10 Week Old Still Not Sleeping Through the night...need Suggestions

Rice cereal doesn't make babies sleep through the night. Unfortunately she will sleep through when she is ready.

Hey there! I did not have a chance to read all of the responses. So I apologize if this is repetitive -

If you're breast feeding, try making her last bottle with 1/2 breast milk and 1/2 formula. It will sit heavier in her stomach. Or, if you're not breast feeding (or even if you are) try giving her a few more ounces and see if that holds her over through the night.

My son is going to be 4 months old next week and is sleeping through the night. I had started doing the 1/2 breast milk and 1/2 forumla and that worked for a little bit. Then he was getting up at 4 am, so I stopped, since it wasn't helping any. Now I just give him 7 oz (versus his normal 5.5 oz bottle) and he sleeps until 7:30 usually.

Good luck!

I wouldn't put cereal in her bottle, unless the doctor tells you to. 10 weeks is still very young. My baby will be a year old in a couple of days and still wakes 2-3 times a night. My others slept through the night earlier. Every baby is different. I breastfeed, and started rice cereal at 4 months. I wish I would have waited. Now she can't eat rice or anything with rice in it, or her whole body breaks out in a rash that takes almost a month to clear up. She has done that twice now, once at 5 months and again at 11.

I hate to break it to you...but you got very lucky with your son. I think it's normal for a baby to sleep through the night at about 3 months and even later for some. Maybe in a couple more weeks, you'll start to get some more rest. Just my personal opinion, but I would not give my baby rice cereal at this age. Are you swaddling her? I used both the Boppy and the Kiddpotomus swaddles with velcro from babies r us, and my daughter started sleeping a little longer when she was swaddled. I remember the first time we tried it, she went 5 hours instead of 3. Good luck and hang in there.

Shannon,

Having 3 kids who didn't sleep through the night right away either, I feel your pain. However, unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it. Some babies sleep through the night right away, and some do not. You got VERY lucky with your first baby. Be grateful for that. Please do NOT put rice cereal in your baby's bottle. Your baby is way too young for that. Your baby should not eat ANYTHING until she is 5 or 6 months old. Putting cereal in her bottle can cause her to get diabetes and obesity later in life. Also, possibly allergies. Don't do it.

Just make sure that you put her to sleep in a quiet, dark place, and that the temperature is comfortable.

Also, don't keep her awake in the evenings. That will NOT make her sleep longer! That is a huge myth. If you want her to sleep longer, she needs to sleep well during the day! There is a phrase, which is "the more she sleeps, the more she sleeps." It is true. Don't deprive her of her sleep. You are actually making her sleep less.

Unfortunately, sleep deprivation is the price we pay when we become mothers. Unless we are rich and can afford a night nurse (and we all know that most people cannot afford one), then we have to suffer it out. Good luck, and go to sleep when you put your baby down, which should be around 8:00 p.m.

wow i would say you are very lucky to have had your son sleeping through the night! every child is different, believe me i have three! with my third i thought is was gonna be a breeze because i'd already done twice before, but my lil' guy had a blast keeping me on my toes! he actually did not begin to sleep through the night until he as 2, yes i said 2! hopefully this will not be the case for you. but to answer your question about putting rice in her bottle, well i don't think it is food that will get her through the night because my son was eating full meals of table food and still waking in the night. i think the big reason was because he would wet his diaper and it would wake him up, so maybe it could be more that she is a light sleeper and small things such as a wet diaper or noise can wake her. another thing could be that if she is a wiggler while she sleeps bumping up to the sides of a small bassinet could be startling her and wake her up. oh gosh it could be anything just hang in there. oh one more thing is to make it easier to feed her at night have everything ready so you don't have to fumble in the dark. i would have formula in the bathroom and a clean bottle so i could just run up the stairs change his diaper and fill the bottle with warm water from the sink(gasp) and keep the light off in his room and changing a diaper in the dark is hard (at first trying to find which end but at least i know if there is ever a contest on who can change a diaper with their eyes closed , i know i will win!) :)and feed him in a rocker in the same room, i think to much movement wakes them up to much and it is much easier to get them back to bed if there are no disturbances. hope this helps just knowing that there are other moms out there walking around like zombies through the day from lack of sleep!

This is very normal. Some babies don't sleep through the night for a long time. You were lucky with your son.

She is too young to be putting rice cereal in her bottle. I know some will disagree but putting rice cereal in her bottle is very hazardous. It can cause her to choke and studies show it doesn't actually help them sleep any longer.

My children were about 9 months old when they learned to sleep through the night. I am very impressed that your son slept through the night so soon!!! You were lucky!

Hang in there... give her 4 more weeks. Ask your ped about cereal (I wouldn't until she is 4 months min- if her gut isn't ready you are risking setting her up for Celiac disease later in life. Plus she could choke.). She is pretty much still a newborn and can't sleep more than probably 3-5 hours in a stretch. You can try some of the formula's that claim to help baby sleep longer.

until my daughter was 18 weeks old she woke every 2 to 3 hours. finally she began sleeping in 5-7 hour stretches some nights. Then at 12 and 1/2 months she started having nights where she'd sleep pretty much all night. Even now at 17 months she cries in the night, I give her a sip of water in her sippy cup and lay her back down to sleep.

