Hello Moms! I know there are always posts regarding sleep issues, so I apologize for sounding repetitive! We had our blessed suprise four months ago, another boy! He follows 21 month old twin brothers and a four year old sister! Life is hectic, but I love being a SAHM! What I need is for my baby (and me) to sleep! My other three sleep well-the twins take a 2-3 hour nap daily and both sleep through the night! My daughter no longer takes a nap, but sleeps well at night. I had to "sleep train" my daughter for naps and night time sleep (I read and followed methods from Secrets of the Baby Whisper). It worked and my daughter was sleeping through the night at three months, plus taking two two hour naps daily! The twins were good sleepers as well (I think having each other helped them!). My one twin didn't start sleeping through the night until he was eight months, but naps were great. I think he was only waking for comfort! I nursed my daughter exclusively until she was 14 months, and the twins until they weaned themselves at six months!
I am exclusively nursing my baby boy who was 8lbs.13oz.at birth. When he was eight weeks, I thought he was on his way to becoming a great sleeper--six hour stretch at night and two naps during the day! Nap times weren't consistant and not in the crib, but he was sleeping. Well for the last two or so weeks he has been waking at night two hours after I put him down (he's in a crib in our room because we have an older three bedroom home-the twins have their room and my daughter her own room). He was sleeping in a bassinet the first three months. Since waking two hours after I put him down, I do try soothing him without nursing. However, he gets so upset I end up feeding him! This cycle repeats itself every two or so hours! My husband and I tried not sleeping in the room thinking he "smelled" me and heared my husband who snores. That worked for a few nights and he was back on that six hour. stretch. I have done everything---I still swaddle him, but "tried" weaning him from that as he was making his way out of the blanket (I have since found a large swaddling blanket that I thought was working). He seems to startle himself when he's not swaddled, but at the same time, acts like he wants to be free! So I'm back to fully swaddling him! No reflux issues and he gets plenty of milk-I nurse every three/four hours. His pediatrician said to start rice and he's doing well with that (we thought having a full belly would help). I don't know what to do! I'm so tired and need rest to be a productive mommy to my other three! I finally broke down and called the pediatrician who thinks he just might be hungry (he's 15 lbs.). I don't have the time or energy to sleep train him, but will do so if that's going to help him! Sorry to be so long winded, but I don't know what else to do! Thank you in advance for your thoughts!
If there are some reflux issues or gassiness, sleeping somewhat upright will help him. You can try putting him to sleep in his carseat and if you see an improvement in his sleep reflux may be problem. Its definitely worth a try! Let us know :)
M.,
You poor thing. Get another opinion. The same thing happened to my daughter. Finally my friend recommended I take her to another doctor. She would be up every half hour at night and smiling away all day. She was almost 5 months old at the time. I did take her. During her check up the doctor told me she could not see her ear drum clearly and would have to clean it out. When she did she pulled a plug of wax the size of my pinky out of her ear and behind it was blood. She had an abscessed ear and the other doctor kept telling me she was fine. I was horrified to see that my baby was in such pain. After months of antibiotics she ended up having to have tubes put in her ear by her first birthday. And that was with two opinions from ENT's I would get another opinion. How does the doctor know it's not reflux. If he is getting plenty of milk and cereal he should be full. I wouldn't think it would be hunger. Something is bothering him his little belly could be bothering him. I have no problem with sleep training, it works and I did it with my kids, however get him checked out first to make sure it is nothing else to put your mind at ease. Doctors are not always right sometimes it is just trial and error to find what works for your baby. When you do cereal do you do it at dinner time or right before bed. The reason why I ask is it could be to much food on his belly if he is not resting comfortably. Have you tried elevating the crib a little to see if it is reflux. Good luck I hope you get some sleep soon you must be exhausted!!
