Our son is 2 months and 3 weeks. For the past few weeks, he has been sleeping through the night! An accomplishment indeed. I breastfeed him around 9:15 at night and put him in his crib, where he falls asleep right away. For the past 10 days or so he has been waking up at 5:15am, though we are not taking him out of his crib until 6am. From about 5:15 to 6 he cries pretty much non-stop. I breastfeed him at 6 and then he usually falls back asleep for another hour.
Does anyone have any ideas of how to prevent that 5:15-6:00 cry period? When he was learning to sleep through the night, he'd wake up and cry and would eventually fall back asleep. After a few days, he learned. We wonder why then he's not learning to fall back asleep in that early morning period, as he did when he used to wake up in the middle of the night??
We can't really complain, since he sleeps as well as he does through the night. But it would be even better if he could sleep until 6, at the earliest.
Thanks in advance.
Thank you all for your responses. I suppose I should have prefaced the message by saying this was at our pediatrican's recommendation and that it was NOT because our son's crying was inconveniencing us. In fact when he cries, we are at his door feeling bad that we aren't able to soothe him. Of course we wanted to feed him. Of course he is hungry at that morning period. However as first-time parents, we acted under the assumption that the 'doctor knows best'. I posted a request on mamasource, I guess, for validation from my peers of mothers that it IS ok to feed him, despite the doctor's suggestion. And based on your responses, yes it is! Thanks.
As for those who were quiet harsh with your words of "advice", I will forgive you for assuming that we are bad parents and that we were doing this because it was disrupting our sleep and inconveniencing us in general?! To be honest, I would have expected that you would have assumed the best of us. You'll be happy to learn that I am feeding him when he wakes!
He is crying because he's hungry. He hasn't eaten in 8 hrs. A baby this small his stomach is only the size of his fist. I never would have forced him to cry it out at this age in the first place. He just to small to understand that. The majority of babies don't sleep through the night until 6 mos and even then breast fed babies are even longer then that. He's to little to learn this. He is hungry feed him.
Hi M.:
At 2 months old you should not be letting a baby cry for that long. At 2 months old you should still be feeding on demand and for him to be sleeping through the night is amazing, but if he is waking at 5:15 it is because he is hungry. Do not try to hold him off to 6AM just so you can stay in bed it is not fair to him.
He is growing at a rate that requires LOTS of food. Feed him at 5:15 when he wakes up and then put him back to bed. You won't have to listen to him cry for 45 minutes and may even get more sleep. A.
Hi M.,
I am not here to give advice on your question, as I see you have already received a ton of it and all the moms are saying the same thing (which I agree with). After reading their responses I am thinking you may be feeling a bit guilty for letting your son cry. Just wanted to give you a little support. Being a mom (especially a new one) is the toughest job in the world. So if you are feeling bad, don't. Learn from these great moms and their advice and know that your baby is fine and you have not done any "permanent damage" Enjoy this awesome time in your life!!
ofcourse he's hungry!!! feed him!!! at this age he can't go on for more than 6+ hrs without eating especially breasfed babies. also be prpared for a lot of sleepless nights ahead, babies go through many sleep patterns and stages, he may sleep now through the night, but in two months would want to eat every 3 hrs etc... be patient thats what happens to kids - everyday is something new! crying it out method is very harsh at this age, he's way too little!! i'm against it all together, but at least it would make some kind of sence when the baby can really understand - right now he's simply hungry and he does not care that's 5;15am.
Why do you let him cry?? At 2 months, a cry is a need for
something. You are lucky. Most breastfed babies are fed every
2-4 hrs throughout the night. Also he is coming on to 3 months
which means another growth spurt, he needs to nurse more often to bring more milk in. 3 months, 6 months are growth
spurts. Learned responses??? at 2 years old maybe, not 2 months!!! Momma take care of your baby!!! That 45 minute extra
sleep is pretty selfish on your part. He probably also would
like a diaper change after 8 hours!!! If this is a problem you
had better hang on to your hat, because there will be a lot of
inconveniences coming your way!!!
