Sleep - Fredericksburg,VA

Hi there Y.,

Join the club!!! I have a 4 month old baby boy who gets up 2 and 3 times for formula! We've tried everything and just come to the conclusion that we have a baby that doesn't sleep thru the night! So I have no advice except to tell you you aren't alone :)

Take care,
J.

Have you tied adding a small amount of infant cereal to his bedtime bottle? We never tried it with my son, but I know other moms who have. It's supposed to thicken the formula and fill up their tummy's more.

Y...
My son is almost 11 months and DOES NOT sleep through the night. Some will say YES it is YOUR fault, and others (me for example) will say that your baby just isn't a "sleeper" and will eventually, when he/she is ready, sleep through the night. When you decide you are growing tired of waking up two and three times nightly, then you will have to make some changes, let him "cry it out" and etc etc etc. I am not willing to let my son scream throughout the night and I look forward to the time I "spend" with him in his half-slumber laying with me drinking his formula and falling asleep in my arms. Don't worry what others think and say, please do what you think and feel is right for YOU AND YOUR CHILD....
god bless and good luck to you.
S. d

I'm pretty sure my daughter starting awaking up after sleeping thru the night when she was about 7-8 months. If I remember correctly I read that it is not unusual for babies that age to start waking up again. It had to do with the muscles developing do to crawling and lifting themselves up. I tried not to feed her, because then she would get use to feedings at night again. I just comforted her by patting her back until she went back down. Hope this helps some

Your baby is totally normal and you are not doing anything wrong! Just try to establish a regular night time routine (bath, then book, then bottle, then bed or whatever you guys like to do)and hang in there. It could be weeks or years before he starts sleeping through the night, every baby is different! Someone suggested the book BabyWise - I do not reccomend this book - I believe it has been rated very poorly by pediatricians and parents alike. Every baby has their own schedule and sleep needs. I did give my daughter a bottle/nurse her before bed until she was 14 months old, it did help some for us and she gave it up with no problem when we felt it was time. We also use a orthopedic pacifier at bedtime. Also, your son may be just waking up not from hunger but from discomfort from teething (we had this problem, too, only resolution was comfort and time) or perhaps even just from habit. Helping learn how to sooth himself could help with that. There are books that can help you with that without having to let him "cry it out" (I also don't reccomend letting him cry it out b/c it's not neccesary with consistency in other plans.) Even What to Expect the First Year has a helpful section on this topic. But no matter what, know that it's normal for him to be waking up and you're doing a good job as a mom!

That is pretty normal. My son didn't sleep through the night until he was two.

What is he getting before he goes down to bed? Maybe you should increase it by a little to keep his belly full a little longer.

Maybe he just wants to suck on something too, does he take a pacifier? Maybe it just pops right out and he wakes up realizing he doesn't have it and can't find it.

Sorry I can't be much more help, but those are what I could think of at the moment.

I'm not sure if it's normal or not, but is he eating enough during the day? We give my daugther a bottle right before bed. Do you think he may be teething? If so maybe his teeth hurt.

Hi Y.!
He may be waking up 2-3 times...but it is probably not for formula. The book "BabyWise" worked for me. It explained a lot about how babies sleep patterns are really influenced by US...and how we can help our little ones learn to sooth themslves and sleep at night. It helped me a lot with my 2!

Hi Y.,
No, you aren't doing anything wrong. Every baby is different. I lucked out with my daughter who slept through the night at 2 months, only to have my son decide he didn't want to, well, even now.....he's 9.....but it isn't a problem as eh is old enough to know what he can and can't do.

Do you feed him right before bedtime? If he eats right before bedtime, that might be his body's way of getting the energy out. My kids played before bed to tire them out. That way they would be sleeping the deepest amount possible.

Also, is your baby eating ceral or solids yet? If he is, you could try giving him cereal or something more substancial that will let him not wake up hungry in the middle of the middle of the night.

It is not your fault!!!!! Your son, like my daughter is not a good sleeper. My daughter never was. She is 16 months old, and still wakes up once. I give her water. Your son still needs formula. I rememeber when my daughter was 7 months old very well, as I journaled everyday about her. I still journal everyday. Here are some questions. Is he on solids(stage 1 foods)? How many oz of formula is he drinking and how far apart? When time do you put him to bed? What is your currant routine? Now, Here are some suggestions: Do not feed him everytime he wakes up. It may make him feel uncomfortable and bloated.

One hour before bed feed him a veggie. Then right before he is to go to bed, fedd him a 6 oz bottle. Make sure he burps good. Then off to bed he goes. Then the next time he awakes(Hopefully not for like 5 hrs) just go and soothe him. See if that works first before resorting to the bottle. If it doesnt then feed him 6oz, burp, and put him back in the crib. If he wakes up every 3 hrs, he shouldnt need a bottle every time.