It was hard for me to remember (as weird as it is) that she wasn't being mean to me (when you're tired things don't have to be logical for you to believe them), just remember she is tiny, and before you know it you WILL miss being able to rock and cuddle with her.

I second the Dream Feed. It worked wonderful for us. I made myself stay up until 11 just to do it. I would fix a bottle, get her out of bed but make sure you stay in a dim room. Keep her still as possible and "force feed her" as much as she will take and lay her back down. It bought me an extra 3-4 straight hours of sleep. Good luck!

Hi Shannon,
Get the book Baby Wise and read it. I promise it really does work if you follow the schedule. All three of my children were sleeping through the night at 8 wks. Thanks to Baby Wise. Good Luck with your Precious baby!
M. V.

Hi Shannon, my name is N. and I had the same problem with my son. He was waking up every 2 to 3 hours. My mom told me to put a 'pinch' of cereal in his milk. I used oatmeal but I'm sure rice is fine. Now by pinch, I mean you need to put as much cereal as you can pick up with a pinch in her bottle. I really didn't notice a difference in the way the milk looked, but he slept an average of 3 hours longer from the first time I did it. Most doctors may not recommend this but I went ahead and took mom's advise since she raised me and my 6 siblings. I felt like she had a lot of experience. By the way, I started with the 'pinch' when my son was 2 weeks old! He weighed almost 10lbs at birth, and those bottles (and I breast fed) was only keeping him satisfied for 2 hours at the most. I never had any problems. Have a great day!

Please do not do the cereal. It's been proven & any pediactrician will tell you it doesn't help them sleep longer! They should not have cereal if they can't eat it from spoon. I know it seems tough, but sleep training shouldn't even be considered until at least 4 months old. I'm not sure what you could do my baby did the same thing but it evened out around 5 months. Babies have so may needs, wether it's hunger or just an emotional need to feel secure & be held,I would say do it, this time really dosen't last long in the big picture. Just try to stay strong it will pass but just be patient. & keep in mind a full night's sleep for a baby is considered to be 5 straight hours. Good luck.

I would give my daughter rice cereal at that age. Probably a tablespoon mixed with formula. Gerber Baby Rice Cereal

your 10 week old still waking up to eat at night is totally normal. i wouldn't expect a baby to sleep through the night until at least 3 months, even that is early for some. i have learned now w/ 2 kids that it is pointless to compare them. babies are all SO different. when my 2nd hit 5 months (he was a fatty so i knew he didn't need to eat) it took him crying through the night for 1-3 hrs at a time for about 3 weeks. it killed me and i was sleep deprived. he was a stubborn little guy, but now he's 11 months, sleeps 10-12 hours, never waking up at night.

http://www.drcarolynashworth.com/Scans/4-6_Child_Sleep.pdf
http://www.drcarolynashworth.com/Scans/4-6_Baby_Sleep.pdf

My pediatrician gave me these two handouts when my first son was almost three months old. They helped us so much! The main things we did were to put him to bed awake, and to limit how much milk he got when he woke at night. Even though he only got breast milk, I stopped nursing him at night. We fed him pumped breast milk. We started with 2 oz. at a time. Then 1 oz. a few times. Finally, we gave him 1/2 an oz. a couple of times. I think he finally got that it was not worth it. Good luck to you!

Shannon,
My oldest didn't sleep more than 2 hours at a shot day or not for the first 3 months. I was desperate too! I stupidly thought that since my husband had to go to work and I was staying at home that I should get up for most the feedings. Bad idea. Have your husband help every night. If he is not willing hire someone and sleep during the day if you have to. You and your husband can both get close to 5-6 hours straight if you work together and take turns. And remember...this too shall pass.

Oh my gosh. I didn't even know a child would sleep through the night at 10 weeks. My child didn't sleep through the night until after she was 4 months. I began feeding her cereal and then she slept from 8:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. the next day. The cereal did the trick for her. Good luck.

She is still so young. I would not give a baby that young anything without the doctors ok. My first slept through the night at 8 weeks, but my son who was born last year didn't sleep through the night until 5 months. He was up twice during the night every night. Then he was up early the next morning. If your husband is not helping you, then he should be. All dads should be responsible for a night feeding from the beginning. Even if you stay home and he works, that doesn't mean you should work 24 hours a day while he works for 8. You can absolutely make it through this if you have the help you deserve. Good luck to you and congratulations on your new baby.

Shannon,
You have to remember that every baby is different. My first daughter slept through the night very fast. My second one still wakes up and she is 8yrs old. I never put rice in bottles, and dont think you should. If she wakes up and cries, let her cry for a little bit. I use to play music in my daughters room, and she would fuss a little, then go back to sleep. A little crying is ok. She needs to learn to put herself back to sleep. Hope this helps.

