going between 3 to 4 hours during the day at this point. Some babies can sleep longer stretches at night.
You can teach independent sleep skills in a variety of ways. Using wind-down routines and avoiding overtiredness will mean you can put baby down drowsy but awake and help them learn to drift off to sleep on their own.
Yes, it can shorten the naps to 45 minutes when they were previously longer. This is typically because babies transition through their sleep cycles and – if they aren’t used to re-settling on their own – they wake up! This is why teaching self-soothing skills helps.
When will my baby’s sleep improve after the 4-month regression?
If your baby is still struggling with sleep after 2-4 weeks, the regression probably isn’t causing the issue anymore. Around this age, new sleep habits (like self-soothing) are needed because sleep cycles change. If your baby’s sleep problems persist, it could be a good time to start sleep training.
If you haven’t established wind down routines for bedtime and naps, wake windows, and getting full feeds, all of these things will help your baby through the 4 month sleep regression.
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Hi Rachel,
I’m a new mom of a 4 month old and an American expat living in London. We just got back from the west coast where I believe my little guy started the dreaded 4 month regression. Now we’re back in London and trying to adjust to the time difference while dealing with the regression. He’s up every 30-45 min at the moment and it’s getting to us! If you have any tips or tricks it would be much appreciated!
Feed, feed, feed, feed, feed until baby is so stuffed he moves on :)
Hi Rachel,
I am a proud mom to an almost 4 month old (9 days to go until that month marker!). A lot has happened all at once…a cold, fighting sleep, ear infection, now antibiotics (and a probable upset stomach judging by her dirty diaper counts for the day) and I fear the 4 month sleep regression. Is it possible that all of these have caused a regression because of her being uncomfortable, or is it just my unluckiness of all of these things at once? Help! I’m trying so hard to get her through it. It also seems I’m feeding her about every 2 hours or so! I try to do sleep, play, eat routine with her and I’m running out of patience!
Making sure baby is getting a probiotic (drops or cereal in bottle if youre doing cereal) will help upset stomach and those dirty diapers. Ear infections change baby’s eating habits because it hurts to suck from the bottle. So your little one might be off with her sleep because her eating is off too! You definitely have a combination of things that would leave your baby with a need to be held and comforted :/
My baby girl just turned 4 months old and we also just got over an ear infection (in both ears). She was eating half the amount she usually does the entire week she was on antibiotics, and not sleeping well due to the congestion and ear pain.
My not quite 4mo had been sleeping through the night (about 7:30-7:30) with one feed around 2 or 3 until last week…Now she’s up allllllll night long and I’m going crazy! She’s my second, so I knew this was coming and have been putting her down awake for about a month now and I use all the great tools – white noise, swaddle, black-out shades, pacifier. She doesn’t seem starving at night and doesn’t even take a full feed the one time it’s offered. I’ve been trying to feed her as much as possible during the day and even started pumping so I can monitor input – she’s getting 5-6 oz at least 4 times a day, plus whatever she nurses at night. Any ideas?
Hey Rachel,
My baby had been sleeping through from 8 weeks old (on formula). He has hit the 4 month sleep regression and has trouble going to sleep of a night time. I have brought his bedtime routine forward an hour but still has trouble going to sleep.
Before this regression he would feed until full and fall asleep and not wake until 7.30am (bliss!).
But now it’s not working and the only thing I can get to work is a big feed then put him down, he then wakes and I try to get him to settle before picking up (usually without success) therefore the only way I can get him to sleep at the moment is in his rocking chair, dark room, no noise, a little bit of a bottle, take it out and let him sleep on me for about 15 minutes before trying to put him down.
Is this the right thing to do? or can it cause more problems?
HELP!!!
Hi Rachel,
My baby is 14 weeks now and he has being falling asleep by sucking from my breast since the beginning.