Why such a strict schedule - eat at 6 and not a minute earlier, where it came from? Your son just wants to eat. I guess he's just growing and getting hungry sooner. Small babies usually wake up between 5 and 6 as the breast milk is the richest at that time of the day. Just feed him when he wakes up, and put him back to sleep... he's too young to teach him to go back to sleep by himself especially when he's HUNGRY.
First of all, congratulations on successfully breastfeeding your son. Seven hours sleep for an almost 3 month old is wonderful. You are very lucky. Please pick him up and feed him when he wakes at 5:15. He is very hungry by that point and needs to eat. This is his wakeup time, and you need to listen to his cues, not the clock and feed him. My kids used to be early risers, so I would adjust to their schedules. Go to bed soon after he does, and you will be ready to rise at the same time as him. Or you may be able to feed him and settle him back down after that early morning feeding for a couple of hours. Good luck.
L.
Hi M., I think you should count your blessings and not let your baby cry from 5:15 to 6 just because yu think that is a better time. Your baby is hungry. He is onlu 2 months old! As he gets older and is consuming more he will sleep longer. Join the mommy club. We never sleep as much as we would like but the rewards are great. Hang in there and love your baby. Grandma Mary
Hi!
I think that you are very fortunate that he sleeps for as many hours straight as he does.
Your little guy is hungry. Please just feed him - he is an infant that is growing. Crying is the only way he has to communicate his needs to you, please don't let him beg for food!
Enjoy your beautiful baby and wishing you well,
Celia
Generally the crying method is not recommended until the baby is at least 4 months and/or 15 pounds. He could be going though a growth spurt and needs the nutrition. I would feed him at 5:15 and put him back to sleep. You are lucky he sleeps so well at such a young age. My ten month old is still learning even after trying the cry method numerous times. I think your son may be a bit young for this. Check out the book Healthy sleep habits Happy Child by Dr. Weisbluth and it gives you some guidelines. Good luck
Yikes! If you're nursing your son and he's waking at 5:15pm and crying he's probably very hungry from all of those hours he's just slept. When is the last time you nurse him before putting him to bed? I liked the advice you got from another mom saying to bring him in bed with you to nurse so he'll go back to sleep and you won't have to be too "up" at that hour. He's still so little and 5:15am really isn't early at all if he's going to bed at 9:15am. I nursed my two boys exclusively and we didn't let them sleep through the night until solid foods were started (5.5 months) to ensure they didn't wake up before 7am. I nursed at 10pm, 3am and 7am. Yes, I had to wake them up at 10pm and set an alarm to wake them up again at 3am to nurse, but it made our mornings soooo much better.
if your child is not waking to be fed during the night you should be going to your child to feed him at five am. once you feed him, put him back to sleep and then wake him for the day at seven. he's only 2 months, he needs to be fed, he's freakin' starving!!!!
also, it's WAY too early to sleep train. go out and get marc weissbluth's healthy sleep habits, healthy child. it will help you understand the sleep patterns of babies.
I think you may find he is hungry at 5:15am instead of 6. As they grow their appetite is going to change. Also he might be wet. T.
I would say to get up and feed him at 5am instead of 6am. That is really TOO long a time for a 2.5 month old to go between feedings. He is screaming because he is hungry :) At this age, babies usually still need to be fed every 4-5 hours or so, because of how quicky breastmilk digests. If you are getting a stretch from 9:15pm until 5am, that is wonderful indeed!! Good luck!
Hi M.,
He sleeps from 9:15 to 5:15 non-stop?? That's wonderful for you but he's probably hungry. I believe in nursing on demand...he'll go right back to sleep, so you can too!
Best,
S.
Postpartum Doula
I think it's great that your son has learned to pretty much STTN at such an early age. However, that is a pretty long time for a breasfed baby to go w/o eating at that age. I think he probably really needs to eat at 5:15 if he's waking up at that same time every day. If it were me, I would get up, feed him where it's still dark and quiet, so he understands it's not time to get up yet, and put him back to bed. Yes, that might mean that he's up for the day at 6:15 or 6:30, but it might be enough to get him to sleep until 7. Ya never know. You kind of have to follow their cues at this age. Eventually he will be able to go the entire night w/o eating and even sleep later! It will be here sooner than you realize :)
M.,
that is wonderful that your little boy is sleeping through the night. I have an 8 month old and there schedules change all the time. My daughter used to sleep until 8:30, and now she wakes at 7 am, sometimes earlier. I never really let my daughter cry it out much. I give her a pacifier if she wakes up earlier, and she usually goes back to sleep. She also has a blankie she loves, and that helps to sooth her. Give it time though, his schedule may change and he may go back to sleep on his own. Good luck!
