To Swaddle or Not swaddle.....and Sleep

there is a giant growth spurt at 3 months, so he is waking because he is hungry.

Each kid is different when it comes to swaddling. I never found it to make any difference in how well they slept.

Yes you need to feed him! He is a baby and he needs to eat round the clock. At that age my baby was waking up every 3 hours to eat at night. If you don't want him to wake you up then a short time before you're ready to go to bed, I'm assuming you don't go to bed at 8 right? go in and feed him. This will keep him asleep longer and it will let you get more sleep. Some babies like swaddling at this age, quite a few, but not all. So, I say try it and see what works for the both of you. Oh, sleeping from 8-2 is 6 hours!!! That is a full night's sleep to a lot of people, so be happy for what you're getting. I know, it sounds hard to do, my 15 month old still wakes up at least twice a night. I think feeding him will help a lot. It did with us; it was the only time we could get about 5 hours at a time.

He could be going through a growth spurt and need that extra feeding. If he's hungry please feed him!
Some babies like being swaddled and some don't. Out of my 3, only 1 actually liked it and was happier being swaddled. The other 2 hated it.
Babies aren't meant to sleep longer than 6 hours at a stretch, if even that long. A baby isn't meant to sleep 8-10 hours in a stretch.
This website has some wonderful information about infant sleep.
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/8-infant-...
They do sleep eventually. I know it's hard when they are little but it will pass. All the best.

If the baby is hungry he's not going to go back to sleep and sleep peacefully. He's hungry. How does it feel if you are starving and don't get up and get something to eat. He doesn't understand he's not supposed to be awake...lol.

I have never had the pleasure of a child that slept all night until they were really close to 2. If they woke up hungry they got fed.

In his little world he should be sleeping about 16-18 hours of the day. His little tummy is only about the size of his balled up fist. That is not much food for a person who's cells are dividing by the second. His energy consumption is massive. He needs to eat each and every time he wakes up. He is growing and is hungry.

Please feed him and if he wakes up 5 times per night just know that some day he will finally sleep through the night. Take naps during the day when you can so that when he's awake at night you won't be so tired.

it's okay to ask questions! that's why the site is here!
i'm not one of those who says 'there are no stupid questions.' there are. a lot. and a lot of 'em are here. but a young mom with real questions and challenges should always feel free to post.
for his age, your son is actually sleeping pretty well. don't deny him nutrition! he's so tiny. he can't go for long without refueling. don't think of it as going 'backward.' kids don't progress in neat forward lines. a baby's development is a complex equation. different stages have different requirements. it's very common for infants to sleep no more than two hours at a stretch for months, so count your blessings and YES feed your baby when he wakes up hungry.
swaddling is so individual. some babies love it. some never like it. some only want it during specific stages. give it a try and see if it helps!
good luck, mama.
:) khairete
S.

If he's waking and seems hungry, then you feed him. Three months is a prime time for a growth spurt. He's ONLY three months old, so sleeping through the night is a pipe dream. He needs those calories to grow.

I swaddled until 6-7 months, my daughter loved it. I would say swaddle and feed :)

he's still really young. If he wakes and eats when you feed him then he is hungry. Remember all babies are different. Some can go longer at night without being hungry than others. Also remember babies go through growth spurts. So when this is happening he will want to eat during the night, maybe even more than usual. And as for swaddling....if that is what he likes then keep doing it. Remember that as he grows and gets older he will feel more comfortable sleeping without being wrapped up so tight. But right now while he's still little he kinda needs it. All 3 of my babies stopped wanting to be swaddled around 6 months.

If he's hungry you should feed him.

My MIL was always on my case about not having my son on a "schedule". She thought he should only be fed at certain times every day, and should only sleep at certain times every day. I understand that some people like that, but it's not for me. If my son was hungry, I fed him no matter what time of day it was. If he was tired, I let him sleep. I didn't make him go to bed at certain times. Even now... I make sure that he's in bed by 11pm (He's 2 and we are kind of night owls) but if he's tired before then I certainly don't keep him awake longer just to keep him on schedule.

As long as he's eating, he's hungry and needs to be fed. When he wakes up but isn't hungry, that's when you know it's a habit and he doesn't need to eat. He's doing really good getting in 6 - 7 hour stretches of sleep!

BTW, it's never too many questions.

both of our kids loved to be swaddled. espically our son. i think that is great sleeping with your son! Our son woke up every two hrs 24/7 for feeding. One night he slept 8 hrs and I called the doctors to see if it was normal. The nurse freaked out on the phone and told me he could not go any longer than 6 hours max and need to be woke up to be fed every two hours. Big lie! I did it and did not sleep till our son was about three months old where he would sleep four hours a stretch. The fussy nurse told me there blood sugar could drop too low if they went long times with out feeding at night. I did not listen to her with the second child and she slept when she wanted and woke for a bottle. My pedi told us that after one year of age they are trained to sleep through the night. they no longer need the night feedings. Our son was one and it took three nights to get him use to sleeping with out feedings. If I were you I would try soothing him durring the night wakings with out feeding and see if he goes back to sleep.

Not sure how old your baby is? We found the Magic Sleepsuit to be an incredible product for babies to help them wean from the swaddle and sleep better. Tons of moms on another site swear by it.

I would feed him and he probably will go right back to sleep. My opinion is to not swaddle much after 3 months old as they like to move their arms around and already feel secure by that age or even a bit earlier. Sometimes a baby will sleep better wrapped a bit but not necessarily swaddling. It's up to you but I think it's important too to be able to move around by this age and soon turn over and I wouldn't want to be swaddled if I needed to move or turn over or stretch.