It's hit or miss ladies! Need some advice on how to get my little son here to sleep past 3 or 4 am! I've done the whole rice cereal thing and it's not working...any other ideas? I heard about smooshed up bananas because of the seeds? Any "mommy-truth" to that? He's had to sleep in between every feeding...he gets so tired. My pediatrician says that I need to go in at 3am and just add the pacifier and comfort but that doesn't work. He is seriously hungry. I let him go about 5-8 minutes the other night and he was crying his eyes out!!! I can't just let him cry like that. He was crying way too hard for my liking. I know he's slept through the night before and we've done the same thing every night so I know he can do it. H e l p ! :-)

By Musicmom on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 01:55 pm:

With my first, the Dr. said to give my ds less and less formula when he wakes up and if he wanted more give him a bottle of water. Gradually giving no formula and taking a few weeks to do this. Eventually, he'll decide that it is not worth getting up for a bottle of water. With my first this did work. My 5th is 6 months and we are still getting up for a bottle at night. I'm going to try to do this with her again. I tried a few weeks ago and she did go back to sleep after some formula and then giving her a bottle of water, then got up again that night. Good luck.

By Jackie on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 02:22 pm:

I guess Im old fashion, if hes hungry, feed him. I personally think if a baby that young wakes up , and he acts like hes hungry, he probably is..
My baby just turned 3 months old and has been sleeping though the night for almost 3 weeks now(Only 2 nights she got up around 3am to eat, and I fed her)..She goes down between 8-9pm and up around 6am..Im breastfeeding her, so right now she is not getting any cereal or formula before bed..I think when babies are ready, they are ready..I think they are too young at that age, to cry it out, or be withheld food.. But thats just my opinion.

By Emdee on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 02:55 pm:

I fed mine until she quit nursing at 13 months, even in the middle of the night! She wasn't growing, so we fed her any chance we got. I guess I agree with Jackie--if they are really hungry, then they need fed, but I know others disagree with that. I hope you get some relief soon and that he starts sleeping for you. I wish I could give good advice--my dd is 18 months and still can't sleep through the night.

By Amecmom on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 04:40 pm:

Ditto Jackie. You might try feeding him later in the evening. What time is he fed before the 3 or 4 am feeding?
Ame

By Tink on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 05:07 pm:

I really think that 4 months is too young to consistently go through the night without a feeding. If he really seems hungry, he probably is. 6 months or so is when babies may start to use that nighttime feeding for more than food. Maybe you can wake him up to eat right before you go to bed, if you aren't already.

By Mrsheidi on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 06:09 pm:

Thanks ladies...I'll be more patient. I guess I was spoiled with a week of sleeping through the night and then on and off after that. we usually feed him between 7:30 and 8:30 and then put him down with a paci.

By Kaye on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 08:03 pm:

Another suggestion is don't put him down so early. If you can stand to stay up later, then feed him again at 11. I am a believer in feed those babies when they ask, but I also think it is so easy to pop a boob out instead of checking other options. So I would also suggest make sure he is hungry, hold him cuddle him, if he is acting hungry then feed him. My middle kid had reflux and we tried the cereal thing, it didn't work for him either. To this day the kid eat so much more than my others!

By Missmudd on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 08:24 pm:

My 15 yo ds was a real prince of darkness when he was a baby. I used to make "power bottles", now I dont know if your ped would freak out so take this w/ a grain of salt and your own best judgement. I honestly dont remember when you are allowed to have them go on more solid food, I know that my ds got these bottles long b4 they were recommended, but I was going nuts. Make a 4oz bottle w/ formula like normal, add 1/2 medium sized jar baby food banana and 1/2 small jar strained baby food chicken (straight chicken not the dinner stuff) add rice cereal til it barely flows. Take a nipple and put a big X in it about 1/4 inch. Feed the little guy. Like I said take this w/ a grain of salt, if you have any suspicion that the little guy would have a reaction to any of this DONT DO IT. It kept my ds asleep for 4 hours instead of 2 which allowed me to keep from going completely nuts. Thank God he was my first. GL My ds sleeps through the night now

By Vicki on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 09:34 pm:

We usually go to bed at about 11pm and always have. What we started doing with dd when she was young was getting her out of bed at about 10:30 and feeding her before we went to bed. She would have her dinner bottle about 6:00pm and went to bed about 8-8:30. We would have to wake her up at 10:30 to feed her, but then she made it until about 7am on that. It was so much easier to feed her before we went to bed than to get up in the middle of the night.

By Mrsheidi on Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 07:04 am:

i might try the 11pm feeding...it depends on if mommy can stay up! LOL!

By Andi on Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 12:24 pm:

My DD is 4 months old and evey once in a while she will wake up to eat but for the past two weeks she has been sleeping through the night. I am giving her rice cereal 2-3 times a day and this week I started mixing in some Veggies (baby food).

She goes to bed around 8:00 pm and usually wakes up 7:00 am. I have music softly playing on a Baby CD in her room all night to drown out any noise she might hear.

I also notice when DD is having a Growth Spurt she eats more often during the day and that is when she wakes up at night for a feeding.

Good Luck!

By Amyk on Friday, November 12, 2004 - 05:26 am:

Check out Baby Whisperer by HOGG - good tips on how to develop good habits in your little one -and she is a good middle ground between CIO and no-cry at all.

I'm sure you could buy one used on Amazon or get it at the library.

My thoughts: 4mo still very reasonalbe to be waking for a feeding. If you are getting a 5 hour stretch that is considered "sleeping thru the night" for that age - even if it doesn't feel like it! :0)

Sincerely,

Amy

By Mrsheidi on Saturday, November 13, 2004 - 09:04 pm:

Thanks, ladies! It's good to know...I felt like he wasn't "making the mark" by not sleeping through the night yet consistently. I'll also look into that Baby Whisperer. We've got a library about a mile away. He has been waking up at 3am still but at least it's only once. Thurs night he woke at 11pm, 4am, and 6am (the 6am was gas...ugh...this little guy is SO FLAMMABLE!!! ha ha ha)