i have a 7 and a half month old baby who has begun to wake up during the night, when she used to sleep thru 8 or 9 hours. here is the situation, what we are consdiering, and would love feedback:
she eats solids for dinner, and then a bottle to go to bed -- she falls asleep after the bottle between 7:30 and 8 and then wakes up 4 or five hours later crying, we wait a few minutes to see if she will go back to sleep, but she doesn;t and so we feed her and she usually eats anywhere from 3 to 6 oz and then goes back to sleep. sometimes then she will sleep thru until 5:30, but more reciently she has been waking up more often. we are considering gentle ferberizing, but I wirory that she is actually hungry. not every time but not sure what to do. she is healthy and happy and in perpetual motion, she eats well, plays a ton, etc. i hate letting her cry, but we are thinking we need to teach her to sleep on her own. i go back and forth a million times on this! help!
Hi KJ,
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She is hungry.
Just make sure you are feeding on demand... for the 1st year of life, a baby's primary source of nutrition is breastmilk/Formula... not solids and not other liquids.
This is per our Pediatrician as well.
At about 6 months old... there is a growth-spurt. They get hungrier more often, 24/7. If they do not get enough intake, to keep pace and keep up with their growth and development... then they will be hungry, at any ol' time.
Your baby, wakes 4-5 hours after bedtime, as you said. THAT is pretty darn good. And then she drinks 3-6 ounces then goes back to sleep. THAT is your cue... about her. She was hungry. She fed... then went back to sleep. That is what babies do.
To me, your baby is a good lil' sleeper. For at least the 1st to 2nd year of life... a baby wakes. From about 2 years old... they get more "able" to sleep all night.
Keep in mind, that for a BABY... sleeping 5-6 hour stretches IS considered "sleep through the night." Which is what your baby is doing.
BUT also keep in mind, that during growth-spurts (which occurs every 3 months), that they wake more... and you need to go by THEIR cues... not an adults perception of how long a baby should sleep.
The baby, is growing monumentally, and whenever they are changing/developing/hitting milestones... it tweaks them. They wake.
Growing/changing/developmental changes/hunger is not easy for them either.
I say, your baby is hungry and needs to feed.
She sleeps well.
The first year of life especially... is a building-block time of growth and feeding needs.... if they don't get adequate intake... they get hungry and it affects their development.
Each baby has DIFFERING levels of appetite.... and it differs everyday. So for that reason, you need to go according to their cues and needs, for intake. So that they get what intake they need, biologically and for development.
If denied this, you will have a hungry fussy baby. Not able to sleep.
She is SO young... to have to "know" how to sleep. She's a baby. They do this. Don't rush it.
She is only a baby... and they have all of childhood... to be "trained" for things. Right now... any baby, wakes.
Both my kids had GINORMOUS appetites... 24/7, and sometimes they "cluster fed" which means they even fed every single hour... thus indicating a growth-spurt and increased intake needs. SO that, your body and milk supply ALSO increases per their growth and to keep up with the baby. Not the baby, keeping up with you...
If feeding with a bottle... then this occurs too.
Don't rush it. Your baby is normal... and she is being a baby.
Her feedings are normal.. and at that age, my kids woke more and fed more. I fed on demand. 24/7. Waking up with them. No, its not easy.... but that is a baby's life and what they need.
Solids...at this age and for the 1st year... does NOT constitute their primary source of intake and nutrition. For this 1st year.. .it is merely a period of they getting used to eating... and it is a supplement to breast/Formula feedings. Solids, should be given after nursings.... not in lieu of nursings, nor prior to feedings. This is also per our Pediatrician.
ALSO keep in mind, that the sleep "patterns" of a baby and child ALWAYS changes. It is not static. So, you need to keep pace with that. They develop and change so much... so its normal. Expecting a baby to fit into a certain sleep pattern, can be frustrating... because it is not by a book. Each baby is different, with different needs and personalities and different appetites and metabolisms. These things, a book does NOT address.
Think about it this way: does a child, or a teenager, or a college kid, or a middle aged adult, or an elderly person sleep the SAME way they did as a baby, and have the same appetites? No. They change... its changes. Some adults get hungry at night too... literally. Adults get insomnia. Adults get stress or upsets that tweak their sleep. Toddlers too. There is teething, or pee accidents, or illness... all of which tweaks a person's sleep "patterns." Normal. It does not go according to a book.
