Supplementing/Cereal in Bottle

eg214 · June 2014

LO is 4 months old. She is still not STTN but did a few times last week. She is still up every 2-3 hours to eat...after 4 months. I am a single mom and just at my wits end.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? Did you supplement? For those who did, did you notice a difference in sleep? I'm considering 1 bottle of formula before bed at night or a spoonful of cereal in a bottle of pumped breastmilk a night.

Michelle N · June 2014

My lo turned 10 months today and still does not sttn. It has gotten better, but we still are up at least once. It is very normal for babies to wake up at night. I know around 4 months there is a so called "sleep regression", or just.. Babies being babies.. But it will get better. I haven't ever tried supplementing, but I don't think the cereal thing will work. Cereal isn't very high in nutrients. Solids aren't recommended until 6 months. Good luck!

linzeek44 · June 2014

At four months, it's pretty normal to be up at night to eat.

Cereal in a bottle is a pretty old recommendation. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns against it for a few important reasons, including your baby aspirating.

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Cereal-in-a-Bottle-Solid-Food-Shortcuts-to-Avoid.aspx

pmduggan01 · June 2014

My LO is 20 months, and he'll still wake up in the night a few times a week (only once a night). When he turned six months old we started feeding him rice cereal, and it did not make a difference in his sleeping -- he still woke up several times a night.

If I have baby # 2, I'll probably wait until he or she is older to introduce solids per the latest recommendations (see https://www.secretsofbabybehavior.com/search/label/developmental readiness for solid foods)

The good news is that your baby will sleep more as she grows. The four words I hate to hear, but is true, are "this too shall pass." I KNOW it is rough -- my LO didn't STTN at all his first year (he had undiagnosed food allergies that we've resolved).

Hang in there!

Unknown · June 2014

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eg214 · June 2014

Thanks all. Just wondered if more "food" was her problem. My supply seems to be enough for her but pumping is another story...so I wasn't sure she was truly getting enough.

hollandmama · June 2014

I'm sorry you are going through this... but I agree with PPs, food will not help. LO is 10 mo and also doesn't STTN, sometime he wakes up every hour or so. They sell some before-going to bed milk here which has no cereal but has more calories, I tried it when we were desperate for sleep and no improvement! So I guess she just need to outgrow this.

((hugs))

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