My three and a half month old wakes up twice at night to eat (at 1 am, and then at 4 am). I have to get up to work at 5 am, so I am exhausted most of the day later. I have been feeding him breast milk exclusively. He’s had some problems with his digestive system (gas & baby reflux), so I didn’t want to supplement with formula (breast milk is easier to digest). Now his reflux is under control, so maybe I could alter his diet slightly. My girlfriends advise me to:
1. Feed him formula just at bedtime – it takes longer to digest, so he will sleep longer
2. Give him some cereal at bedtime – for the same reason
3. Give him some water when he wakes up for the first time. It won’t increase the production of acid in his stomach like milk or formula would, so he won’t get hungry too soon.
Are there any other options? Which one worked for you?
2006-09-18 16:41:49 · 18 answers · asked by Lilly 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
It might make him sleep longer, but that's no guarantee.
2006-09-18 16:46:15 · answer #1 · answered by ariannaandtjsmom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO NO NO NO NO!!! Your baby will sleep through the night when he is ready to , sadly not a minute before that. Some babys this is from birth some its 5 years old. Cereal at bedtime is a myth, formula will just cause poop problems. at 3 months old he may not be able to get through the night without being hungry yet. HOWEVER if you nurse him to sleep he might just be wakiing up and not able to go back to sleep. To counter this I recomend a book called Helathy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Its about $15 bucks. You need to start with naps durring the day then work on the bedtime stuff. I would not try crying it out or anything at this stage. He probibly just isnt developmentally ready to sleep that long yet. Can you pump and have your partner feed the baby one time? If not try going to bed when he dose, it sounds nuts but it helps tons.
2006-09-18 17:49:33 · answer #2 · answered by shannonlbuck 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do not give him water. only formula or breastmilk. If he is having digestion problems dont give him cereal at bedtime and if you must use oatmeal which is easier to digest. feed ur child a bottle of formula before bed. When your child wakes up at 1 don't rush to feed him. wait 5 minutes to see if he calms down on his own. If he still is crying give the child with as little interaction as possible. Don't talk to him and keep the lights off. And do not change his diaper unless you absolutely have to. Make sure that your child knows night time is quiet time. with this technique my son was sleeping throught the night at 10 weeks old. Just remember that when he starts fussing he could still fall back to sleep on his own.
2006-09-18 16:55:05 · answer #3 · answered by Lisa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son also had reflux, and he was exclusively breastfed for six months.
1) Formula feeding will not help your baby to sleep through the night. That is a myth.
2) Cereal will also not help him to sleep through the night, and the AAP and other well-regarded sources recommend waiting on all solid foods until six months--the minimum age to begin solids is four months. It's ideal to wait on solids so that your baby's gut has a chance to mature.
3) Your baby does not need water if your breastfeeding. More than an ounce or so of water can disrupt the electrolyte balance in your son's body.
Rather than adding formula, adding cereal or adding water you can continue to wake up with him at night, or you can try to night wean him very gently. Crying it out, which some people may suggest as an option, is not recommended for reflux babies because it can exacerbate reflux.
One way to night wean is to time how long you feed him at night and then stop one minute each night until you've eliminated the feeding. For instance, if you're feeding him for ten minutes when he wakes try to feed him for nine minutes the next night, eight minutes the next and so on.
Of course, it is totally normal for a 3.5-month old to still wake at night and many babies begin to sleep through the night on their own much later.
2006-09-18 16:53:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
As long as you are eating healthy and high calorie meals, he should be getting plenty of nourishment. He just burns the food fast and needs more. My 2nd was the same way and when I tried formula, she stopped taking breastmilk and still woke up constantly during the night, but now with gas and spitting up. I swore I'd never do it again. Also, depending on the digestive problems, cereal might add more problems. My 4th baby had digestive problems and when I started her on rice cereal, it was absolute h... Talk to your doc before starting on cereal. And water just makes them pee more during the night, so then they cry because of a wet diaper, so you're up anyways.
And it is not a good idea to ever put cereal in the bottle for them to drink. It is a solid food to be eaten with a spoon.
2006-09-18 16:52:59 · answer #5 · answered by heaven help me 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would definitely not advise you to give a three month old cereal. As far as the formula, i don't think feeding him that would make a difference; breast milk is just as filling. If you were to give him water he'd be lacking the nutrition that he wakes up for. It's hard but i would just keep nursing. He'll start sleeping more with time.
2006-09-18 16:47:47 · answer #6 · answered by Violet 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have breast fed and bottle fed both of my kids. Formula keeps them fuller longer. Don't give your baby cereal. My littlest guy is 3 months as well. His doctor told me that because my baby has reflux (it's under control but still there) cereal can aggravate his tummy if his body isn't ready for it. But if your baby has reflux, you need to speak to his doctor before you change his diet. Just because his reflux is under control doesn't mean it's gone. Plus getting up only twice at night really is pretty good for a three month old. At least give his doc a call to see if switching his diet will effect his reflux.
2006-09-18 16:53:34 · answer #7 · answered by aerofrce1 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am a nutritionist
your girlfriend has given you bad advice, im sorry to say
your baby will not sleep longer if you feed formula or cereal (and the cereal before 6 months is dangerous)
giving a baby water in place of formula will cause malnutrition and can cause water toxicity (and brain damage or death) in infants not yet 6 months old
your baby has most likely hit the 3 months growth spurt and is eating more frequently (it will taper off shortly, just keep going)
breastmilk is still best for your baby if you switch to formula you run the chance of causing his digestive symptoms to flare up again
2006-09-18 17:13:14 · answer #8 · answered by tpuahlekcip 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Formula may make him sleep longer, but it is no guarantee. Breast fed babies do need to be fed more often. Try mixing some of your breast milk with a little cereal. Maybe this will help satisfy him longer. Sleep deprevation is the hardest part of being a new mom. I know and I feel for you.. You should try to sleep when your baby sleeps no matter how much stuff there is to do. Those naps during the day can be very helpful. Good luck .
2006-09-18 17:01:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
yes breast feeding babies wake up two or more times a night to be feed. My sister's 18 month old is still waking up to be feed because she is still breast feeding but my other sister's 11 month old has been sleeping threw the night for 3 months now and she is formula feed.
2006-09-18 20:00:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you want to put your baby to sleep in 20 seconds you must get the "Instant Baby Sleep" MP3 sound track. Here is their official web-site: http://www.instantbabysleep.net
The sound track gently produces energy over the full human hearing spectrum with an embedded pulse that gently eases the brain to the Alpha state well known for drowsiness and sleep induction.
2014-09-25 09:51:29 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