I think she's way too young for rice cereal, her system is not ready for it. I know it's difficult, but at 10 weeks, her sleep pattern seems normal. All kids are different. Mine awoke all the time at night no matter what we tried. Eventually they slept all night (after age 1). Hang in there.

Doctors now do not put infants on food at all until they are 7 mo old. We did at 6 weeks but I believe because of choking and they are not able to move the tongue back and swallow.Also putting cereal in a bottle is forbidden in day cares. I would not want a child drinking cereal because here it also is so hot that milk can spoil easily. When they start to eat they suggest only about 4 t of cereal. I have a schedule approved by the gov for our food programs if you wish I can send it but need your e-mail. G. W

The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantly !!! LOVE THIS BOOK !!

Sorry you are struggling. One piece of advise that I have is that as long as the baby is thriving and gaining weight as it should there is one thing you can start to do. For one middle of the night feeding give her a bottle of room temp or tepid distilled water. At this age she should be able to drop one late night feeding. What I was told was that they figure out pretty quickly that the water isn't worth waking up for and will start sleeping through that feeding. ;-)

This is what they used to do in all the hospitals when they kept mom and baby for more than 1 1/2 days. We all managed to survive!

Most babies' systems can "handle" rice cereal early; some babies' systems can't without doing damage to their little guts and setting them up for food allergies, food intolerances, and even, though rarely, celiac disease. Dairy or soy from formula is a risk as well, on that note. There are studies that show rice cereal in the bottle helping babies sleep through the night is a myth, an association rather than a causation. But there are plenty of experienced mothers (& peds) that will tell you it works and it's perfectly safe.

It truly is not perfectly safe, there is some risk, but the question to ask is this: is it worth the risk? Only you can answer that.

Sometimes it feels as though you NEED the sleep, and that the only way you can be a good mom during the day is if you had juuust a liiiitttle mmmore...sometimes you can realize it is just a short jaunt in the entire journey of your life, a motherhood right of passage, so to speak, and one that you can endure through for the best for your baby.

My firstborn has several food allergies and intolerances and often is alienated in groups of other kids because of it - it affects so many areas of his little life; I also had postpartum psychosis: so I'm really torn as to what to offer to you as "BTDT advice." It's really one of those things you will have to decide on your own, but HTH nonetheless.

*Hugs* to You & Your Little Ones!

i think she is too young for cereal & too young for you to expect her to sleep through the night! you got lucky with your son, a lot of babies wont sleep through the night in their first year.

i would suggest that your hubby help you...even if you're a sahm, you need some sleep & he could take a turn getting up with her at least one night.

Shannon,
She's too young to sleep more. It's harder for you because she's different and now you have two. Sleep when she sleeps and get someone to watch the 22 month old once or twice a week so you can catch up on sleep/rest.

It'll pass.

I haven't read all of the responses, and I hope this isn't news to you, but I think you'll have to learn to do with less sleep. Babies don't usually sleep through the night at 10 weeks, or 6 mos.... sometimes not until a year old. It is too early for cereal and way to early to try to regulate her schedule. Don't let people try to convince you to do Baby Wise - it is not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Seriously, just give her time to be little. She'll grow out of it when she's ready.

Give it time. My son didn't sleep through the night until almost one year!!!! :(

I know you wrote a long time ago, but Oh, my gosh, my first son didn't sleep through the night until he was over a year old (after weaning) and he was waking up to nurse every few hours during the night until God knows how long. My second son nursed throughout the night until he was 8 months old. Then he was old enough for solid food and was able to eat more and that helped a lot. And he was a great napper and sleeper otherwise. I've learned you just go with the flow as far as eating is concerned. Eventually, they will sleep when ready.

Sorry to say this but I have an 11 1/2 month old that still wakes at least every 2-3 hours, sometimes every 30 minutes. Not all babies can be trained to sleep through the night until after 1 year. As a mom I have had to just deal with less sleep. He is not my only child and I believe my older kids were close to a year old before they would sleep through the night too. My kids have all had reflux though so that could have made the difference between them and other kids.

Wow! Lucky you! I wished all 3 of my kids slept through the night by 8 weeks. It took all of my kids up to 4 months to sleep all night consistently. My babies were big chunky babies and needed more to eat. So I was perfectly fine with that since I knew that they will sleep evenutally. Remember every baby is different. One of my kids woke up at the exact same time every night. My body got used to the schedule quickly. However, one of my other kids would wake up any time, like after 5 hrs then 2 hrs, etc. Quiet rooms help to an extent. Is it cool, dark? Sometimes dressing a baby too warmly or too cooly can disrupt sleep. I also found my kids did better when they went to sleep at 7 pm, I would wake them up at 10 pm and feed them and put them back down. I did that from 2 months to 4 months. Every week they would sleep a little longer then eventually all night. Then I started slowly weaning them off the 10 pm feeding. Being consistent is important as well. Good luck! Just enjoy your little ones. I know it is tiring but having kids are tiring. I have resigned to the fact I will be tired until they grow up & leave home. :)