Now is both breastsfed and formula (breast before, formula just for the difference we need to get the right amount of milk for each meal). So when it’s time to sleep (about 45’/60′ after finishing his meal) he doesn’t know how to soothe himself and fall asleep (even if I rock him) without taking milk again. He didn’t want any dummies since the very beginning and, at the moment, he’s not looking for his finger either.
If I go outside with pushchair he falls asleep just holding a coloured muslin but this looks like not working when we are at home.
So basically we are stacked if u cannot go out.
Any suggestions about how I could teach him what he need and which opportunities I could show him so that he can eventually find his way to sleep?
Thanks you in advance.
Francesca
Hi Rachel,
You mention in this article that the steps to take if baby is waking frequently at night are 1) Give full feedings before laying baby back down and 2) don’t feed baby before putting them down because it could be a sleep prop. This seems a bit contradictory to me… do you think you could clarify?
My baby is 3.5 months and I feel like is going through the beginning stages of the sleep regression. He’s never been a good sleeper- had bad reflux and we barely got any sleep. the last couple of weeks he was only waking 1 time at night to eat. Now, he is waking up after 6 hour stretch (8pm-2am) then always up at 3-4am for the day. Do you think this is a sign of regression? Or was the last 2 weeks of good sleeping just a fluke? Our bedtime routine is bath, lotion, bottle, and then I can lay him down and gently pat him to sleep now.
There are all sorts of reasons why your baby may be waking through the night. He may need a feed, he may want your comfort and reassurance during the night, or he may benefit from a more consistent bedtime routine to help him settle. Teething can also upset your baby’s routine and sleep patterns. One thing is certain, the most important thing is to listen to your child. Any advices and techniques will be great, but without bringing them to your child you will not help him solve the problems with sleeping. I learned this from Susan Urban and her guide How teach a baby to fall asleep alone. But before
it happened, I pulled my hair out of my head from fatigue and lack of ideas how to make my child sleep at night. With her advice, I managed to sleep my son for the whole night without waking up, after only 6 days. Maybe try with this guide? Best wishes and good luck ?
Hi Rachel,
Am a new mom of a 6 months old baby girl, I thought I won the lottery the first 4 months but suddenly she changed without transition, I have many issues with her and I am desperate for help.
She doesn’t have nice long naps and started waking up every 30 minutes at night sometimes every hour, not only she doesn’t sleep but she can’t sleep on her own which I believe is my fault but when she’s finally asleep, she would wake up instantly when I put her in bed therefore I have to start all over again and after a couple of times I just keep her in my arms because I feel sorry for her as I keep disturbing her all the time, she’s always tired and fussy so I can’t go anywhere because otherwise I will have to put her to sleep and breastfeeding her in public…
She doesn’t go to sleep on the stroller on her own, I leave her crying for few minutes only hoping she will work it out but in vain. I know you can’t give me a magic pill but could you please try to help me with any tricks,
Thank you
My baby was born 1.5 weeks early, could hold her head up from the beginning practically and we were told she was a very alert baby. She hasnt slept for naps longer than 45 minutes since she was 3 weeks old. She was sleeping better at night, like would actually fall asleep at bedtime drowsy but somewhat awake and the first stretch was usually 4 hours (sometimes 4.5-5 hours). She is now 2.5 months old and for a week or longer now she has been having trouble staying asleep after nighty feedings. I should also note her eating habits changed a few weeks ago where she used to eat every 1.5-2 hours take each breast for 9-12 minutes. Now she eats it seems every 2.5-3 hours taking one breast at a time (actually she will take one breast at the beginning of wake time and the other demanding it before nap time and only on each for 5-8 minutes).
Now at 2.5 months she is still continuing this feeding behavior as well as waking up 1-2 hours after bedtime and then her longest stretch at night is usually from 5-8:30 am (we start bedtime routine at 7:15 pm and ends around 9 when she actually has fallen asleep). She also still takes 5 naps a day and that is with her awake for 1.5 hours between naps. She only takes 45 minutes at best for naps still too.