The only advice I can give you for sure is do NOT let him cry for those 45 minutes! Ask your pedicatrician and I would be shocked if he didn't tell you the same. At not even 3 months old he is much too young to be left crying that long. Either bring him into bed with you or get up with him.
He is hungry. Most likely going through a growth spurt. The cry method should not be done at this age. I use dr. ferber's method, and he suggests 4 months at least. The baby at that age does not really have self soothing capabilities. Even with dr. ferber or any other method, there are changes in the process. You will find that you're baby's schedule changes at times and as a mother you have to remain flexible. He is falling sleep after he eats at 6, so he is hungry. Feed him when he wakes up at 5:15, and instead of listening to him cry for 45 minutes, he'll most likely be going to sleep right away.
M., your baby is awake and crying because he is starving. Sleep training is inappropriate for newborns. Tiny babies need to eat every few hours around the clock. They don't need to "learn" not to wake up. Your 2 month old is already going 1/3 of the day without eating, which is really not appropriate for his age. You are denying him nourishment that he needs. I really find it hard to believe that with a 2 month old who sleeps for 8 hours a night, that you are complaining about an extra 45 minutes. Babies at this age should not be left to cry when they are hungry. Please be sure to talk with a lactation consultant or a doctor who is very experienced and knowledgeable about breastfeeding so that you are sure that you understand the nutrition that your baby needs. He will stop crying when you feed him, he is starving and this is really a no-brainer
Good luck.
Read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Weissbluth - it saved my life. You should never let a baby that young cry, for any reason, for 45 minutes. He's too young to learn anything and he couldn't possibly understand. 8 hours straight of sleep from a breastfed baby is almost as good as you could expect at this age. You're lucky!
here is a post note to my original response after reading what you wrote after... I would seriously consider switching pediatricians!! What kind of doctor wold recommend letting a 2 month old cry for almost an hour after sleeping for 8 hours!!! good luck
He's waking up because he's hungry.. I certainly would not let him cry another 45 minutes before feeding him. You're lucky that he, as a breastfed baby sleeps 8 hours at such an early age! His sleep patterns are goign to change many more times, so I wouldn't try to change him. Nurse him in bed and relax with him for a while before getting up for the day.
Ditto, please feed him. You had a baby, you don't get to pick when you sleep till anymore.
To prevent the crying period, don't let him cry, Feed him!
Hi M. I too have a newborn, he is 3 months and a week. He still wakes up for that 4 to 5 am feeding but goes right back to sleep until at least 8 and as I am writing he is still asleep and it is 8:30 am. Babies at this age a 5 hour span is considered sleeping through the night! If your baby is crying for 45 minutes he is definatly hungry. Sometimes my LO cries out but only for a minute or two then settles back down. You don't have to run at every peep but it isn't reasonable to let your LO cry for that long. There will be all sorts of reasons for nighttime awakenings teeth,colds,dreams,and being wet or stinky. This stage seems to last forever but you will look back and miss it hence my 4 children. I hope you can embrace your babies schedule and enjoy the bonding time only you get to have. Keep us posted and good luck.
My doctors used to say sleeping through the night was anywhere from midnight to 6am so if he is going from 9-5 for a 2 month old that is GREAT! i would just feed him right at 5 and let him go back to sleep, he is probably hungry....eventually he will grow out of that feeding...my 2 little girls did and now they both don't wake up until 8am every morning! Good luck!
Hi M.,
I think that is wonderful how your son sleeps all night, therefore I am a little curious about why you do not pick him up when he wakes up. He's probably crying because he's hungry, my suggestion and only a suggestion, is when he wakes up pick him up, and feed him.
All the best.
He's HUNGRY! He's probably having a growth spurt and need to nurse. Crying is the only way he was to tell you that he needs you!