Read The Baby Whisperer, and Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child. My first was sleeping 12 hrs a night(7-7)and taking good (1 and 1/2 hr) naps by 4 months (unless he not in his own bed)thanks to those books. (I waited until he was around 4 months to search for help, I was soooo tired and desperate for answers) Now I'm on baby #2 and she's 8 weeks, and thanks to those books and the methods, she's sleeping basically from 7-11 then a "dream feed"(ask baby whisperer about that) at 11 and sleeping until 5. Those books change everything. (if you can stay awake to read em :)Everyone will question you as to why you put your kid to bed at 7 pm, though and will wonder why you stick to a nap schedule. (at least in my experience, most people think it's nuts to put a child to bed when they're "not tired") Trust me, these books are LIFESAVERS. I also read babywise with baby #1 and it is helpful too. Hang in there, I feel your pain!!!!

Most 10 week olds cannot sleep through the night. In fact, your 8 week son sleeping for 8 hours was a HUGE fluke of nature and you should consider yourself lucky. It is completely normal for her to be waking up every 3-4 hours. My pediatrician did tell me to try to "tough it out" to extend that time to 4 hours. Please do not put rice in her bottle just to make things easier on you. Babies' digestive systems should not be given anything other than breastmilk or formula for the first 16 weeks. She is likely to have gas, tummy cramps, and loose stool.

I know it's tough. But 10 wks is VERY young to sleep through the night.

My ddtr didn't sleep through the night until she was 5 mos old.

If you're breast feeding it takes longer b/c they digest the food so quickly.

Have you read Babywise? I love that book. It helps.

Good luck but don't think that this is uncommon. I would say that it would be more uncommon if she WAS sleeping through the night at 10 wks.

You've gotten some great advice, but I wanted to add one thing. Don't try to purposely keep your child awake later at night. If she needs sleep, let her. We found our son wanted to go to bed earlier and earlier (now he falls asleep between 6:30 - 7 p.m.) but it didn't necessarily mean he got up earlier. He usually slept a longer period of time as a result. Good luck!

She is waking up every 3 hours because she is hungry and needs to eat. Every child is different and has different needs. I know its hard as I have been in your shoes . I was still doing every 3 hours at 3 1/2 months. She didnt sleep more than 6 hours a night until she was 5 months old.

I would consult your Ped before giving her rice cereal.

The cereal thing I did with my son, because he was a big spitter and a big eater. He started sleeping all night long at 2 mos. old. My daughter on the other hand is the opposite. She too is a big spitter, so we started cereal at 2 mos. and it didn't help her sleep through the night. She got to the point where she was doing almost 42ozs. of formula a day. So we have since started her on baby food twice a day, and she still wakes up in the middle of the night sometimes. Every baby is different, I learned real quick not to compare my two kids, because they are complete opposites on a lot of things. I don't think it would hurt to try the cereal in one or 2 bottles just to see how she does. She might be a big eater and liquid is just not enough to fill her up. Talk to your pediatrician if you are just completely unsure what to do. You are going to get a lot of mixed opinions on here. So far I'm the only proponent for cereal that you've gotten, so may be more at a loss after hearing what us mamasourcer's have to say.
Good Luck! :)

First off, I am sorry if I repeat what others say. I didn't have time to read all the answers!

Okay, at 10 weeks it is not that abnormal for babies to not sleep through that night. However, you are obviously tired so you need to try to get him to sleep more, right? I would not give her rice cereal. She probably would do okay, but they actually don't have the saliva to help digest real food like that until closer to 4 months old. (That's why many moms think their babies are teething at 4 months or so) If you are breastfeeding, she should be able to get enough food. When she wakes up at night, does she always eat both sides or sometimes just one? If she is just eating one side, then she isn't really waking up out of true hunger, but habit. I would let her cry. If she is actually eating to eat, I would still let her cry for a bit. Try 10 minutes, but if you can't handle that, do 5. After a few nights of that, a lot of babies decide it isn't worth the effort and just start sleeping. And you may luck out and she may just decide to go back to sleep after a while of crying. IF she still isn't sleeping, I would check into other things. My son slept through the night at 8 weeks and then by 12 weeks he had quit and started backtracking. It turned out it was reflux! I put him on medication and after a couple weeks he is sleeping like normal! Don't worry about people who say that she will continue to wake up because she is breastfed. That really has only a little to do with it. A breastfed baby can certainly go 8 hours without food! If they need more, they will just eat more! A formula fed baby might be able to go 9 hours at the same time a breastfed can go 8, but you should not think that your baby cannot sleep through the night because of breastmilk!!!

Oh, and you might try feeding her more like every 2-3 hours rather than 3-4. They have atendency to even out the amount of food in a 24 hour period!

And babies actually need to be not too tired in order to sleep well. Put her down at the first sign of sleepiness and she may actually sleep longer for you!

