Help with Sleeping and Feeding Issue....

I too am a single mother. My son is 8 months old now and he was the exact same way. I gave my son cereal at 3 months despite what the pediatrician said and he went from getting up 3 times a night to once at like 4 a.m. He just needed that cereal to stick to the belly to make him fuller. I tried to give him the cereal bottle but it works way better to feed them by spoon! Good luck!

My son has always been a big eater too, around that age I was giving 10 or 11 oz bottles!! Even still, he didn't start sleeping all night until about 8 months old!
Good luck.

J.
Doctors usually recommend that babies stay on formula (breast milk) for one complete year. My guess is that your son may be missing something from his diet. If you are nursing you may need to add some formula to your milk, if you are using formula, you may need to combine it with another type of formula. Like if you are using similac you may want to add isomel to it. Just an idea, I would however stay away from cereals & other foods. An infants tummy is very fragile & by adding foods you may get another problem. Then the baby may have colic. Hope this helps.
B.

Sounds like a growth spurt to me. Also, it's not unusual for a 3 month old to wake up several times/night anyway. In fact, I dare to say it's "normal." He could also be waking up because he's reaching some kind of developmental milestone.

Babies tend to "over eat" from a bottle, too. I'd check the hole in the nipple to see if it's been torn at all. You can try to put him back to sleep using other methods, if you don't really think he's hungry. Maybe he's just wanting your company.

Cereal in a bottle shouldn't be suggested by a doctor at all. It's NEVER been proven to help babies sleep through the night. Many people try it, but it doesn't work. Their tummies are small and just need to be filled more often. Plus, it's a choking hazard.

Hope this helps. Don't worry, he WILL start sleeping through the night (which is considered to be *5* straight hours) eventually. Good luck!!

He's probably just going through a growth spurt, I think they can last a week or two (my son had one that lasted for about 10 days). Good for you for not being pressured into doing something you're not ready to do and your pediatrician recommneds against! Give it some time, and his eating will slow back down!

Hi J.,

I too have a big eater. He's now 4 1/2 months but has been eating 8-9 oz at each of 4 feedings a day for about a month. I'm a new mom so I had lots of quesitons about this for my MD. The best advice she gave me was to always make more formula than you may need and that your baby should not be "draining the bottle to the end" - meaning he'll stop when he's ready. If he's draining it that means you need go ahead and start out with more. When he started completely draining 6 oz, I started to make 8 oz and sure enough, he started finishing about 7-71/2 consistently. We've just increased it like that ever since. One thing the MD did say is that some kids WILL drink whatever large amount you give them but you'll know it's too much if they're consistently spitting up a good amount at the end of the bottle. Mine has never spit up much, so I know he hasn't been overdoing it. Some kids just need more. My boy is off the charts for both height and weight so I assume he falls into this category. With the price of formula...I would cringe at the thought of making too much and then wasting it, but this really hasn't been an issue. Good luck to you! As far as the sleep thing, I used The Contented Little Baby Book from about 2 weeks and he's been sleeping like a champ since 5 weeks. Started sleeping 7pm-6am straight at 12 weeks. Woo Hoo! Enjoy your little one.

I personally don't think cereal in the bottle works. In fact, I believe it causes more harm than good. Their digestion process is not developed enough to actually digest the food, therefore more is getting passed through their bowle movements. This means they are more likely to get constipated, which is really not a good thing at all.

You will find that he will do this. My son at 4 years old still does it, and my mom says it goes on forever. :) When they are getting ready to grow they need to take in more calories than they previously were because it takes more energy. So, he may be getting ready to go through a growth spurt. My sons pattern is eat eat eat eat eat for 4-7 days and then sleep sleep sleep sleep sleep, longer naps, not wanting to get up in the mornings, sleeping in, getting tired earlier at night, etc. And then all of a sudden...he looks SO much bigger and older.

I don't know if you have other child or not, but I have heard from many mom's that this process seems more obvious in boys than in girls. Girls seem to increase their in take slow and steady and grow that way too, where as boys do it in spurts. This is obviously a sterotype but just a thought.

Hi J.,

I know that you are feeling frustrated and tired, I felt the same way with my son. But what I found is that it was only temporary. Babies go through "growth spurts" and I believe he's in one now. Please know this is normal and it too will pass. My recommendation would be to make sure that you are getting proper nutrition, a little exercise, sleep when you can and maybe try to find a family member or close friend that can give you a little break so that you can spend some time to yourself. It's amazing what an hour away can do for your spirit!

Expect miracles,
D.

