5 Month Old Weening at Night

He might be going through a growth spurt. My now two year old daughter started sleeping though the night at 2 months old. But when ever she went through a growth spurt she would wake up starving 2-3 times a night for about a week or two until my milk supply increased and she started getting more during the day. One thing I did when I realized that was happening was to try to increase the number of feedings I gave her during the day. I especially tried to squeeze in an extra one before bed. When I could do that consistently she would only wake up once a night instead of the 2-3 times until her appetite settled down.

The thing is that they go through growth spurts every 2-3 months and it can be tiring to repeat this cycle all the time. But once you start on solids it will get better. I know a lot of people have told you to start solids now. And he is 5 months old he might be ready, but let you and your pediatrician decide when that time it. But when ever you decide to start solids, please do not put water down rice cereal in a bottle and give it to your child. It is very dangerous. And one of the reasons we give rice cereal is to teach our children to eat solids the right way.

If his waking up at night is not due to hunger and just due to him wanting you. I think you've received a lot of good soothing techniques in the other posts. It was really helpful for us to send my husband in when soothing was needed rather than food, because lets face it, mom means food and it is soothing as well. I wish you the best of luck and hope he settles down soon.

Hi. You could try reading "The no cry sleep solution" book (by ?).
Also, just hang in there. Your baby is still so little, they are not supposed to know how to fall asleep on their own yet. We tried many things with our baby for sleep after six months, but did not use the CIO.
Does your baby sleep with you or sleep in the same room with you? You could try a co-sleeper (a small type crib that pushes up against your bed.)
Babies this young still need to nurse frequently and it is the best thing for them. Once they get a little older they can go longer at night without feeding. Also, remember that nursing is not only just to fullfill hunger but to also comfort them.
You are doing great, just keep trying different things that YOU feel comfortable doing. Take care, L.

I have a 4 mon 3 wk old who has been sleeping through the night since 2 months-ish. She is now at 12 full, blissful, hours. Let me tell you my steps and you can take/leave what you like. I will start from when she was having the "early" morning feeding as you are describing. I used to wake her just enough to feed right before I went to bed (9-ish). So even if he is comfortably sleeping at 7-7:30p it might help to "top him off" so to speak before you go to bed. I always leave the light off and use the hall light so there is just enough for me to figure out which end is which but not too much for her to become fully awake. I stroke her back/hair to keep her awake enough to feed, but again, not have an awake baby.
Another thing you might consider is starting his solids now. You can start from 4-6 months (of course ask your pediatrician). But if you notice he is noticing your food when you eat it might be time. This can help with more satisfying sleep all day and night.
Lastly things I have done to soothe without waking are paci-putting-in, rubbing of the back, patting of the bottom and loud shhhh-ing (rhythmic, but loud enough for them to hear over their cries). Also limit stimulation here to, not too much of anything to get that wake cycle started.
Whew sorry this is so long but one more thing. If he is sleeping in your room, get him out. Really. Even if you don't realize it he is hearing you in the night, and it gives you some time to get to his room, added min/sec in which, before you know it, he may surprisingly soothe himself. Hope this helps, I know what that can feel like to be at a stuck point, good luck!

Just a couple of thoughts...

First I would see if dad is willing to go in and give him his paci and shh-shh him for a couple of nights at that 3am waking. Since daddy doesn't smell like food it often helps babies get over the last hurdle to all night sleeping. (all night meaning about 6-7 hours)

Next I would go ahead and start a little rice cereal with the 7:30pm feeding, kind of like a first course. :o) I started both of mine at 4 months with the blessings of my Ped and it really held them alot longer. Just mix it very thin with some of your milk (I hated the idea, and smell!, of formula so never used it) and use the baby spoon to pour it down. It will take him a few feedings to figure out this new way of eating so be patient. You could try a few 'bites' with each feeding during the day so maybe by the late evening feed you can get more down him. It really will make adifference in a day or two.

One last thing, just in case you didn't think of it yourself. When beginning solids during the day he may want to sleep longer during the day too. Don't let him. Keep waking him every 4 hours during the day and work in as much play as you can between day feedings.