My first one also slept all night sooner and the next three didn't ,--having said that, I think rice cereal in the last bottle of the night, with the formula would be fine and I thnk she will sleep until 5 a.m. anyway. I know you may want longer, but if from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. happens , hey thats a lot better than 3 hours. also have you tried a pacifyer if it has only been 3 hours? and just pat her a little, sometimes that works if they aren't really hungry.

I know sleep deprivation makes you feel like this has been going on forever, but really 10 weeks is still young to sleep through the night. Some babies hit it off right away, sleeping eight hours at a stretch, but most won't go more than 3-5 hours until they're 3 or 4 months old; they simply need the food too much. Rice cereal is definitely not a good idea, and your pediatrician will tell you the same thing. Rice cereal has way less nutritional value and will actually not be as filling as your milk or formula to the child, though her poor tummy will have a hard time digesting it at that age. There's also a not insignificant choking hazard with giving rice cereal to a baby so young. I know it's not what you want to hear, but grit your teeth and stick it out and I promise you will get some sleep soon! My first child was like your first baby, sleeping through the night right at three months. My younger one is sixteen months old and is barely sleeping nine hours at night now - and just started that long of a stretch about two months ago, after much sleep-training! Every baby's different. Sorry; we're all pulling for you! This feels like forever, but I promise it too will pass.

My son didn't sleep throughthe night till he was 10 months old, and my first took even longer. Research suggests rice cereal really doesn't help them sleep much better anyway, and my doctor said you should never put it in a bottle. She may just need a little longer till she can sleep through the night. I know it's hard, but you'll make it through!

Well she's a little young to give her any cereal in my opinion and I never agreed with putting it in the bottle anyways. She's only 2 1/2 months old and a lot of babies that age don't sleep through the night. Maybe you should try bumping up her formula intake. Good luck.

My first daughter slept through the night at 7 weeks. My second didn't start sleeping through the night until 10 months old. I think we lucked out with our first. I don't think adding rice cereal to a bottle is ever a good idea and I've heard that it doesn't even work. The AAP now recommends not starting any solids until 6 months old because their tummies just aren't ready. You might just have to wait it out and try to nap when they nap (easier said than done with 2, I know).

I understand where you are coming from, and feel for you. It can be extremely exhausting. It makes it a little harder when you have another child to take care of during the day as well. Every child is very different. My first daughter who is 6 now was a horrible sleeper from day one. She would be awake during the day sleeping only 20 minutes at a time, had colic and woke every 2-3 hours at night to nurse until 4 months old and from then on she slept through the night.

My second daughter who is 3 now was a breeze, thank God. Even with nursing she started sleeping through the night at 5 1/2 weeks.

I think you should hang in there and I definitely would not give rice cereal in a bottle. She is too young for that. If you do that you may be asking for worse trouble with being sick to her stomach and crying with tummy pain. Their little tummy's aren't made to digest cereal that young.

If you can when you are up at night and really tired, try to remember how fast time goes and enjoy holding and being with her. Ask you husband if he would be willing to do one feeding if you aren't nursing. Every little bit helps.

Dear Shannon,

You did not say if she is breastfed or formula fed, but I truly feel for you and I know it's a hard thing to be sleep deprived. However, giving cereal is not the answer to your precious baby girl sleeping through the night. Her tummy is not mature enough for cereal/solids at her age. Should you choose to give her cereal you are risking allergies, colic, constipation, and even more sleepless ngihts. There is no guarantee cereal makes them sleep longer at night. All babies are different. In my experience with my 5 girls, I had 2 that woke up during the night several times and the others were sleeping through the night very early on. Now my last one is 8 1/2 months old and she still is not sleeping through the night!! I thought I was going to die from sleep deprivation but after about 3-4 days my body adapted. My husband does help me out so we laughed about how much and who got the most sleep and we would crack jokes about it to take the edge off. It also helps to tell yourself "this too shall pass and we will be wishing she was a baby again." I gave cereal to my 4th one because everyone swore it was the best thing to do. My pediatrician also told me to start her on fruits and vegies at 4 months so I did. Needless to say I gave her the cereal before she was 4 months, then the fruits and veggies at 4 months. It was too much for a little one and now she suffers from major allergies. Her tummy was not ready for all that at once and she also was very colicky, gassy, constipated, and fussy. With my last one I didn't start her on cereal until she was 5 1/2 months old and then at 6 1/2 months I started introducing fruits and veggies. She is exclusively breastfed so I do know breast milk pretty much goes right through them because it is so easily digested. Try to keep in mind they have little tummies so that means more frequent feedings. In my experience it's been better to give more frequent feedings than to give a feeding of more such as 6-8 ounces at 3-4 hours intervals. My 8 months old only takes 6 ounces every 2-3 hours and she eats solids too. We just let her set the pace and she doesn't spit up. I will say this, she is gradually sleeping longer at night. Sometimes she isn't hungry she may just want to be cuddled or patted or reassured mom is close. Babies cry for different reasons it's not always hunger. Over time the night feedings have gotten shorter and less frequent. Hang in there you can do this.