If it did... ALL babies around the world, would be sleeping the SAME way and never wake up, nor feed.
As you can tell, I do not believe in sleep "training" a baby. I always went by my kids cues and needs. Both my kids were different.
Both my kids are great sleepers now... and nappers. And they grew like weeds and had huge appetites.
The whole baby-hood of a baby, especially during the 1st year... is a rite of passage, for the parent.
All the best,
Susan
Have you considered that she might be teething or working on something developmental? Might even be a growth spurt if she's eating 6 oz at a time. 7-9 months were really rough sleepwise with both my kids between teething and milestones (crawling). Once my son made it though those rough months, he got back on track with sleeping (except for when he had other teeth come in). I didn't find it necessary to do CIO. No offense, because I'll be honest and say I'm not a fan of CIO, but how do you "gently" ferberize an infant? What's gentle about making them cry when they need something? It's not that I don't enjoy sleep, but I always respond to my kids at night. They do eventually learn to sleep on their own although I get that not everyone wants to wait for that to happen. If she was sleeping great before, chances are when the teeth come in or the milestone is mastered or the growth spurt is over, she'll go back to sleeping well again. I know it's tough when they change things up for you.
Hi KJ, A 7 1/2 month old should not need to ear during the night. But if she knows you will go feed her she will continue to wake up, it becomes more about habit than hungry. I disagree with the other mom's as I don't know everything, but i have more experience than they do and my advice comes from experience. If she was waking up due to teething, eating is probably the last thing she would want. As far as a growth spurt, baby's sleep more during that time, not less. you have created a bad habit of going in her room. Stop going in and she will eventually stop waking up, or at least stop crying when she wakes up, cause she knows you are not coming in. Connie
I cosulted with a sleep expert and here is what she told me (and my babies both slept 12hrs/night at 12 weeks).
At 7 1/2 months - your baby should be having 4/8oz bottles/day. One at waketime and then every four hours until bedtime. Also, she should have bfast and dinner and then introduce lunch at 8 months. Bedtime should be at 6:00pm (keep her on a 12 hr schedule - if she wakes at 5:30, yes, you can put her down for bed at 5:30pm!) People think I am crazy but it works and my little girl slept from 5:30p - 6:00am from about 6months - 10 months of age (or so).
She ABSOLUTELY can sleep through the night. I also let them cry it out and people tell me I have the HAPPIEST babies on earth. :) They don't cry very long if you put them down at the 'right' time (when they are tired). My babies only cried the first week (or few days if that) and then it was done. I now put them both down, say goodnight and walk out their room - it's amazing! Go to www.3daysleep.com for more info. Davis is having a workshop in a few months in San Diego if you are interested - send me a message. Good luck! :)
K J.-
Did you mean 7 1/2 month old?
S.
My doctor said that sometime after 6 months babies may begin waking up in the middle of the night and not because they're hungry. According to my Dr, if they used to sleep through the night without feedings then don't start doing so now. More than likely, the reason she's waking up is because of separation anxiety. I would just go in her room, let her know you're there but not to pick her up because that just reinforces her crying, maybe give her a pacifier if your daughter uses one. Otherwise, just hold her hand and let her know you're there for her. Good luck!
feed her more at night before bed. if she is only drinking 6oz make a 8oz bottle or even mix the 6oz with some baby food it seems to help them sleep. also try doing some tummy time before bed to see if she has any air pockets bothering her. i would sugest adding like a stage 1 fruit into the bottle if you want to make a 6oz bottle fill it up to the 5oz line put the same about of formalla as a 6oz and then add baby food until to the 6oz line, shake well and feed. if that does not work then she is not getting enough activity during the day, may need a walker or more time outside just looking around. summer is coming along soon so start swimming after nap or after dinner then give bottle with food and see how that goes. if you have any questions please contact me at ____@____.com, this page doesn't always go to my e-mail when someone responds. best of luck
There may be some kind of milestones happened. We faced this problem before. Then, we fed our son at the beginning.. but, slowly we reduced the amount giving to him when he was waking at night, then, we gave him some water instead... there maybe just a habit... after like one week training, he didn't need his water anymore...Hope it helps.