Enjoy your boy!

He may be going through a growth spurt and wants to eat more often due to increased caloric needs. My babies ate 2-3 times a night until they were 7-8 months old. Hard on moms!
Good luck!

Hi M.,
I loved the book The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems for both feeding and sleeping issues. The author suggests a 4 hour feeding schedule (which you are on) as well as a "dream feed" where you feed your son at around 10 pm without actually waking him. I did this with both of my kids, and they slept through the night from 3 months on. The author also has some suggestions for dealing with nighttime wakings (if they still continue after the dream feed) without having to use the cry it out. She helps you to determine whether it is actual hunger (either from a growth spurt, which is temporary, or not getting enough food during the day since as they get older they need more food) or just a habit of waking. Even something as simple as sitting next to your son's crib (with your hand through the rails if he needs you touching him) can help calm him without picking him up. I used to tell my kids I was only going to stay for a little while so that they didn't get upset when I left or when they woke up and I wasn't there.
Good luck whatever you choose to do,
C.

sounds like you might be worried about what you "should" be doing. 5 months is not too old, so i would just go with it if you are not freaking out with lack of sleep. this is still his only food source and he may be growing or teething. sleep training just seems pretty intense for such a little one. to be honest, your guys schedule sounds nice compared to lots of other ones his age and older. i would say that it is always good to keep offering different sleep associations, but you should not be too fixated on results, instead be happy knowing that you are laying the foundation for easier sleep times in the future.

Hi M.,

You might want to think about introducing solids a bit earlier. I had to start my daughter when she was 5 mos old, for the same reasons (she started waking up for an additional feeding at 3am).

I'll copy & paste below from an article I found:

"How do you know if your baby is ready for solid foods?

Your baby may be 3 months old or 4 months old when you start to feel she may need 'something more' than formula or breastmilk. Maybe she is beginning to awaken more often at night or eat more often than 'usual' and you wonder if introducing solid foods may be what she needs."

(http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/readyforsolids.htm)

Hope this helps you. Good luck with your little guy :)

-B.

Hi M.!

I think every new mom is faced with this :o)

My mom helped me with the "old-fashioned way", which was to put some cereal mixed in with the bottle. Then make the nipple larger for the cereal to not clog it so much.

It worked for me! But, honestly, it takes a few tries to get the amount of mixture to work with your milk/formula. So, if you choose to try this, then you need to have patience.

I know you don't want to start him on solid or formula yet, however, he is giving you signs that he is ready for MORE!

He is just growing mom :o)

Good Luck!

:o) N.

If he's not in pain from teething, stomach pains, food sensitivities from nursing (acid reflux...the burning sensation we get in our chest from eating the wrong foods), then it sounds like may just needs more nourishment for his bones and everything else to grow property. You can either 1) keep in mind that he's still young and needs a lot of milk throughout the day and night right now or 2) add solids to his diet.

Hi M.,
I recommend reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth for info on age appropriate sleep schedules and biological rhythms. He talks alot about the CIO method so be prepared. If you start putting him to bed MUCH earlier, say 6pm, you may see a big difference. At 5 months old, my daughter was napping at 9am, 1pm, asleep at night by 6-6:30pm and waking at 6:30-7am. She was sleeping through the night. She wasn't exclusively breastfed though. Many babies still need to eat once or twice at night until 9 months old. I always put Paige to bed with a full tummy at night too. If you want more info about Dr. Weissbluth's methods, email me. I too am not a big CIO fan though I have used it with my daughter, but not at 5 months old.
Sincerely,
L.

My guy is 6 months old and waking two times at night now. when he was 5 months old, he started waking every two or three hours to eat. I started feeding him cereal with banana for dinner/last meal, and he started sleeping through again. I guess he was genuinely hungry. I started a little runny cereal at 4 months old, every few days, so I think (although each child develops at their own pace) he could be ready for solids now.

Feed him every three hours during the day instead of every four hours until he is sleeping longer at night. Once he sleeps through the night you can gradually increase time between daytime feedings. He may be waking because he needs more food than he is getting during the day. Congrats on your new baby!