She isn’t always hungry at night wakings. Last night went like this: bed 9 pm, woke at 9:35 pm, 1:30 am binky , 2 am to feed one breast, 3 am binky, 4 am 1.5 ounces formula, then at 5 I pulled her into our bed and she slept until I woke her at 8:30 am. She only took one breast for feed and then another before nap at 950 am.
Before, she used to go to bed at 10 pm, wake 2-3 am eat both sides, then wake at 4:30-5 and take one side, then I would pull her into bed from 6-8/9 am where she would eat maybe from each breast in that time before I’d wake her.
Is this an early regression? Can we start sleep training? She definitely I think has associations because I tried feeding her awake (wouldn’t feed more than half the time) before morning nap. Swaddled her and put her down drowsy but she cried until I let her back on the breast and took a little “snack” I’d say. Then slept for 10 min before waking again…
Not sure what to do!! Help!
My baby girl is going to be 4 months I’m 2 weeks. For the past week she wakes up throughout the night wanting to comfort nurse on my breast. She does not actually swallow during this. We co sleep. I have tried putting her in her bassinet in past including yesterday but she screams and cries hence the co sleeping. What should I do?! I’m a walking zombie.
“So those early newborn days and weeks are so precious. Baby sleep easily and often and you pretty much feed him and he falls asleep and that’s that.”
Things were never like this for us. We had and still intense difficulty getting our baby to sleep. He’s 3 months now and pretty much only sleeps in his carrier except at night, but he’s been very overtired and now is actually very different in the night.
I (the mom) have been a severe chronic insomniac for six years. Do you think there could be a link between my problems and his? Cortisol in my milk? Damaged genes?
Same here, baby never “slept at the drop of a hat” we always have to use the carrier along with shushing/patting/bouncing to get him down for naps or bedtime. Fortunately he’s been sleeping well at night. He is 4 months in 4 days and I am trying to prep for the regression 😳
Hi,
My baby is 4 months old and the last few nights will not sleep in her cot she used to he great. Ive tried everything im currently letting her fall asleep on the bed then transfering her. I know i cant keep this up. She cries until she os nearly sick. Ive tried leaven her soothing sushing but nothing works. Help
i really don’t think feeding is the answer to these problems. when you feed to address systematic issues with something like sleep, you’re neglecting the true nature of the issue. most likely, habits you’ve created for your little one need to be changed or broken.
also, feeding your little one more their little bodies can handle causes digestive and behavior issues. when milk isn’t properly processed by the stomach and is pushed prematurely into the duodenum it causes gas and reflux, among other things. this can and will eventually lead to a fussy baby and potentially other health issues. the “feed feed feed” mentality, IMO, is just the quickest and easiest way for parents to deal with many behavioral issues.
Matt, totally agree feeding kids won’t deal with behavioral issues!! In my experience (with only 5 kids, not all so just my opinion, oc) the 4 month sleep regression often related to changes in my milk supply and their need for more. So increased feedings for a few days or week or two resolved the issue and sleep became normal again.
Hi Rachel,
I have a 4.5 month old. Was a pretty decent sleeper till recently. She seems to cry loudly in her sleep st night and is trying to roll over repeatedly all night. We try the S’s and she calms down for a minute but soon goes back to crying with her eyes closed. It’s like shes trying to get more comfortable. How can I help her?
Hello! My 4 month old is waking every 40 minutes and wanting to nurse. He won’t sleep longer than 40 minutes during naps unless he is being held. Even when he is starving he only nurses for 5 minutes at a time, so at night night he wakes and nurses 3 minutes before falling back asleep. We have tried sleep sacks, but he enjoys sleeping on his belly. (Can roll belly to back but not back to belly) so he flips over gets mad and cries until I pick him up to soothe. Pacifier with back patting has not worked to soothe in the middle of the night and I’m at a loss! So tired. Any suggestions are appreciated!!