I am RIGHT there with you!! I have a 3 month old boy and last night I slept a TOTAL of 35 minutes laying down! The rest of the night was filled with cries for more milk and me sitting up dozing on the couch with a breast in one hand and a baby in the other. :-) Wednesday night I fed him FOUR times between 2:45 and 7 am!!! During the day while I am at work, my little man is drinking more and more every day. He did a similar thing about 6 weeks back and then grew like a weed, so I am sure that is what is going on. He was comfortably in 0-3 month clothes one day and the next they were all too small.
As for cereal in the bottle, don't do it. Babies will naturally eat more quantity and more frequently when they are starting to grow. For breastfeeding Moms, this is the babies way of telling your body that you need to start making more milk... guess the concept is the same for formula, since it is nature dictating it.
Good luck. Know that you are not alone at 2 am!!

hey J.,

i am sorry to say i disagree with dr's these days. i know they have their reasons...but that include every baby. every baby is different.

i am 45, and have 5 kids ages 7 1/2 yrs, 15, 19, 23, and 27 yrs, and 3 grandbabies, and babysat more kids in 27 yrs than i can even remember. some people i have known, did what their drs said. most did not. out of ALL the kids i have ever known, only 1 ever had any kind of reaction. and they were giving him oat cereal, and i was the one who told them i didn't think his body was tolerating it. he was basically puking it back up within 15 min of eating it. and i think he was around 3-4 months old if i remember right.

with my own kids, my first one was the same way as a baby. he was hungry all the time. dr said no cereal until 4 mo. i lived with my mother-n-law at the time, who also had 5 kids and old fashioned. she said it was ridiculous. mine all started cereal(rice, and runny consistancy) at between 2 - 4 WEEKS of age. they all did great, and if i would have continued feeding my first formula everytime he wanted to eat, lord only knows how heavy he would have gotten!

i think it is something you just have to use your own judgement on. try it, see how he tolerates it/likes it, and go from there. mine also were on fruits by the time they were all 3-4 months old. drs put these "rules" down, because there are "some" who have reactions, and to safeguard it from happening. heck with my #5, the dr we STARTED taking her to, told me i WAS NOT even allowed to use jarred baby foods!!!!! i was to puree all of it, and when it came to meats, i was to only give her lamb, and turkey. this dr was just so absolutely ridiculous! (maybe that was why whenever we were there, there were VERY few people in the waiting room! LOL)and needless to say, we weren't patients for long!

just go slow, and use common sense. if there is a known family allergy to something, by all means, i'd avoid that food, completely for awhile.

take care, and good luck.

C.

I think that he is going through a growing spurt. The cereal isn't going to hurt him. we had our daughter on cereal in her bottle from almost day one. We also started her on solid foods at three months and it helped immediately with all night sleeping. You have to do what is right for you and the baby. After all, the doctor is not the one getting up at 3 am to feed the baby.

Go with the cereal. All babies are different, so try not to, always go with what your Dr. says. Not all babies walk by a year old, or crawl first, or will sleep through the night within 6 months, so don't take everything to heart. Try the cereal and see if it helps. I know, many moms say no way, but, really, a little cereal IS NOT going to hurt him. Don't buy people, and dr's, telling you it will screw him up. many babies are on it from an even earlier age. The worst that can happen is that it won't work. The best advice I ever got was to go with what will work. With my daughter, I went through the same thing. My mom told me I acted the same way and once I had some cereal, I slept soundly. I tried it after countless sleepless nights, and a miserable baby. It made all the difference. Mine was about 3 months or so when I tried the rice cereal and she went from waking up every 2 hours for a feeding, to sleeping from 9am until 7am. To this day, she is still an amazing sleeper. My daughter slept in a car seat until she was almost 6 months of age also. Why? Because it was the only way I, or my child, could get any sleep. If I had listened to my Dr, we both would have suffered for 6 months. I too am a single mom, and the best thing you can do for yourself, AND your baby, is to find what works. My daughter is a healthy toddler, with no ill effects from sleeping in a carseat, or having cereal at 3 months of age!

I agree with the no cereal in the bottle. Wait until 4 months on the advice of your pediatrician. There is the (slim) possibility of choking. Also, introducing cereal too early could lead to food allergies, etc. since the digestive system is still maturing.

He might be going through a growth spurt. Welcome to the world of being a mom where the schedule is always changing and one day he'll sleep for 7 hours and then decide he needs to be awake all night for the next week!

He is probably going thru a growth spurt, it will be over soon :)

Sounds like he's going through a growth spert. Try giving him a big bottle with cereal right before bed. My son went through that on and off from about well... birth and still (at one) seems to have spouts of eating and eating. I guess I wouldn't worry unless he is significantly overweight. I found with both of my children, just when you think you know them, their eating habits, sleeping habits, etc., THEY CHANGE and I became concerned EVERY time.

I do not agree, I think cereal does work. I put both of my children (4 and 1-1/2) on cereal at a month old. I did so without pediatrician recommendation too. The main reason I did it with Abbi is because she had acid reflux so bad it seemed to be the only thing that weighed the formula down enough for her to keep it down. With Hunter, I was a young mother taking my mother's advice. I think it works. Both of my kids slept through the night after that - and Abbi was very colicky.

i have 2 children and mine always did that when they were going through a growth spurt and it normally passed after a couple of weeks. and they went back to normal. my children are one and half and four. and when they go through it i cannot seem to fill them up and then the next week i cant get them to eat. so hang in there.