Do not let him scream. He may cry it out a bit at his age, but the screaming he cant.

Just be patient!!!!!

my son was doing that still at 8 months. just about 9 months now. his ped. told me to start filling a bottle with water no formula at night after a week or so of getting the water he should fill it is pointless to get up and eat anymore. it has worked for me. but i should say that you shouldn't do this till your child is eating solids. which my son has been since he was 4 months.

Hi Y.,

My daughter is 16 months and she was never a good sleeper from the start. This is our routine now and it works very well, about a 1/2 before bedtime give him some rice cereal (its gentle on their stomach so they aren't waking up with a belly ache/gas--when I gave her any kind of veggie 4 hours before bedtime she would wake up with gas) Then a warm bottle--works everytime and she sleeps through the night because she is not waking up hungry. They say babies NEED a certain amount of calories for the day or they wake up hungry--so make sure he is fed good throughout the day and then at night give him his rice/mixed cereal and that should do it. Trust me I have had my fustrating nights of NO sleep and I tried everything under the sun to get her to sleep and this happened to work..hang in there!!

Good luck and let us know how it goes
C.

try watering it down then eventually just give him water in the middle of the night he really doesn't need the food he might just do it out of habit that is why you start giving him the water...or decrease the amount he gets 8oz..to 6oz..etc..
C.

its completely normal I have a 17 month old who chooses when he sleeps through the night....i inquired about it and all the advise i recieved said not to worry about it...some kids dont start to sleep through the night until around 2 or 3....but maybe u'll be lucky and your baby will sleep sooner:) U could try to add cereal to his formula...it did not make my son sleep through the entire night but it did make him sleep longer the normal...Good luck

My firstborn had to have cereal in his formula because he had reflux. The doctor prescribed it. It didn't stop him from waking twice in the night to eat until he was almost a year old. He still eats like a great dane (the author Joanna Russ had a character in her story WhileAway say that about her daughter). He's a very tall kid.

Your baby knows what his body needs. He could be going through a growth spurt. He could just be destined to be very tall. You could try adding a drink of formula right before bed -- that might help.

WELL IT OK THEN IT NOT.DOING FEEDING DO YOU PUT BABY FOOD IN HIS FORMULA.
OR I SHOULD I SAY THIS THAT LAST FEEDING BEFOR YOU PUT HIM TO BED ADD BABY FOOD TO IT HE SHOULD SLEEP LONGER.

It's actually pretty normal for some babies.

Listen to Shannon :) . I agree with her. My daughter is 22 months and wakes up 2 or 3 times OR more still. Be patient and don't compare TO much to others who are sleeping all night. It is OK if yours is not yet. I am just now seeing it to be the best time to "teach" my daughter (at almost 2 yrs.)how to go back to sleep w/out her "milk in the cup". And it is much easier now then it was back a few months ago or more when I tried it then. I say to myself, "she's only been alive for 2 years, whats the hurry". :)
God Bless, K.

Normal!!! My daughter who is 14 months old still isn't sleeping through the night. She just started getting up only once instead of 3-4 times for nursing!!

my 7 month old was/is doing the same thing...i was given some advice and it is working very well. She has slept through the night several times last week and only woke up once 2 times. Feed him LOTS for dinner and make sure he gets a bottle right before you put him down for bed. When he gets up in the middle of the night...let him cry it out and fall back to sleep without giving him a bottle. If he crys longer than 20 mins...go in...give your baby a hug to calm him down...then allow her to go back to sleep on her own. Your baby will become conditioned to understand that he will not be fed if he gets up in the middle of the night and will eventually just sleep through the night. Its hard...trust me! But it actually worked for my baby girl. Good luck!

i feel for you. i been there. kids are different. i have 3 boys, oldest never slept thru night till about 3 yrs old. other 2 it varied. sometimes they did, sometimes they didnt. it just may be your babies sleep pattern. he may grow out of it and sleep thru night for a while then start waking up again like mine did. no way to tell. sorry i wasnt much help, but as long as you are loving, feeding, and clothing him, and not abusing him, you not doing anything wrong.

Hey there! Well, just some advice...(my daughter - now 11 months old) has slept through the night since she was 4 months old. My secret is that right before I go to bed I feed her a bottle (usually around 10:30 or 11pm) and she was good until 6:30ish until the next morning. For the time being, maybe try that. I feed her her dinner around 7 and then put her to bed around 8-8:30pm and then wake her up for the 10:30/11ish bottle. If he/she cries during the night, your best bet (and I know it will be hard for a bit) is to just make sure he/she has their binky and "ignore" them. Let your baby cry themselves back to sleep. Well, I hope this helps and if you have any questions, please feel fre to get in touch with me. Good Luck! :-)