"old school"......

Being a working Mom, and having only 6 weeks off after my babies were born, I was always on a mission to have my babies sleeping all night by the time they were 6 weeks old.

May sound crazy now a days, however, I introduced the baby spoon at 4 weeks old, with rice cereal very diluted w/either my own milk or formula. Very little rice cereal added to the milk. At 4 weeks old one tablespoon of formula with a bit of rice cereal did it. They slept all night.

Today, they are grown adults - and of course just as healthy as there were when they were babies.

Babies are normally hungry at night, that is why they wake up.

So, in essence, adding rice cereal to their diet at night is something to consider.

Hope this assists,
Mama L.
Mother of 6

Dear M.,
One of two things is happening. Your baby is waking up and wants to be comforted or he's waking up because he is hungry.
You are trying to ween him, and there is nothing wrong with that, but my question is.....if you are feeding him less so he'll sleep, why aren't you giving him solid foods?
Honey....who ever told you 6 months is the magic number?
When you stop to think how much a baby grows in the first year, you have to realize that schedules or what or how much they eat are going to change.
My kids both slept all night so it's unfair for me to advise you on what to do at night. But, by 5 months my kids were also eating food-food. My first baby cried every single night when I cooked dinner. I thought she was tired or of all times that's when she wanted to fuss for attention. It turned out, she was just hungry. She didn't want to nurse. That didn't taste like what she could smell. I started giving her cereal and applesauce, etc. Heck, by 6 months, my kids were eating yogurt, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and gravy, little nibbles of chicken and fish.
I would say, don't wait another month to give him some food. If you just want to start out with rice cereal or something that's fine. But by all means, try it during the day and don't wait. My son ate like a little piglet and still nursed for 15 months. And slept all night. Introduce your baby to the joys of food!

To me 5 months is too young to quit the night time feedings. My son is almost 9 months and still gets up 2-3 times a night and he's HUNGRY! I can tell based on the way he nurses. Breastmilk is a very natural and easily digested food therefore it goes through the system faster. When the baby has any changes or growth he will want to feed more often. Part of being a parent is the nighttime waking... it's not forever. At least that's what i have to keep telling my sleep-deprived self!

Hi M.,
What I have learned with my own child is that I could read all the books and listen to all sorts of opinions from many people, and these are tools but the truth stands that there is no set protocols that meets the needs of each and every individual child. When I just listen to my daughter things come and go with ease and she is a happy self assured child that sleeps through the night now to. I just simply went with the flow. The more you try to force things usually the more upset both baby and parent will feel. What I'm trying to say is that you should follow your babies cues, he knows best what he needs, and you also know instinctively what is right for both of you. Maybe the every four hours is to long for him right now or maybe he is teething. My daughter started teething at his age and it took over a month for it to come through,she needed me, and needed the comfort of breastfeeding. Don't worry, listen to yourself, stay calm, feed him when he wants it, and take naps during the day when he sleeps until you get over the hump together. You know better than any body in the whole world what is right for your little guy.
Good Luck,
A.

You and I are in the same boat! My son will be 6 months next week and he use to go down at 745 and sleep till 4 or 5 and eat then go back down till 7 or 8, well, for a month now he's will get up at 12 then 2 and 5 and 6 ! And simply I started giving him his cereal and now were on to carrots and since then he's gotten back to his routine! My doctor said its probably because he's hungry for solids, which keep him full, unlike the breast milk he was getting. But during the day he eats 4 0z every 2 and 1/2 hours... maybe you should start him on cereal and see how it goes...? And if you have tried that try moving on to the veggies like carrots...!

Oooweee. We're in pretty much the same boat. Please share your info. I think my problem was, too, I let him stay in my bed too long. He had a medical emergency the first couple of weeks after birth and (if you can believe it), it was my husband's idea to let him sleep with us! He's a very good boy, he will just feed all night, if I let him. He's the first one and I'm so in love, yet soooooooo tired. I'm learning from this one, the next time will definitely be different(LOL)