Hi J.!
My son did the same thing when he was 3 months old. I was waking 3-4 times/night. My Pediatrician said he was going through a growth spurt. When I asked her about the cereal in the bottle,she said to just start feeding him the cereal by spoon and mix it with formula/breastmilk really thin.(so it pours off the spoon) She said don't bother putting it in his bottle. Keep an eye out for digestion issues when you 1st start feeding him the mixture. She said some kids just need the extra calories. I didn't even think that you can start giving him the cereal at night instead of morning. It's all about what works for your baby, what is written is just a guideline and doesn't work for everyone. Our son is 11 months and just starting to sleep through the night. I made the mistake of thinking he must be hungry when I should have let him cry for awhile (up to an hour,graduating up from 15mins.) before going to his rescue. I basically trained him to cry for me several times a night. I will know better for the next one! Hope this helps!
S.
____@____.com

Hi J.,
I feel your pain. My son didn't sleep through the night for over 2 years, for different reasons though. I started both of my children on cereal at 3 months & they did wonderful with it. I wouldn't put it in his bottle though. I would try to start spoon feeding him w/it. Good luck & just remember sleep will come.
E.

Hi J., I just want to say listen to your family. I know I had the same problem and I wanted to go by what te dr. said and not give in and give cereal to mine either. But once I did and he really got his belly full, it was so much nicer it helped him sleep longer at night because he got his belly and I of course slept better also. I know it seems early to start with the cereal, but promise it won't hurt him, only help you both, and your dr. doesn't need to know..lol

Please do try it and good luck

Stephanie

I have 2 little guys and at this age they were taking about four 8 oz bottles and were still hungry. I started cereal at 3 1/2 months for one and 2 1/2 months for the other b/c that is when it seemed like they needed it. I didn't give cereal in a bottle though - just off the spoon. We had to give the baby a spoonful and then a swig of the bottle to help them get the hang of swallowing more texture. My boys were able to sleep the night with more food in their bellies most of the time (8 hours at least - the older one would do 12). Sometimes though, I did find the food didn't help, but it is always worth a try!

I have a 3 month old son also. I breastfeed so i'm not exactly sure on oz but he eats every 3 hours through the day for 40 minutes each time... i'm guessing it's about 6 oz. At this age they are suppose to eat 4-6 oz and eat every 3-4 hours. It's not unlikely for them to get up once in the middle of the night. My son has done this once in the past month. I wouldn't give him cereal and especially in his bottle!!!! I have a 3 year old daughter also and when she was little she was on formula at 3 months old and she would wake up once in the middle of the night, but it eventually stopped. Hang in there it will get better. If he's eating every 3-4 hours and still eating 7 oz and still getting up in the middle of the night I would call the doctor there could be more going on then what you see on the outside.

Please do not try the cereal in the bottle. I know many moms whose babies were still not sleeping through the night at 3 months old, so I would advise you not to panic, but to meet your little guy's hunger needs to continue feeding him his regular bottles when needed. I understand that you are quite frustrated since he was previously sleeping for 7 hours at a time, but this kind of behavior is very normal for babies.
Please see information below from the following site:

http://mn.essortment.com/babycerealfeed_regi.htm

How do you tell if your baby is ready to be introduced to solids?

First, your child must be at least four to six months old according to the advice of most pediatricians. If you start too soon, several problems may occur. For one, a baby’s digestive system is not yet mature enough to properly break down solid foods until they reach this stage. Other problems that may occur are allergic reactions, growth may slow due to lack of protein obtained from breast milk or an iron rich formula, they may gain too much weight too soon and will most likely drink less milk or iron-rich formula because they are too full.
Remember that every child develops differently. Your child may not be ready until they are a year old. This is perfectly natural and often recommended because a mother’s breast milk or an iron rich formula provides a baby with the proper amount of nutrition during their first year of life. A child will not sleep better as a result of introducing cereal before bedtime, by the way. This is a myth and often why children are started on solids too soon.

Second, your child will begin showing subtle (or not so subtle, every child is different) signs. Some signs of readiness include sitting up without support, its weight has doubled since birth and shows interest in others eating (sometimes a lot of interest). More signs are they like to taste or sample, mimics chewing motion with their mouth and consumes thirty-two ounces of breast milk or iron rich formula daily while still showing signs of hunger.

NOTE: If your child’s tongue has a reflux action thrusting food out, they are not ready for solids. This means they have not yet learned how to correctly move food from the front of their mouth to the back without gagging or choking.

Why do parents choose cereal as their baby’s first solid food?

Cereal is used primarily to practice eating. It provides the necessary iron levels when mixed with breast milk or iron rich formula in order to meet nutritional needs for children aged six months and up. Prior to this stage, there is no real nutritional need. Rice cereal, oatmeal and barley prepared from boxed contents contain more nutrients than cereal prepared in store bought jars.

He's probably about to go through, or is going through, a growth spurt. Be patient, it shouldn't last long, maybe a week. If it goes longer than two weeks, I would start the cereal. I know of others who started early. Hang in there!
www.livingreenathome.com