9:15 to 5:15 is a LONG time for him to sleep without feeding!!!! I don;t even think it is healthy for him to go that long with an empty stomach! The stomach is only as big as his fist, so it must be empty for a while on such a schedule. It probably makes him suck down his morning meal, which can cause choking and aspiration. You should really have him feeding at LEAST every 6 hours at this point. Good luck. Sorry not to help out with your sleep.
Wow- what a great sleeper! And you must have done a really good job with him, to help him become such a self soother! :) I actually think his 5:15 wake up is not a morning waking at all. It seems like it's just a feeding waking, and that he'd likely sleep for another couple of hours if you just quietly fed him (lights off, no playing) and then went back to bed.
And if he had just one feeding over 12 hours at 11 weeks?? Then you're way ahead of the game!
Just an idea!
Hi M.,
Why are you letting him cry when he wakes after sleeping for 8 hours? Your baby needs to eat - please feed him. He is tiny and still very, very young - needs to eat a lot.
It really makes me sad to know that a 3 month old is crying for 45 minutes after sleeping for 8 hours.
Please, tend to his needs and feed him when he wakes - he's very hungry. He will most likely go right back to sleep.
Please, please tend to his needs...... I know it's hard at 5:15, but you need to discipline yourself to go to sleep earlier in order to get the rest you need to tend to him. He is your priority.
Good luck.
Hello M.,
I may be giving you more of the same advice, but I didn't have enough time to read through all of the posts you got. I echo Helen B's advice - my LO slept 5-6 hour stretches at that age. I was thrilled to have that long in between feedings because before that it was 3 hours in between and she would take almost an hour to nurse!
I also did not want to start my day at 5 am! So, we would wake her around 11 or 12 at night and feed her (either nursed or bottle fed breastmilk), and she would sleep until 5:30 or 6. At that time, I would feed her and she used to fall asleep within an hour of waking for at least 2-3 hours - and when she was that small, I would nap too. Try nursing lying down, which keeps you both in a state of almost-sleep; it's very relaxing.
If you're trying to get him to sleep until 6 because you have to get up to go to work, I would suggest waking him to nurse around 11, which will stretch his nighttime a little so you can sleep a little later. But definitely don't hold off his feeding - he is most definitely hungry!
Good luck!
~Karissa
Hi M.! First of all, congrats on the new baby. It's pretty awesome, isn't it? Don't let the other comments discourage you. You are doing fine, just learning like the rest of us!
My guess is that he is hitting a growth spurt (they happen at about 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months). When that is the case, they tend to shift their schedules a bit -- I would suggest treating it like a "middle of the night feeding" when you nurse and then put him right back to sleep. When he's done with his growth spurt he'll settle back into a later schedule again.
By the way, (not sure if you read Babywise) but when it talks about the 5:00 wake up time issue, that doesn't happen until they are a little older. At this point I would still listen to the hunger cues and nurse when it seems like he is hungry. He'll let you know when he can go longer.
Hope this helps!
Hi M., Congratulations on your beautiful little boy. Please, please, please let us know that you have taken the good advice of all the moms who say you should feed your bundle of joy at 5:00pm when he wakes up crying and then let him go back to sleep. My heart hurts just thinking of that tiny little boy crying for so long when he is just plain hungry. And believe me, he is. I am not going to be able to fall asleep tonight without thinking of him, but I will tell myself that when he wakes up tomorrow morning you will go right in and feed him. That's why we are mommy's, so we can be there for them when they need us.
You will not be spoiling him by heeding his cries; you'll be letting him know that he is secure and safe and paid attention to and loved more than anyone else in the whole wide world.
B., Grandma in Westchester
M.,
That's about the time my DS stared teething. It's not too early.
It also might be a growth spurt - what you feed him before bed might not be enough to make it through anymore.
No idea if you are breastfeeding or bottle, though if he's hungry, either way it isn't going to matter which: he's hungry!
Try upping him a little or topping him off a little bit more (well, if you can't you can't, don't want him to barf, either?)
Good Luck!
M.
Wow - you're getting a huge block of sleep - you're so lucky!
When he gets up at 5:15, he must be starved!! Feed him and keep him up for a while (play for a bit, let him hang out in his bouncy chair) and then put him back down. You can nap again then. But he's got to eat (and probably a lot as he's been asleep all night) as soon as he wakes up.