For whatever reason, hitting the 12-pound mark was the time mine slept longer at night. For my son, that was 8 weeks. For my daughter, that was 15 weeks!

Try feeding every 2 1/2 hours during the day to get an extra feeding in during daylight hours. And don't try keeping her awake when she's obviously tired. It's ironic, but an over-tired baby won't sleep well. You might even start watching the clock on her awake time, limiting it to just an hour before giving her a chance to rest.
Otherwise, do what you can to make it through. Until she's 12 weeks, she's still a "newborn" and this is perfectly normal. I wouldn't advise cereal.

i have a 8 week old and i have been putting rice ceral(gerber brand) in his 4 oz bottle at night right before we go to bed ever since he was about 5 weeks. I put 1 teaspoon to 4 oz. It seems to hold him for about 6 hours. i put the ceral in the water then i warm it up in the microwave it seems to help it dissolve a little better that way. They say that your not suppose to but i have and doesn't seem to cause a problem, but like i said i just put in the last bottle of the day. I hope this helps a little anyway.

Shannon, Wow! You have gotten a ton of responses. I also have a daughter that is about to be 3 mo. Sometimes she wakes up a lot and sometimes she doesn't. I would nix the cereal/rice and just have her in the room with you. If your breastfeeding just bring her to bed. I have 3 daughters and the first one stayed in her bassinet and I never got any sleep, I was so exhausted. The last two have come to bed with me and I would never do it any other way again.

I wouldnt start her on cereal yet- I did SMA for my kids -without iron and it was filling enough- maybe pace her slower and feed her a bit more when she does eat- but I think 10 weeks is a bit young for the cereal. Does she take a pacifier? Maybe she just needs the sucking motion to get her throught the night. If she isnt screaming when she wakes up- let her self soothe for a bit before rushing in there. maybe even go in- pop the binky in her mouth without speaking- that jsut stimulates them. But 10 weeks- she may just need some adjustment time.
Hang in there! loland let hubby take a weekend night or two and get your rest.
D.

Shannon,
Per standard rec's, babies should not be introduced to cereal or any other foods/juices/etc. until they reach 6 mo. of age. They still lack the necessary enzymes to digest anything but breastmilk or formula if that is the route that you choose. Every 3 hours is VERY NORMAL :) It doesn't make it easier, but you should make sure that you take naps when she does, it will make your life much more managable. You might try moving her feedings closer during the day (get more calories in) and then an extra nursing (or bottle if you aren't nursing) just before you go to bed, it will pad your sleep a bit more.
Blessings,
S.

All kids are different my youngest did not start sleeping good until right after the three month mark and just started. My now nine your old never slept all night until after the age of one and my 15 yr old slept good from day one... I can tell you adding cersl to the bottle did not help my 10 month old at all it did not make a difference I was adding ceral to thicken her milk per the dr due to her spitting up I hope all goes well.

My 5 and a half month old son just started sleeping thru the night a few days ago, as we have been "Furberizing" him (letting him cry it out). It's hell when they keep waking up. My son was waking up every 2-3 hours too, that's why we decided to start letting him cry. It only took 2 nights for him to get it down. Now he's great. AND SO AM I!

Hi Shannon - I didn't read the other responses, but it's all individual to the baby. Some sleep really well, some take a year do go all the way through, some take even longer. I'm breastfeeding my 17month old still, and he doesn't sleep through the night - he is sleeping longer periods though.

Try a dream feed - that's when you feed them before YOU go to bed, but without really waking them up. Don't do the cereal thing - it's not really healthy, and she might choke. I don't think her digestitve system is up to it yet. Don't necessarily keep her up later - that could cause problems with sleep too. She might need to eat a little more often during the day, especially if she's going through a growth spurt.

Good luck!

I have 2 sons. My first son, who is now 3, started sleeping his crib at 3/4 weeks and started sleeping through the night. I made sure he had a nice, full tummy before he went to sleep in the evenings. I also gave him single grain gerber cereal in his bottle at his last bottle for the night. He kept him fuller and we both slept better.

My 2nd son, who is now 5 months, was the same way. I started putting cereal in his bottle at 4 weeks as well because he just wasn't getting full during the night and he also sleeps in his crib. I don't put much cereal in the bottle. I probably put about 3 table spoons in an 8 oz bottle and open the nipple a bit.

The pediatrition said it was perfectly fine to put cereal in his bottle at night and both my boys are doing wonderful and no problems.

I lucked out and that was what my babys did, but I have a friend who isn't so lucky. Her baby girl is 6 months old and she puts cereal in her bottle and night and still doesn't sleep through the night. Every baby is different.

You might try that and/or talk to your pediatrition about it. Maybe even move her to the crib instead of the bassinet.

