Sleeping Through The Night

Muffin274 · January 2014

My daughter is 3 1/2 months old. She was doing pretty well sleeping through the night, but over the last few days, she is waking up ever 1-2 hours all night long. I'm not sure if it is her teething or if maybe she isn't getting full enough. Does anyone have any advice to help her sleep better? I asked her Pediatrician about rice cereal but they said they don't suggest using rice cereal this early because it could cause food allergies. Has anyone started using the rice cereal early? And they has anyone found any tricks to help with teething pain? We use teething tablets and infant Tylenol.

jaysears · January 2014

It could be a growth spurt, just keep nursing her and know that in a few weeks she will change all over again. Just when you think you've got them figured out, they switch it up on you. Good Luck

mcgeeva · January 2014

I would say growth spurt as well. I didn't do rice till 5 months. I bet it's just a phase. Hang in there it'll get back to normal soon. These nights happen all through the first two years due to teething, growth spurts etc.

WashingtonQueen · January 2014

I believe this post belongs in 0-3 or 3-6.

Do NOT start rice cereal to make your baby sleep.

For teething pain I suggest looking into amber teething necklaces.

PrimRoseMama · January 2014

WashingtonQueen said:
I believe this post belongs in 0-3 or 3-6.
Do NOT start rice cereal to make your baby sleep.
For teething pain I suggest looking into amber teething necklaces.

@muffin274

Agree. Rice cereal will not make baby sleep longer. In fact, it might make him have a harder time sleeping because it can challenge their immature gut. This causes belly pain, constipation & fussiness.

Also, baby needs the nutrient rich breast milk or formula. Rice cereal & oatmeal are empty calories that will not meet their developmental needs right now. All solids before one year are not to be for food. It's to be for practice & all valuable nutrition should come from breast milk or formula.

The only thing that will make your baby sleep better is time. He will sleep better when he is physically, emotionally & psychologically able, but not before.

Ride it out. My almost 6 month old is still up twice a night at least to eat. It comes with the territory.

shiway · January 2014

It is a complete myth babies sleep better if you give then solid food or rice cereal. It is he recommendation to ebf or formula until 6 months. Even then I would highly recommend doing some research on rice cereal. There is basically no nutrition in it and it causes bloating and stomachs problems. No reason To spoon feed babies in the first place but especially rice cereal. It's just crap! Babies developmentally don't sleep through the night ad shouldn't I the first 3 months. Growth spurt, normal behavior, right around 3 months is when your milk finally evens out and then they go and have a growth spurt and you need to up your supply so they nurse and nurse to tell your body to make more milk. The answer to most "problems" is nurse them!

roo1oo · January 2014

Google 4 month wakeful period or 4 month sleep regression. Completely normal, you pretty much just have to wait it out.

LEIGHLOVE09 · January 2014

I agree it's just a phase. I definitely wouldn't give rice cereal. I'm not sure if you give her breastmilk or not but if you are you could try formula at night. I did notice a difference in my daughter's sleeping when i gave formula at night instead of bm.

iverske9 · January 2014

It isn't teething and rice cereal most likely will not help. Your daughter is going through either a growth spurt or a developmental growth, aka most babies regress around this age due to developmental accomplishments.

PrimRoseMama · January 2014

LEIGHLOVE09 said:
I agree it's just a phase. I definitely wouldn't give rice cereal. I'm not sure if you give her breastmilk or not but if you are you could try formula at night. I did notice a difference in my daughter's sleeping when i gave formula at night instead of bm.

This is also myth... Formula doesn't automatically mean STTN.

#-o

LEIGHLOVE09 · January 2014

PrimRoseMama said:

LEIGHLOVE09 said:
I agree it's just a phase. I definitely wouldn't give rice cereal. I'm not sure if you give her breastmilk or not but if you are you could try formula at night. I did notice a difference in my daughter's sleeping when i gave formula at night instead of bm.
This is also myth... Formula doesn't automatically mean STTN.