Your little guy's sleeping schedule will evolve (and not always for the better) until he finally drops his one nap a day (usually in the twos). Sorry to say but until then, you need to go with the flow of his wake/sleep and feed schedules. Also, you need to go to sleep by 11:00 the latest if your gonna keep up with his 5am wake up call.
I agree with the others. You need to feed him. 8 hours is a long time for a 3 month old to go and he is hungry. Also, he is just about to hit the three month growth spurt which means his needs and schedule are going through changes. Feed him and don't let him cry so long.
He seems very young to be sleeping 8 hours. At 2 months 5 hours is considered sleeping thru the night. I wonder if he is going thru a growth spurt and is hungry at 5:15. I would talk with your pediatrician and see what he thinks, but crying for an hour or so seems like a lot of stress for a baby so young. I have two month old twins and they sleep 4-5 hours and get up to eat once during the night. I know that my Dr. said that they are too small (young) to go much more than 4-5 hours without eating. I would talk with your dr.
Good Luck
one more thing....when trying to keep my twins on a schedule....I do a 'dream feed'. I think one of the other moms mentioned it. Right before you go to sleep....go in and nurse him. Just pick him up and put him to the breast. He will nurse in a dream like state...not really awake but not fully sleeping either. This should help him get past the 5 am mark. I do this with the twins...if one wakes up hungry...I feed him/her and then feed the other one right after. Try it and see if he will sleep a bit longer in the mornings.
Hi there! I know everyone, including doctors, have their own ideas about how long a breastfead baby can go. What I've discovered by reading about other mom's experiences and talking with other moms is that every baby is different. Some wake up every 3-4 hours to be feed at night and go right back to sleep. Others sleep longer stretches. What I do know is that a baby that young should not be sleep trained, meaning his cries should not be ignored. I did notice your comment about him waking up in the middle of the night and after a few days "learning" to go back to sleep since no one came to get him. I sincerely hope you didn't let him cry for any extended period of time and instead he just fussed for a few minutes and went back to sleep. Otherwise, you ignored his hunger cries.
The fact that yours is sleeping 8 hours stretches means you are one of the lucky ones. When my daughter (now 10 mo.) was that age she was sleeping 6 to 8 hours. It depended on her hunger. If I was lucky she'd eat and go back to sleep for a few hours. Other days she had no interest going back to sleep and I was up for the day at 5am, sometimes 430. Did I love it? Of course not, but she's the boss at that age. Her body knows what she needs. I was just grateful she wasn't awake every 3 to 4 hours.
I'm going to echo what everyone else has said, your little one is waking after 8 hours because he is hungry. Letting him cry for 45 minutes is not going to change that. And I'm not sure I understand why you let him cry that long? What is it about the 6am feeding? Is that your schedule or is that a schedule he was on before? If it's the first, unfortunately you can't put a 2.5 month old on your schedule, that's too young. If it's the latter, baby's wake times are constantly changing, especially at this young age. Next week it could be 430am, the week after 7am. As much as you would like it to be so, letting him cry in his crib for 45 minutes is not going to change anything when he is hungry.
I would feed him and hope he goes back to sleep for a few hours. Maybe his 515am waking phase won't last too long. But once this phase is over, it will be something else.
I know that he's a little ahead of his peers on sleep, but at this age he really needs to eat. It's too early to expect him to accomodate your schedule.
Good luck!
Your baby is so young, and is most likely hungry. That is great that is he STTN until 5:15. WOW! I would recommend feeding him at 5:15, as some other Moms suggest, and put him back down to sleep.
Good Luck!
C.
Hi M.,
Congratulations that you have such a great sleeper! I think, though, (and I say this gently!), that you are looking a gift horse in the mouth! Your baby is starving when he wakes at 5:15, and leaving him to cry for 45 minutes at this age is not doing him any good--he's too young to learn from it--and may be doing him harm. What I'm sure you want him to learn, because it will stay with him for his entire life in a security sense, is that Mommy is always there and will meet his needs. My advice is: feed that hungry baby and then go back to sleep, and be thankful that he sleeps from 9:15-5:15 at this age--you are very fortunate. When he is considerably older and his body doesn't need such constant nourishment, then let him cry a little. This time when they're so little goes so incredibly fast; I promise you that you will actually miss it (all of it!) when it's over. Cherish this time and live in the moment, even if it means a little less sleep than you'd like (and remember, it's a lot more sleep than most moms of 3 month olds are getting!) Good luck and congratulations!