HI there - I feel your pain - she may not be getting enough milk to keep her tummy full through the night. 10 weeks is young to put on cereal maybe. My oldest daughter woke up all the time like this and realized she was still hungry. I called my pediatrician and through HIS direction, I put her on cereal. I know she was younger than 6 months old. She loved it! Made a mess until she figured out what to do - ha! Just a few teaspoons if I recall, then more through his direction. Some pediatricians don't believe in cereal for the 1st year which I think is ridiculous, so find one who is a pro-cereal.:)
Not sure if it was rice or what that I fed her, but she was sure a happy girl after that and she is now a mommy herself and doing an incredible job! The best to you.

I haven't read the other responses, so sorry if it's a repeat. I wouldn't put cereal in the bottle. I have heard that's not a good thing. I feel your pain though. My oldest boy slept through the night by the time he was a month old. My second child though, didn't sleep through the night until he was 7 months old despite everything we tried! I hate to say it, but maybe she's just not ready to go all night. To help get some rest, until he slept through the night, I'd stay up late and do the last night feeding around 11:00-12:00 (my husband would go to bed around 8-9), and my husband would be the one to get up with him around 5-6 and let me sleep until he had to go to work. I'd get the one around 3 AM on Sunday-Thursday since I could nap during the day if I needed to, and he'd get the Friday and Saturday night ones so I could get some sleep. It worked well since I'm a night owl and he's a morning person. Just because you're not working and daddy is, doesn't mean he gets a free pass. You're both working, so together, you need to work out a schedule that works for both of you so you can both get some rest. GOod luck! It may seem like it'll never end, but it will!

Hi, each baby is different in their sleep patterns and need for feeding. Your son is really an exception in that he was sleeping through the night at 8 weeks. You may just have to fight through it and have hubby help you with one feeding maybe an early morning or late night so you can sleep through one.

Try to get it to where you feed her a big bottle before bed and at that age if you can go 5-6 hours you are doing good.

My 1st son (5.5 years ago) had rice in his bottle at 2 weeks because of severe reflux and the dr told us to use it. but ideally the formula alone is better until at LEAST 3-4 months. use your judgment and test it out, it may not even make a difference.

HTH
:o)
A. j

I have a 20 month old that still wakes up through the night sometimes. I think that you are expecting too much. I know that you need your sleep but every child is different. My doctor told me to never put rice in her bottle. At 4 months we started feeding her rice cereal but as you can see, that did not help much. When she started eating solids that did help but obviously your baby is too young for that. Good luck and don't worry it will be over soon.

I have been having trouble with my 9 month old not sleeping. Someone suggested I read the book HEALTHY SLEEP HABITS, HAPPY CHILD BY MARC WEISSBLUTH, M.D. It has helped tremendously. He is sleeping through the night and takes regular naps. I hope it helps you.

Every child is different, and your son spoiled you. Your daughter is not ready to sleep longer yet, and 10 weeks is too young yet to be expecting it. I had to do the cry it out method with my oldest (at about 5 months), and my other two children started sleeping through at about 4 to 4 1/2 months.

I know you are sleep deprived . . . I feel your exhaustion! But hang in there. If by about 15 weeks she's still not improving, then you may want to pursue one of the sleep methods.

Babies should get nothing but breast milk or formula until they are four months unless your physician instructs you otherwise because of nutritional issues. Their bodies are not meant to process anything that is more difficult and you just need to grin and bear it.

My daughter ate every 2 hours like a clock and I didn't get her to sleep through the night until she was 6-9 months old. Of course, she broke the mold and both brothers were easier to deal with when it came to sleeping, although we still have problems with that happening successfully on a daily basis, sigh.

I agree with most of the comments. Your baby is still too young for any amount of cereal her stomach is not yet fully developed and her little tummy gets hungry. My daughter (5mos) just recently started sleeping for 6-8hrs at night. Don't look at getting up constantly at night as a chore. See it as a special time with your daughter with no one else around and it is nice and quiet. Use this time to just be at peace and thank God for a beautiful bundle of joy. You may be tired in the morning, but she is going to go grow up so fast and you will miss these little moments. Time will come when you can feed her cereal and when she sleeps through the night.

My son, who is three and a half, did the same thing. He managed to sleep through the night at 2 weeks. I kept trying to get him up to eat because he was "supposed to." He kept refusing to eat and I was a basket case. I just let him sleep one day and got so spoiled. He's still like that. He'll sleep through anything. Sometimes he'll skip lunch when he's tired and go straight to nap. I make sure he gets a good meal size "snack" after nap though. It's just the way he works.

My daughter, who is now 8 months, is a whole other ball game. She still nurses every 2-3 hours during the day and eats fruits, veggies, and meats at 3 meals a day. She has a super high metabolism and lots of energy. She's been pulling up and cruising since 7 months. However, she still needs a late night feeding to make it through the night. I stay up two hours past everyone else to feed her one last meal. Then I get about six hours sleep. Sometimes she still gets up once. I've found that once in the middle of a six hour stint is way easier to function than twice in an eight hour stretch. If I skip the late night feeding, then I'm sure to have to get up.