#-o

I get that people think it's a myth but there was a difference in the way my DD slept when I gave her formula vs bm. Now I didn't start doing this til she was 5 months and even then it was just the nighttime bottle. I mean why not try it and see if it makes a difference? If not, go back to bm. No harm done.

PrimRoseMama · January 2014

LEIGHLOVE09 said:

PrimRoseMama said:

LEIGHLOVE09 said:
I agree it's just a phase. I definitely wouldn't give rice cereal. I'm not sure if you give her breastmilk or not but if you are you could try formula at night. I did notice a difference in my daughter's sleeping when i gave formula at night instead of bm.
This is also myth... Formula doesn't automatically mean STTN.

#-o
I get that people think it's a myth but there was a difference in the way my DD slept when I gave her formula vs bm. Now I didn't start doing this til she was 5 months and even then it was just the nighttime bottle. I mean why not try it and see if it makes a difference? If not, go back to bm. No harm done.

Except that, like cereal, it can cause intestinal & tummy discomfort. I wouldn't advice messing with food for the kid. Babies have to learn how to sleep & the only sure fire solution is time.

Also, formula introduction can impact supply for mom. Your baby may have just been ready to sleep more at 5 months. Five months is not at all equal to a 3 month old developmentally.

LEIGHLOVE09 · January 2014

PrimRoseMama said:

LEIGHLOVE09 said:

PrimRoseMama said:

LEIGHLOVE09 said:
I agree it's just a phase. I definitely wouldn't give rice cereal. I'm not sure if you give her breastmilk or not but if you are you could try formula at night. I did notice a difference in my daughter's sleeping when i gave formula at night instead of bm.
This is also myth... Formula doesn't automatically mean STTN.

#-o
I get that people think it's a myth but there was a difference in the way my DD slept when I gave her formula vs bm. Now I didn't start doing this til she was 5 months and even then it was just the nighttime bottle. I mean why not try it and see if it makes a difference? If not, go back to bm. No harm done.
Except that, like cereal, it can cause intestinal & tummy discomfort. I wouldn't advice messing with food for the kid. Babies have to learn how to sleep & the only sure fire solution is time.

Also, formula introduction can impact supply for mom. Your baby may have just been ready to sleep more at 5 months. Five months is not at all equal to a 3 month old developmentally.

Wait you think formula will cause intestinal & tummy discomfort? What about all the people who choose to use formula or have to because their supply isn't enough and are either forced to supplement or switch completely. Not everyone has the luxury of giving breastmilk for a year +. Everyone makes their own decisions for their family and what works for them. I'm personally telling what worked for me and my child. The OP can make her own decisions as to what works for her and her child. We shouldn't be made to feel bad because you made a different choice than I did.

Eta: my supply wasn't affected by this as I continued to pump during that feed. Any mom who has been nursing/pumping for months at that point would know how their supply is affected and act accordingly.

redhead610 · January 2014

LEIGHLOVE09 said:

PrimRoseMama said:

LEIGHLOVE09 said:

PrimRoseMama said:

LEIGHLOVE09 said:
I agree it's just a phase. I definitely wouldn't give rice cereal. I'm not sure if you give her breastmilk or not but if you are you could try formula at night. I did notice a difference in my daughter's sleeping when i gave formula at night instead of bm.
This is also myth... Formula doesn't automatically mean STTN.

#-o
I get that people think it's a myth but there was a difference in the way my DD slept when I gave her formula vs bm. Now I didn't start doing this til she was 5 months and even then it was just the nighttime bottle. I mean why not try it and see if it makes a difference? If not, go back to bm. No harm done.
Except that, like cereal, it can cause intestinal & tummy discomfort. I wouldn't advice messing with food for the kid. Babies have to learn how to sleep & the only sure fire solution is time.

