Need suggestions on dropping night feed for 5 1/2 month old

[Leann]

Oops, I forgot to answer a question from above.  Asher weighs 16 and a half pounds and will be six months old on the 21st.

[Leann]

Well, no luck.  We had a waking last night even after cereal.  I had a feeling that wouldn't do any good but I was willing to give it a shot.  I think I'm going to try it for a couple more nights, just to see.

[Bkkmum]

Hi

I thought that I would also post an update.  Aran is still waking for a feed during the night ( in addition to the DF), and I now give him the full 4oz.  When he wakes in the morning, I wait about an hour and he then finishes an 8oz bottle.  This means that he now drinks a whopping 44oz a day.

His doctor wants me to wait until he is six months old (on the 24th) until we start solids, but it really seems as though he is hungry at this night time feed.  Thankfully, for the last two nights, he went straight back to sleep after this feed, so I am going to continue with feeding him for the timebeing.
 
Leann, I know that you BF, but have you tried giving Asher a formula feed at night?  Maybe this combined with the cereal might fill him up for longer.  Just a thought!

Wendy

[Leann]

New update!  I have been feeding cereal before bathtime for a week now and it is actually working!!  I think we've done it 7 times and he has slept through till 6:00 or 6:30 5 of those times.  So, I don't know if it was the cereal or if he was just ready but maybe we've turned the corner.

I wondered about a formula feed too...I think we may have this one licked but the thought did cross my mind.

[andreach]

HI to you all!!  Here's my update....We've been on a family holiday to the coast at Dorset which is about 180miles south of home.  We had a lovely time but the break away didn't really help with the night time sleeping (or lack of it!!)However since we've been back things seem to be getting a little better.  Ben now sleeps from about 9:30pm until 4:45am(ish).  WHich is still pretty hard but an improvement.  I've tried giving him a DF about 11:00pm but this doesn't seem to make alot of difference, mainly because he's too asleep I think..I'll try again tonight.

When you say you give cereal before bath time, do you mean something like baby rice/rusks mixed with normal milk? 

This interupted sleep is really hard and I feel like I'm walking around in abit of a fog most of the time.....hope its getting better for all of you, it's good to know we're not alone!!!! Here's to sleep filled nights, Andrea

[micah'smom]

my ds is 5mo and has similar wake up times! well he used to wake HOURLY b/c of rolling  :shock:  but now he wakes consistently at 11, 1, and 4. he used to only wake up at 4am for one feeding.

i keep thinking "he can't be hungry" b/c he BF's 4x a day and once at night, and recently eats 2 solid meals a day. i'm wondering if he really is hungry and going through a growth spurt? esp. since all our lo's are around the same age, and getting more mobile, i wonder if they just need to eat more?

please let me know how it works out!
selena

[andreach]

Things aren't getting any better for us, infact they seem to be getting worse!!!  We seem to be awake more than asleep at night, I think rolling around and turning over has something to do with it but I was wondering if 'wind' from eating different food may also be adding to the problem.  Who knows I guess it'll get better eventually! :? Oh well I'm off to bed now-wonder how long before my ds gives me his little wake up call!!!  I'll let you know if we have any break throughs!  Andrea and an asleep (for the time being anyway!!!!) Ben

[Katet]

If your lo is on solids, wind from the new foods & their intestines adapting to the new things could well be a problem... I know we had some times like that with my ds#1

[micah'smom]

how much time should you give btwn feeding solids and sleep? i feed solids around 5-5:30 and bedtime is around 7 or 7:30. wellll sometimes it's 6-6:30 if ds isn't interested in the last catnap 

[Colesmom]

andreach:  my lo is just 5 months and i'm finding him more gassy even though he is not even on solids yet.  It was suggested to me to give him simethicone (Ovol in Canada, Mylicon in US) not sure what you might have overseas.  I gave it to him during his last feed tonight and he tooted like crazy through the whole feed!  I'm hoping this solves the issue.

My lo is doing the same things as everyone else.  Sometimes wakes at 2:30, sometimes 4:00.  Does anyones lo stay up for 1.5 hours though?
That's what mine does a lot.  Last night I was so happy b/c he finally slept until 4:10 but then didn't settle back until 5:30.  The only saving grace is that he then slept until 7:45 :shock:  and I had to wake him up.

I've only been sleep training him for 2.5 weeks though so i'm still willing to be patient.

Traci

[micah'smom]

traci,

hey! thanks for your help in your pm's btw. in just the past couple days micah has been sorta back to his old self, at least with self-soothing. just calming him down and catching his window in time did wonders.

last week micah was up for almost 2 hrs during his nightwakings, too. i don't know what it was...  we started solids, so i think it was that. but maybe it's developmental too... i think their biorythms just change a lot at this age. thankfully he's over that now and goes back to sleep after nightfeeds. we really didn't do anything, just waited it out.

this morning i was so tired though, i brought micah into bed to BF and i fell asleep. then i heard a thump and realized he rolled and fell onto the floor!! :cry: i felt like such a horrible mom. he was ok and seems fine today, but what a wake up call!! so however your lo's are doing, make sure you get plenty of rest, moms! they need us to be alert!

[Colesmom]

Oh goodness!

I need to be careful too. I've fallen asleep during the DF the last two nights!  I go to sleep for a nap and DH wakes me to do the feed so i'm usually pretty zonked.  The last couple of nights i've pulled a chair in front of my glider to make it more comfortable-apparently too comfortable.

I just looked at my pm to you again and it's funny...Cole could only handle 2 hours before bedtime tonight. (as opposed to the 2.25-2.5 I had told you)  I am really struggling with these awake times!

Traci

[andreach]

Colesmum: I think I know what you mean... its called infacol here I think.I'll pop into the chemist on the way up to school today and ask about it.  THanks.  I hope it works as Ben woke himself up again from his morning nap inspite of being burped before!  He was also awake between 1- 4 am with tummy ache its really draining!

Ben is often awake for an hour happily playing when he has finally got rid of all his excess wind in the early hours!!!  Inspite of all this sleeplessness he is a lovely happy little chappy....

I've decided to stop giving him baby cereal in the morning, fruit instead, as a trial to see if that is bothering him. And also to give only 1 veg 1 friut per meal to see if that helps - simple food.

Andrea

[Colesmom]

Andreach : I know what you mean...regardless of Cole's sleep he is a happy baby so I have to be thankful for that.

I may try Wake to Sleep tonight.  I'm not 100% sure he's waking out of hunger.  I think if he was he'd go back to sleep right away, no?  Has anyone tried this and succeeded?  I think one mom wrote in this thread that she did.  If I don't see any replies soon I'll post a separate topic.

Sunday night he was up at 4:10, last night 4:30.  both nights up for 1.5 hours even after a feed.  If he played happily that whole time it wouldn't bother me a bit...even if i had to get up at the 1.5 mark to pat him to sleep.  Last night I fed him and shhh/patted him for an hour!  At one point i stopped and he played with his Ocean Wonders (music box on side of crib) but that only lasted 6 minutes before he cried again.

Oh well, at least I slept midnight - 4:30 which is better than some nights the past two weeks!

Traci