He is definitely hungry. You have to remember that his stomach is only the size of his fist. And you were VERY lucky with your other kids sleeping through the night so early. Most breastfed baby's don't go that soon. But here is a tried and true trick that worked for both my breastfed kids. When he wakes during the night bring him into bed with you. Lay him on his side and you lay on yours, so that you are tummy to tummy. Then you "hook" him up and go back to sleep. He will nurse until he's full and then go back to sleep beside you (yes I know not a habit you want to start, but if it helps you catch some extra zzz's). Then once he's sleeping through the night you can keep him in the crib. But this helped big time. And when he's had his full he'll let go. And as for the cereal, it doesn't work. I have never spoken to anyone who said it did. It didn't work with either of mine.
I have a question for you, Did this sleeping issue start when you moved him from the bassinet to the crib? When i moved my daughter (at 5 months) from the bassinet to the crib she did not like it and would wake up during the night again. I am still trying to sleep train her in the crib. She is 7 months old now. I used to give in and bring her to our bed but I really want her to sleep safely in her crib so I have been doing the ferber method. It's starting to work. I think your son may be to young for that though, they are supposed to be 6 months old before you can try that. Maybe you can try making his crib like the bassinet in some way?
Most 4 month old babies don't need to be fed every 2 hours at night... breastfed or not. My son was breastfed and started sleeping 10 hours straight at night at 6 weeks (I know I am lucky and that is not the norm)... He did cluster feed in the early evening though (it was like he knew he was gearing up for the night), which was tough but I didn't mind because he slept so well. My daughter was also sleeping through the night relatively early, but did go through phases (growth spurts) when she would wake up earlier. I started by weaning her off the bedtime nursing and gave her formula then instead (she was tiny and didn't cluster feed before bed like my son)... it worked great for her. There are other things to look out for also... like teething or ear infections. My son had 8 ear infections between 7 mos and 15 mos. and has had tubes put in since then. His sleeping was definately affected by the ear infections/fluid. Try giving him motrin before bed and see how he does (if he does better, you can assume he is in some sort of pain) if not, maybe he is going through a growth spurt and is truly hungry, but try not to get into the habid of feeding him every 2 hours again...he shouldn't need that much-especially if he isn't eating that frequently during the day- and it will become a habit for him. Have you tried just letting him cry for a few minutes without going to him at all? Maybe by trying to soothe him, you wake him up more... maybe see if he can soothe himself back to sleep. Just some thoughts... good luck.
Hi M., Congrats on your newest blessing. Each child is so different. As I read your post I kept thinking... He is just hungry. I am an older mom (of 5) I brought mine into bed with me and they all grew up fine, It was one way for me to get some sleep. I know he will outgrow this. My best, Grandma Mary
What a busy wonderful household you have there! It's always so hard to balance the needs of young children at different ages while trying to get some sleep. I nursed all 4 of my kids so I'm pro nursing however maybe your little one needs some formula or breast milk with rice cereal added as his last feeding before bed. Breast milk is so easily digested that it's probably going through his system quickly. Formula or milk with rice cereal would stay with him a little longer so he wouldn't be hungry as soon.
UGH....First of all, let me just give you props for doing all that you're doing and not losing it already. You NEED to sleep for sure. Anywhere else in the house you could go to sleep for a couple of nights when you're husband can take over? Maybe on a day when he's not working? So you can at least get a couple of full nights sleep. I wouldn't think at this point he'd be hungry at this point. Maybe teeth? Have you tried a little bit of motrin before bed? I feel like every baby is different but you'll know when it's time to try sleep training. 4 months might be a little young. I just went through this myself but my son is now 7 months and I only have ONE older child (2 1/2) so I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. We got this thing called the Peke Moe. It's used to transition kids from the swaddle. Like your baby, my son seemed to be done with the swaddle but still needed something. He also scratched his face which was a whole seperate issue. This thing is like a big sleep sack where there arm stay inside too. They can still move around but they have the comfort of being all covered. Check out their website! pekemoe.co.nz It might be worth you trying. Most importantly just do whatever you have to in having someone help you at night so you can get a little sleep. Then maybe you'll feel more clear headed to deal with this. Hang in there....Feed him when you think it might be hunger, soothe him when you think that's all he needs and sleep train when you think he's ready. I know it's hard to hear now, but this WILL get better. I'm sure you'll have a good sleeper one of these days...you did it with your other 3!! Good luck!
E.