Also, formula introduction can impact supply for mom. Your baby may have just been ready to sleep more at 5 months. Five months is not at all equal to a 3 month old developmentally.
Wait you think formula will cause intestinal & tummy discomfort? What about all the people who choose to use formula or have to because their supply isn't enough and are either forced to supplement or switch completely. Not everyone has the luxury of giving breastmilk for a year +. Everyone makes their own decisions for their family and what works for them. I'm personally telling what worked for me and my child. The OP can make her own decisions as to what works for her and her child. We shouldn't be made to feel bad because you made a different choice than I did.

Eta: my supply wasn't affected by this as I continued to pump during that feed. Any mom who has been nursing/pumping for months at that point would know how their supply is affected and act accordingly.

Yes, whenever you introduce something new to the digestive system it can cause digestive upset. It doesn't last forever, but some babies may be gassy. Some people need to try multiple formulas before they find the right one for their baby.

PrimRoseMama · January 2014

MosyMama said:

LEIGHLOVE09 said:

PrimRoseMama said:
PrimRoseMama said:

LEIGHLOVE09 said:
I agree it's just a phase. I definitely wouldn't give rice cereal. I'm not sure if you give her breastmilk or not but if you are you could try formula at night. I did notice a difference in my daughter's sleeping when i gave formula at night instead of bm.
This is also myth... Formula doesn't automatically mean STTN.

#-o
I get that people think it's a myth but there was a difference in the way my DD slept when I gave her formula vs bm. Now I didn't start doing this til she was 5 months and even then it was just the nighttime bottle. I mean why not try it and see if it makes a difference? If not, go back to bm. No harm done.
Except that, like cereal, it can cause intestinal & tummy discomfort. I wouldn't advice messing with food for the kid. Babies have to learn how to sleep & the only sure fire solution is time.

Also, formula introduction can impact supply for mom. Your baby may have just been ready to sleep more at 5 months. Five months is not at all equal to a 3 month old developmentally.
Wait you think formula will cause intestinal & tummy discomfort? What about all the people who choose to use formula or have to because their supply isn't enough and are either forced to supplement or switch completely. Not everyone has the luxury of giving breastmilk for a year +. Everyone makes their own decisions for their family and what works for them. I'm personally telling what worked for me and my child. The OP can make her own decisions as to what works for her and her child. We shouldn't be made to feel bad because you made a different choice than I did.

Eta: my supply wasn't affected by this as I continued to pump during that feed. Any mom who has been nursing/pumping for months at that point would know how their supply is affected and act accordingly.

_-------------

Quote fail

Pretty sure this wasn't bashing formula or FF. The point was just that switching back and forth between BM and formula might irritate baby's stomach and cause digestive issues.

@mosymama is correct. No FF bashing.

Also, @leighlove09 : you are assuming that I've always been able to BF & have had no problems. I FF'd my daughter from 4 months on. I have nothing against FF. I feel lucky that BF has worked out so far with DS.

So yeah, I know formula can cause intestinal upset. If you are switching back & forth on a daily basis it can (not saying it will) cause more problems for STTN.

Whatever you feed the kid doesn't make a difference for when they can STTN. It's about emotional & physical readiness.

JuneMrs · January 2014

If she's getting up to eat feed her and put her back to bed. Babies go through different stages like you said teething, growth spurts, etc. Don't give rice cereal it's just processed junk. Once she's done going through this she will start sleeping again just roll with it.

Muffin274 · February 2014

I didn't end up giving her the rice cereal. We just keep feeding her and changing her when she wakes up. She has gotten better with sleeping. She isn't waking up every hour anymore but she is still waking up 2-3 times a night. I'm just glad we are getting a little more sleep now.

tjkdlhb · February 2014

I'm glad you're getting more sleep now! Babies change their sleep patterns frequently in the first year. DD when through times when she would STTN and then when she would be up several times a night.

Your little girl is absolutely beautiful BTW!

JuneMrs · February 2014

It's a phase it will pass.

Muffin274 · February 2014

tjkdlhb

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