Cereal and Sleep

I agree with everything that Amber S. said, so I won't retype it. I also would not give Tylenol except in extreme cases. Its not recommended until they are over 2 now I think.

I agree with all the prior suggestions. Please please please do not give her tylenol unless she really needs it (i.e. teething purposes or b/c she is sick). Please please please do not put cereal in her bottle. I know it is frustrating to hear your child cry like that. We all go through it. What you need to remember is that is all perfectly normal. When people say to prepare yourself for sleepless nights, they weren't joking. Breast milk digests a lot quicker than formula so feeding every 2 hours in not unheard of. However, it will get better over time. Another thing to remember is just when you think you have a good routine down, it will change. Your routine/schedule might change every month or so and you just have to learn to roll with the punches. TRUST ME...IT DOES GET BETTER! Just don't rush the meds & cereal. Good luck!

I agree with the not giving cereal in a bottle. It sounds like you're giving cereal to help her sleep longer, but I have to say that doesn't always work. When I started my daughter younger than the recommended (by the AAP and most doctors) 6 months (she was just over 5 months) we had terrible nights until I stopped the cereal. She was up all night screaming, as her stomach was not ready for cereal. With my younger daughter (live and learn!) I started solids when she was showing the signs (no tongue thrust, able to sit up by herself in a highchair, showing interest in what we ate, pretending to eat while we ate, teeth, etc.) and we didn't start with the rice cereal (as it's not nearly as nutritious as other things, especially breast milk!), and things went so much smoother. She picked up solids faster and enjoyed it more. Certainly I would ask my doctor, but cereal in a bottle isn't really recommended.

I do recommend the no cry sleep solution by Elizabeth Pantley. It's a great book with gentle ideas for all sorts of kids (it is definitely not a one size fits all type book) to get them to sleep better and easier. It might be something is going on (growth spurt, teeth, etc.), and nursing that often is what she needs right now, but it won't last. Bring her close to your bed for the time being and you will get more sleep. Your local La Leche League leader or meeting is also a good source, since you are a breastfeeding mom.

I hope it gets better soon!

K.

I have an 8-month old who did this for a bit as well. I would give her a few ounces of milk and she'd go right back to sleep, but what I didn't realize is that I was conditioning her to need the bottle. We finally decided to stop the middle-of-the-night feedings, and we used the pacifier instead. I still held her and rocked as if I were feeding her, and then a few nights later I could just give her the paci and she'd fall back to sleep.

She may also be teething a bit early - we've been using teething drops when our little one wakes at night and the paci doesn't soothe her. They are all natural with chamomile, and she would fall right back to sleep.

I've also read that cereal in the bottle is considered a no-no because it can lead to overeating habits. (Evidently, babies don't learn the "I'm full" feeling as they will with food which can affect them later on.) I doubt she's waking up because she's hungry if she's only taking a few ounces, so try some other methods first.

All the best!

Adding cereal to her bottle really isn't recommended anymore. It can pose a choking risk. Please ask your pediatrician first. There isn't any proof that adding cereal to a bottle helps babies sleep better. In fact, for many it's the opposite because introducing cereal can cause gas and stomach upset.

Also, keep in mind that babies go through stages with sleep. At 3-4 months they still shouldn't be expected to sleep through the night. Sleeping through the night is a milestone/skill that most babies reach after 6 months or more. Several things can cause changes in sleep pattern: learning new skills, teething, wanting to cuddle, inability to put themselves back to sleep after waking, hunger, or just because.

My guess is it's not hunger, which would defeat the purpose of adding cereal to her bottle. You say she only wants to nurse for a few minutes before going back to sleep. She just wants you, not food. Try leaving her in her crib and gently rubbing her tummy until she calms back down and drifts off to sleep. Avoid talking or turning on lights or other distractions. It might take a few minutes, and you might have to do it a few times. It's probably just a phase. Try to ride it out for a while longer. You'll notice this happens a lot. You'll have good stretches of sleep for weeks, and then not so good stretches, and that's completely normal.

We used to give our daughter a bottle of expressed milk each evening and sometimes she'd want to nurse on top of that. It was like the had to "tank up" for the night. Try giving her expressed milk and maybe nursing more after that if she wants it before adding cereal.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and most pediatricians recommend waiting to introduce cereal until 6 months. The reasons: possible choking, increased risk of food allergies, and stomach upset because their little bodies just aren't ready for solids so early.

Please read this article from WebMD.com: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/baby-food-nutrition-9... It is very helpful and informative.

Remember breastfed babies can process their breastmilk very efficiently and may not sleep through the night for awhile. She also may be going through a growth spurt. My son had one at three weeks, then again at about 3-4 months. I would NEVER ADD CEREAL to her bottle! It can be a CHOKE HAZARD! Sure, she might not choke the first time (or the hundredth time), but why chance it!

Hi M.. My girl did that to us a few times too. Sometimes it was a virus or ear infection that messed up her sleep pattern, but usually it was teething or gas. That can bother their tummies (gas & runny stool from excess saliva) as well as hurt their gums. Since the Tylenol isn't helping, she's probably having gas or just trouble getting back to sleep. You might try Gripe Water--make sure it's the all natural kind, no alcohol, no preservatives. It works much better for our daughter than the gas drops and she loves the flavor.