I agree with everyone else, a that age he's really hungry - I would suggest feed him at 5:15, then put him back to sleep. And remember, his schedule will constantly change, especially in that 1st year.
I recommend bringing him into bed with you and nursing him while you nap after you've changed him. The side-lying position is fantastic. He will get some mommy-time, food and warmth and you will get your rest. He will probably also "nurse-sleep".
As they grow their internal clocks change and yours will adjust to his in due time. It's best to follow his cues when he wakes up. Since he is awake, hungry and wet the only sure fire way to end the crying spells is to attend to him. He needs food, warmth and his mommy. Enjoy these moments!
I am not a morning person either so the idea of being up at 5 am is not a happy one. He is probably hungry as most everyone else has said. I think your best bet is waking him up for a late night feeding right before you go to bed. Feeding him when he wakes up and keeping it quiet and dark may also work well.
My son was not a big crier so if he cried or fussed for more than 2-5 minutes he definitely needed something, though it wasn't always obvious what. 45 minutes is a long time for a small baby to cry. So try some different stratagies...but don't let the "mommy guilt" weigh you down. We all make mistakes. I doubt letting him cry a few mornings has caused him irreperable harm. My son was in the hospital for 10 weeks due to a difficult birth. The staff in the hospital let all the babies cry a bit when hungry (even the tiny premmies)--sometimes 20-30 minutes--to keep them on a schedule. They did give them a pacifier usually.
Ah, I remember these days. I think that is is normal for him/her to wake that early at that age. I feed then see if he goes back to bed. It was not until about 6-7 months that she didn't wake that early, she is one now. Sometimes she still does, and I let her hang for about 15-30 minutes, but not an hour. We just start the day then, see if you can get to bed early yourself. Fedding later doesn't really matter too, we try everything. They eat/ sleep when they want. So try to get through it. It gets better.
M.,
Your poor baby is hungry...that is a LONG time for a small baby to go without eating...feed him, then put him down again...making him cry for food for 45 minutes isn't good, imo.
Also, his sleep patterns are going to change, it's all part of their normal development...so just go with the flow and enjoy him as much as you possibly can in those wee hours...They grow so fast, just savor all his deliciousness!!
Speaking from experience, I hated every middle of the night feeding wiht our oldest...hated it...hated not getting sleep, just hated it, prayed every night that that would be the night she started sleeping thru...and you know, I put her on the bus for kindergarten 2 weeks ago and would give anything to go back in time and enjoy my special cuddle time with her...Luckily I wised up with our 2nd and 3rd! LOL!!
Best wishes to you...I started rambling, but feed him at 515 then hopefully he'll sleep til 7 or so...
J.
not to sound harsh but..you're kidding me right? you cannot let your baby cry it out at this age. its not recommended until 6-7 months of age. my son woke every 2 hours to nurse round the clock for 7 months so consider yourself VERY lucky that your baby sleeps from 9-5. breastfed babies require frequent feedings..its very unusual for them to sleep so long at such a young age. your baby is hungry, you need to get up at 515 and feed him. at 2 months old their cries cannot be ignored. rather than looking at a 515 feeding as a hinderance, try looking at it as a special quiet bonding time between you and your baby. trust me, the next year will be a blur and youll miss snuggling that little one in the wee hours of the morning.
M.,
I am sure he is hungry. Sleeping through the night at two months old to me was from about 11-6 or 12-6 Nine to five is a very long stretch for such a young baby. He needs to eat and will eventually grow out of this feeding when he no longer needs it. I hope you do not think that this is the first changing sleeping patterns. He is way to young for you to say he is trained to sleep through the night. Babies go through many different sleeping patterns as they are growing. I am a firm believer in letting a child cry to teach them how to sleep as long as I know they are changed, fed, and there is nothing else i can do to help them sleep peacefully.Please do not make this baby cry HE IS HUNGRY.