We are trying sleep sacks with arm holes so he can use his arms. Try that.
Hi. My son is 4.5 months old. For the past 2 weeks, he has been having short naps (30 or 35 minutes). I follow a consistent nap routine and follow his sleepy cues. I put him in his crib awake and he usually falls asleep on his own within 5 to 10 minutes. After he wakes up, I leave him in his crib to see if he’ll fall back asleep. He usually cries for a few minutes, then sleeps for a minute. He does this on and off for about 30 minutes, and then just cries. I’ve tried so many tricks to try and help him nap longer, but with no success. And I know he’s not hungry because I feed him close to when I put him down for a nap. I realize he’s going through the 4-month sleep regression, but want to know if there’s anything I can do to help him nap longer. And wondering if it’s ok to let him cry for so long after he wakes up. Thanks.
Hi Kristina, the 4 month sleep regression is so freaking tough! First, I want to assure you that this will pass and that when baby turns 5 to 6 months (if it hasn’t resolved by then) that he will settle down when he starts to get more solids.
So, I’d want to ask what your schedule looks like. Is baby having 4 naps a day or is he down to 3 naps? And, when he takes a short nap and wakes up, if you try to feed him again right then, will he feed? If so, then sort of “reset” your routine and go from there!
Hi Rachel,
I’m having a similar issue with my soon to be 5 month old. Just wondering when he wakes up from his cat nap, if I feed him right away and gives him a full feed, do I then put him back to sleep or keep him awake and put him down when he gets sleepy again? Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
If he’s had a full feed before and takes a cat nap, I’d resettle him back to sleep and then try feeding at normal time!
Hi Rachel,
My son is 3.5 months old and has just gone from being an incredible sleeper (down at 8 pm and up at 7 am) to being up all night long every 30-45 minutes. He currently takes 4 naps a day, avg. 45 min each. We do an entire bedtime routine every night at 7 pm and he is put down in his crib drowsy but awake by 7:45 without issues of falling asleep. He is in a Merlin sleep suit as he hated to be swaddled and wanted to get to his hands. He is not old enough where if I leave his hands free at night he can coordinate sucking on them to self soothe (we’ve tried this with awful results!). He unfortunately doesn’t like taking a pacifier and spits it right out. But more about going to sleep… he will fall asleep on his own just fine, no pacifier etc, and has been waking up after about 4 hours of sleep to be up every 30-45 minutes all night long. I have tried picking him up and calming him down by rocking him which seems to soothe him but will typically result in a very short lived period of sleep until he is back at it crying. I attempted to let him cry it out last night and this seemed to work sometimes and resulted in another short burst of 30-45 min of sleep but then would wake again. Finally at 4 AM after no sleep I fed him a bottle and he was able to go back to sleep until 7:30 am.
He is taking about 28 ounces (he is 13 lbs) a day and feeds every 4 hours. I didn’t think his issue was hunger given he wakes after just 4 hours and this is now out of the blue from going from great sleeper to awful.
Would love some help/tips/advice as we are completely exhausted!!!
Rebecca, well the good news is that if he was a great sleeper, and only now is he experiencing these sleep issues, then it’s likely not a “sleep issue” per se, but something else. I’d try first off, offering food. He’s getting older and may even be going through a slight growth spurt, so definitely offer food as soon as he wakes and see. If he takes it all, you know he was hungry. He will not sleep through hunger and sometimes it’s that easy. Otherwise, I’d check his ears / throat to see if he’s unwell. Sometimes mine had ear aches without fever, I got a Dr. Mom otoscope and could check myself! Then I’d check the temperature and see if any temperature changes have made him hot/cold. Good luck, mama!
Would appreciate it if you could pay some regard to formula feeding here. This article really over references advice for breastfeeding. Why are “experts” so obsessed with breasts? Hind milk? Milk supply? How about some regard for the rest of us who aren’t so breast obsessed and feed their baby from a good old fashioned bottle.