I wouldn't start the rice cereal. You could create digestive problems at this age. When they can't digest it they can have problems. Then you might be up even more throughout the night because she's uncomfortable. I'd just make sure you geed her more frequently during the day. I don't think most ten week olds are ready to wait 3-4 hours between feedings. Neither of mine did.

She's only 2 1/2 months old - it's normal for her to wake up to eat at night! And yes it's too early for rice cereal. It would bother her tummy more than it would help her sleep any longer.
My 3rd daughter is 9 months old and still wakes up 2 times at night to BF. My first daughter slept 12 hours straight starting at 5 months - which is pretty early. My 2nd daughter didn't really sleep through until closer to 2 years. All kids are different.
I think rather than expecting her to sleep through you should adjust your expectations.

I agree with most of these posts. It was a fluke (a very nice one)your first baby slept so well. Your new baby is completely normal. Mine was still waking that often at 5 months. Now that he is 1 he still needs a ton of food compared to most babies. Just a high metabolism I guess. I wish I could tell you a simple solution and help YOU get some more sleep. I think 10 weeks is way to young for any type of supplement. The best advice I can tell you is try to gradually stretch out her night feedings by a few minutes. As my baby got older and I sensed he was waking out of habit not hunger. I would try to soothe him in other ways back to sleep. Sending my husband in helped because when he saw me he wanted to nurse because he knew it was available.

Here is another thing to think about. How does your baby fall asleep initially at night? Could it be that she is not sure how to put her self back to sleep at night because she is used to having help? (falling asleep with rocking, nursing or a bottle) I personally do not believe in the "cry it out" method. (you can contact me if you want more information on why) We did a modified approach. I rocked him in his room until VERY sleepy. Put him in his bed awake. And then stayed with him and rested my hand on his back until he fell asleep. There was no screaming but he learned to fall asleep in his bed pretty quickly. Now we just have our bedtime routine and put him in his bed and say night night and he is off to sleep. If he were to wake (as they will naturally do) he would fish around for his paci and fall back asleep on his own.

Sorry to ramble I just understand the feeling of no sleep catching up with you and crying in frustration. Just know that this will be over all to soon and the things you will remember will not be the sleepless nights but the coos and smiles.

Honey,
Neither of mine slept through the night until 12 months of age. Yes, MONTHS. I know that is not what you want to hear, but really, she is so young and will probably wake up for a while. These years are the most exhausting I have ever endured....my children were 14 months apart and neither slept all night until after they turned 12 months, not sure why, because now they are both GREAT sleepers. Treasure these late night feedings and nap when you can.

You should really talk to your little girls doctor. I know I didnt give any cereal until 6 months. Most docs know that their intestines cant handle anything but formula or breast milk until then. Also my pedi said that you should never put cereal in a bottle due to choking hazard. My son didnt sleep through the night til a few weeks ago and he just turned 1!!!! I wish you luck. Just dont let her get overly tired during the day because it will backfire on you. When they are too tired it will keep them up rather than put them to sleep.

Put a sound monitor or play some very soothing music very low in her room. I would not put cereal in her bottle during the night. You may be able to give her some about 1 hour before bed so that her tummy is full and has had time to digest. Very quiet rooms at times may be the problem. When babies can sleep with noise then you will not have a lot of trouble for her to sleep. My children can not sleep in the quiet. My husband was a fire fighter and is a deputy sheriff and we have had police and emergency scanners in our home and on 24 hours a day since 1995 and we can tell if someone turns them down.Try some soft music. There are also CD of the sounds of the womb that may help.

I know this is a late enrty but I am curious as to who told some mothers not to feed infants food until 7 months and who told them that feeding them things like rice cereal too young will cause them to have diabetes and obesity later in life? Being a health care professional I have never heard those things and am curious if they had done any further research to support that?

Unfortunately, not all babies are content to sleep thru the night at 10 weeks. Medically they say the baby has to be 10 lbs before it can sustain itself through the night, also with growth spurts that can change. It is also not recommended to give cereal to a child under 4 months of age. I would talk to your doctor before doing that.

I know is hard, but it does pass, and girls tend to need more at the begining.

although 10 weeks is young to be sleeping through the night, i know that after 10 weeks of not getting a good night sleep you are probably exhausted. my older son was 12 weeks when he started sleeping through the night and my younger son was about 14 weeks. i don't recommend doing rice cereal, but if you think that your daughter should be sleeping longer, try limiting how often you feed her during the night. with my second son, once he hit 12 weeks i decided to only feed him once during the night. if he woke up after only 3 or 4 hours, i would simply give him a pacifier, soothe him, and put him back down. if he woke up after 5, 6 or 7 hours, i would feed him and put him back. after a week of this, he started sleeping through the night. he's 4 months now and still wakes up occasionally, but is able to put himself back to sleep without me. another suggestion would be to try giving her an extra ounce or two of formula at bedtime. one key ingredient for most children sleeping through the night is learning how to soothe themselves back to sleep--for me this involved letting my sons cry or fuss for about 10-15 minutes as they worked to put themselves back to sleep. good luck!