5 Month Old Waking up Every 3 Hours

Yes, it's normal. My 7 month old daughter was sleeping from 10-11 pm until 4:30-5:00 am until we went to my mother's house this weekend. Now she's back to waking every 3 hours because she got used to coming into bed with me to nurse.

The cereal won't make her sleep through the night, especially since at first she won't take enough of it to make a difference. My ped had me start cereal at 4 months just to see how she'd tolerate it. She's plowing through cereal in the morning, a full jar of stage 1 apples at lunch, and almost a full jar of stage 1 vegetables at dinner, and she still wakes up during the night and wants the boob. It's a comfort thing. You might try trying to get her to go 15 minutes longer between each feeding during the night to try to get her to space it out and eliminate the night feedings. Dr. Ferber says they can get used to eating at night, just like you get hungry when you eat lunch at noon every day.

Yes, that is normal. Nurse on demand as you know....breastfed babies are often like that. No worries. Some babies feed more than others and have different appetites.

My girl was almost at the breast every 2 hours, 3 max. My son, he was a voracious feeder, and I had a hard time keeping up with his nursing needs, and he WAS truly hungry. And they both grew like weeds. LOL

I would not add cereal to the bottle, go according to your Pediatrician as only he/she would know your baby's full medical/health history.

many times, cereal is added to the bottle as a means to get the baby to sleep through the night for "our" sake, not the baby's sake.

Everyone is different, but giving cereal to make her sleep through the night is one method some parents use. Sometimes, introducing cereal too early, can exacerbate or bring on allergies...as the baby's digestive system/internal organs are still developing...and will still be developing throughout the first year. This is why, there are certain food/dietary recommendations for babies, especially during their first year. The American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends giving "solids" at 6 months of age. Or, it varies per Doctor suggestion, baby's condition or needs. Best to ask your Pediatrician first...

During the first year of life, a baby's primary source of nutrition is from breastmilk/formula. Very important.

Your girl may also be going through a "growth spurt" since she is approaching 6 months of age... .this means, yes, they feed more & more often & more in quantity. So if they are hungry, you'll need to feed them, even if it means waking up during the night. It's a phase and will pass.

This is normal... and not only with your baby. Both my children, and many babies go through this, per their growth, developmental phases, and feeding needs and they grow and change. It is not static. It will change every month, or at every growth spurt and developmental change they go through, both in sleep and feeding needs. Sorry, but yes, they are going through a lot and in their cognitive skills too, and they will wake up.

Also, it could be teething... this wakes them too.

All the best, don't worry, your baby is normal,
~Susan

It's pretty normal but maybe your not producing enough milk, you may need to supplement. If you pump, maybe breast feed and add a a few oz of pumped and see if she sleeps more. My one yr old weighs 18lbs, your baby is probably hungry. We started adding rice to her diet when she was 5mo old, she just wasnt' satisfied with only milk. Good luck!

My daughter is 9 months and just started sleeping through the night without nursing 2 weeks ago (8pm - 6am). When she was 3 months we did the cry it out method to get her sleeping through the night but she still got up once or twice a night to nurse. I feel like she really needed to nurse at least once a night until she was about 6 monnths old but it seems like she just got into the habit of getting herself really awake and calling for mom.
Although I loved the comfort of nursing her, the reality is I needed my sleep and so did she. It seems like she wasn't getting the really restorative sleep she needed by getting herself completely awake every couple of hours.
It was so hard to let her cry it out through the night but things are great now. She and I are so much more rested and so much happier. I really cherished our special times together in the middle of the night but I don't think she still needs it.
When she was 5 months I tried to go to her no more than once a night. What I tried to do (which worked ok but not perfect) was to not go to her before a certain time. For example, I knew that at 6 months old she should be able to go at least 5 or 6 hours at night between feedings. So if she went to bed at 7 I wouldn't go to her before midnight or one. Then she should be able to go until morning without nursing again. I would close my door and set my alarm for 2am and get up and open my door (or nurse her if she was up). Like I said, it wasn't a perfect system but it allowed me to get chunks of sleep knowing she would be ok until I checked her.
I found dealing with her sleep really difficult - trying to balance my desire to nurture her with trying to help her learn to self-soothe (while trying to survive myself). Best of luck to you and let us know how things go.
M.

Dear L.,
Susan is absolutely right. Your baby may be going through a growth spurt, or she needs your milk supply to increase a bit. It is such a short time in your life, even though it seems like a very long time when you are going through it.
Enjoy your baby, the nursing makes her feel so secure and your love comes through loud and clear. Sometime, you will long for these special times of nursing when they are gone. I still call my daughter "My baby girl", and she is an adult. She has children of her own and also nursed them. My son, didn't nurse as long as my daughter did, but it was very special. He self weaned earlier.

Enjoy that baby!

E.:)