Hungry @ Night...

She's still a BABY! Don't worry about her waking when she's older. Right now she needs food when she's hungry.

I went through the same thing. My daughter would wake up at 2 or 3am for a bottle until I got her off the bottle at a year. She never took any type of food, jared or rice cereal at all until 10months. Just bc a dr says she should be sleeping the night at 4-7 months old, every child developes at different stages in their life. Do what you think is right and that will get you the most sleep.

hi S., i think jessica d gave you a great response, i agree with her totally, i just wanted to add that it could also be a growth spurt, and she just needs some more food for a while. they go through all kinds of phases and stages, my thinking is that if she was a good sleeper before, you might get lucky and it is hopefully just a phase. when you say "eat" at night, does she actually want to eat solid food, or is she satisfied with a little drink? if she is just thirsty, maybe your house is dry? mine is, and i leave a sippy cup of water with both kids. sometimes it works, sometimes not, and i go in to put them back. good luck, D.

is your daughter on any solid foods? My daughter is 5 months old and she has been on (baby foods) solids for almost 2 months now, and she sleeps through the night. I give her some cereal with her night feeding and it helps her pull through. Hope this helps.

S.,

If you are breastfeeding, this isn't out of the ordinary. Lots of BF babies are still waking at night to nurse at this age. There are a couple of things you can try, though. First, you can try rousing her just before you go to bed and nurse her, kind of fill her up for a bit. You can try rearranging her solid food schedule, so she is getting some cereal or something filling just before she goes down. That might keep her satisfied longer. Some Moms will slowly cut back the amount of formula in a bottle at night, to "retrain" her stomach to expect less at night, until she's only getting an ounce or so. For many babies, they'll decide that it isn't worth waking for that tiny little bit. Of course, if she's genuinely hungry, and not just feeding out of habit, she'll be miserable, because she's not satisfied. It's tril and error on things like this. There's no need to let her cry it out if she's truly hungry. That's just cruel. A baby's genuine need for food should be met when they are hungry, and leaving her to just sit and cry only teaches that no one's there for her. She may stop crying eventually, but it's just because she's figured out there's no reason to bother, not because she doesn't need you.

hi, i would try giving her a little something to eat just before you put her to bed. that might fill up her little belly. my daughter did the samething. she will be 3 in may an maybe 3 times a week she asks for something to eat before bed. just something small but fills up the little hole in the belly lol...good luck :-)

That is the same thing that my daughter is going through. She was born July 8, 2006. I talked to the doctor and he suggested this eating plan...Breakfast: cereal and jar of fruit and bottle, Lunch: jar of veggies and fruit and 2-4ozs juice, Dinner: jar of meat/veggies and fruit and bottle, then before bedtime give a little bit of cereal. Since she has been on this diet she goes to bed around 8-9pm and won't wake up until 7-8:30am. It seems to work for her, maybe it will work for you. Good Luck!!

I went through this with my son at about the same age. He was BF and ate solids during the day. I even tried adding a bottle of formula at bedtime because someone suggested that it would hold him over better. Nothing seemed to work. Finally, I tried Huggies Overnight diapers and suddenly he slept 12 hours that night. At first I thought it was a fluke, but it's been every night since and he's 2 1/2 years old now. Good luck!

S., It is so hard. Make sure she is eating enough during the day. You can check with your doctor. Sleep training works but is a hard thing to do. I was still feeding my kids during the night at 7 months old.

C.
Mom helping MOMS work from home!
http://colleend.stayinhomeandlovinit.com

HI..
My son is also 7.5 months old. He has a fairly inconsitant sleeping schedule, but never gets up more than once a night. He'll go 2-9 nights without getting up and then maybe get up a couple nights in a row. He is has formula and baby food ( i nursed him until he was about 4 months old when i went back to work) He gets somewhere between 18-24 onces of formula (which is 3-4 6oz bottles during the day and 2 meals of solid foods) When my 3 year old turned 6 months old, their pediatrician said that by 6-7 months, all their nutritional needs are met during the day. (if they are getting approximately what Cal is getting now) And that they shouldn't be waking out of hunger, more because of habit and inability to fall asleep without being fed. That said....Max never slept through the night till he was 9 months old and as I said, Calvin still gets up. But I would be concerned if he was getting up every 3-4 hours to eat that it was more out of habit and needing to eat to fall asleep then true hunger. If she is doesn't stop crying after a few (5-10 min) then, it might be hunger, but I think if you jump up the second she cries and feed her....you may be causing yourself more problems in the long run. I certainly wouldn't let my baby cry for hours.... If she isn't getting 2 solid food meals...make sure she gets at least 2. If she is..maybe try some baby food mixed with cereal a little before she goes to bed to fill her up.

I can't remember, but I believe at 7.5 months, nutritionally, she does not need to eat that much.

Something could be waking her up and she's only using the bottle as a way to soothe because she hasn't learned to soother herself.

Stuffing her face every few hours could do a lot of hard to her teeth, tummy and health overall.

I know crying it out sounds rough to you and your husband but, finding some other way to soother her or have her learn to soothe herself back to sleep will make a healthier kid and person both physically and mentally.

she may be hitting a growth spurt when in july was she born my daughter was born july 8th good luck

Hi S.!
Just read your request. I was wondering do you give her any other else during the day besides milk? I ask because my son use to do that to up until(four months)I start giving him cereal and baby food (fruits/ veggies) during the day. I guess he was just hungry and what something a little more substantial to hold him over. Now he goes to sleep between 8-8:30 and wakes up around 5-6 am for his morning bottle. I hope this helps!

Working mother of an 8.5 month boy.

I would just sugggest you give her another bottle when she does wake the first time and see if it helps with her sleeping, she may just be hungry and need more food.....