giving water at night

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

A friend of mine suggested giving cool boiled water to my 15 week old at night rather than milk as she says this will stop him waking expecting food at night ?

Does anyone have any opinions on this ?  I thought that i should feed at night if he's hungry ?

Thanks

Sarah

[Lolly]

We did do this with my DD but she was over 8 months old at the time! A night feed at 15 weeks is totally normal and if he is truly hungry I doubt very much that you would be able to get away with water and re-settling .

If he is waking more than once at night and not re-settling well then it could be a routine issue or a prop issue that is driving the waking rather than hunger, but most babies are still having night feeds at this age.

Laura

[15milner]

Around the 4month mark too there is also a pretty massive growth spurt too.

I'd feed and use the water technique when nightfeeds aren't 'necessary'.  At 15 weeks, a milk feed IS still needed.

Alex

[momtonb&ab]

15 wks is pretty early to introduce the water technique unless you are certain that lo is getting enough calories during the day.  our little ones were bottle fed by this point and we knew they were getting plenty in the day so we were ok with missing a night feed (although they slept through when they were ready, we never used water), but before i would try water i would want to be sure that lo doesn't need those calories.  is it the same wake up time each night? do you think it is habitual waking rather than hungry?

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

I honestly think its hunger, he feeds every 3 hours during the day.  But, when he wakes for the first time (around 12-1)he will drink around 5oz so he's definitely hungry.  The 4am feed he only takes a little bit and i think thats more a comfort thing so this one may be a habit as he then wakes for the day 2 hours later.
I thought he was abit early for water in the night, he has a little during the day sometimes as he's on gaviscon and can sometimes make him a little constipated.  I would prefer to wake in the night if he needs the calories than give him water.  Am just grateful he can now sleep for longish periods,

sarah
x

[momtonb&ab]

hey sarah

if he takes a pacifier or something you could try a few nights of holding him off at the 4 am feed so he will learn to go from 12 to 6 - that is perfectly acceptable.  sounds to me that you are right on your instinct that he is hungry for a feed at midnight though so i would keep at that and then in a few weeks maybe try dream feeding him closer to 11 .... soon he will do 11 - 6 for you. 

hugs!

[lilly_kitt]

Hi

Thanks, he will take a dummy but can also go without so he may take it at 4am  but may not but will give it a try.  Last night he went down at 7, then was up at 12, then 3 and again at 5.20 he will go back down at 5.20 but then he's just talking to himself as he's up for the day then at 6.  Again he had quite abit of milk at 12, then less at 3 and 5.20 when he falls asleep on the bottle.

Thanks

sarah