Your baby just wants you...nothing wrong with that. My daughter woke up 1-2x during the night until she was 6months. The doctor told me not to feed her (she was also breastfed) but when nothing else helps a little comfort goes along way.

Hi M.,

Since she is so close to being 4 months, I would suggest trying to give her some cereal before bed to see if that helps her sleep at night, however I would not put it in her bottle. Everything I've read and been told by pediatricians says you should only give cereal with a spoon because a baby can choke on it in their bottle. I also woudldn't suggest giving her tylenol so young if she's not running a fever or in sever pain. Good luck and remember this is normal.

please back off the Tylenol...please ask yourself if she really needs it! Is she truly hurting or simply stressed?

If you're going to start cereal (which is fine & dandy), please don't put it in a bottle. Let her learn to eat from a spoon! It will be slow going, but then she'll be ready for food ....which is coming soon!

My second son was 17 pounds at four months. He was off the charts for height, too. He was huge! And he did the same thing at about four months... waking up, nursing 2 minutes, and falling asleep on the breast. My husband and I both really needed sleep.
This is going to sound cruel, but what we did was put his co-sleeper (all the sides up as high as they could go) in our kitchen. (We don't really have much space.) When he woke up screaming, we gave him a few minutes, checked on him, and laid back down. It took about 20 minutes the first night for him to calm back down. (Before, we picked him up or even soothed him, it took a LOT longer!) After about 3 nights, he slept through with no problems.
Now he is 6 1/2 months old, and we do feed him cereal during the day. We us a baby medicine syringe to help him get used to eating, and we use the spoon when he is a little less hungry.
I know it sounds mean to let him cry, but it worked for us. And the whole house is sleeping better now! (Including the two-year-old!)

WOW! I could have written this! My daughter did the EXACT same thing! Even the times are the same 1am, 5am. At exactly 4 months, the same thing happened to us! I read this article and it described us exactly.

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/4mo-sleep.html

I have no answer for you, as we are still getting up several times every night. She just turned 5 months Sunday. I usually just give her a pacifier and rub her back until she falls back asleep, and if that doesn't work, I feed her. No lights or stimulation though.

I just started her on cereal, but not in a bottle. I feed her with a spoon and she loves it so far! We've only done it for 2 days, so we'll see if if changes anything.

Like I said, I'm no help, but at least you know that you're not alone!!

She may be teething. Ibuprofen is the only thing that helped my kids with teething, and it lasts so much longer than Tylenol-as I'm sure you already know! If your doctor gives you the okay, I would try that.

Good luck!

She's four months and fifteen pounds? Then yes feed her some cereal before bedtime and she should sleep. I had to feed my son cereal at two months because he didn't sleep because he was hungry. Don't put it in a bottle with breast milk she needs to learn how to use the spoon. Start with a tablespoon first to see how she is with it and no allergice reactions and got on from there. Start with the rice or plain oatmeal baby cereal. I'm surprised your pediatrician didn't say anything to you about it.

Good Morning M., I would start with only a TBP. I don't know what size bottle you will use. I think that is the clue. If its 4 oz bottle maybe one tsp to 2 tsp. enough to flavor and not be thick or hard to pull through the nipple.
I never did this as I put our boy's on cereal at 6 wks. So it is a guess on my part. I kind of chuckle when my daughters in laws started having babies, as one followed a online baby chart. You couldn't do this until this age, or that until this age. Couldn't use powder, would clog pores or get in their lungs etc.. So when my daughter in law said one day that Online Site just don't know what they are talking about I smiled to myself, and said all babies are different they don't All do the same things at the Exact same time. It's called Mama's instinct. So now she asks what I think, which is kind a nice to be trusted.

M., you could mix up about 2-3 TBS of cereal in a bowl with breastmilk or reg milk warmed a little and feed her the cereal at night before bed. Could give it a try anyway, if it doesn't work well then try the bottle with tad bit of cereal mixed in.

God Bless you, it's great being a Mama, everything changes so quickly you never know what challenge or hurdle is coming next.

Always
K. Nana of 5

I'd second Katie C and Amber S. Would also add that for us, co-sleeping was a life saver. If the baby is right next to you, you barely need to wake up to feed her. It's so much less of an interruption of my sleep if I don't have to get out of bed.

Here are some articles on co-sleeping and safety:

http://www.naturalchild.org/articles/sleeping.html

Keep in mind, everything your baby does is a stage that she WILL pass through. Sleep patterns change much more frequently than anyone ever told me, even up to age 2 and beyond. Your job is to provide a loving, safe, and rich environment, and as long as she is normal and healthy, she will grow up, no matter what you do.

You already have a lot of good responses, but I thought I'd add my two cents. Try googling "sleep regressions" and read up on the ways your daughters' sleep can change in the first two years. It doesn't help the sleep 'problems' go away, but it helps to know that they are normal. I also suggest (because Dr. Sears suggests it) that you avoid putting cereal in a bottle. He insists that it won't help her sleep better. Make sure you are napping when she does, and try to go to bed early. Her sleep will improve. My son woke up often during the night for the first year, but I fed him in bed and hardly woke up for those feedings. Now (at 20 months) he will 9-11 hours at a stretch (so I don't think I trained him to need me all night).