5 1/2 Month Old Needs Sleep/food

You are NOT doing anything wrong by feeding your baby during the night. And please don't listen to anyone that has not raised a reflux baby... they are completely different than other children in regards to food. If your son is waking up, eating and then falling right back asleep, then yes, he is hungry... so please, feed him. I promise the gaps in between feedings will get less and less as he gets older. My son was a reflux baby as well (which by the way gets better also), and he still to this day at 22 months will get up between 4 or 5 am and chug 8 ounces of whole milk and then fall right back asleep for another couple of hours. And yes, I know, a lot of people out there think that I'm crazy for getting up to give him milk at the time or morning... but now that he's old enough to ask for what he needs... how can I ignore him yelling hungry and milk from his crib?? The poor kid is hungry!! Your child might process food quickly and truly need to eat every 4-5 hours because he is truly hungry. You can try rice... which we did with every bottle because of his reflux... the standard amount is 1 tsp per ounce of formula... and we used Avent bottles with stage 2 or 3 nipples and it went through fine with the organic or regular plain gerber rice cereal. Be careful with the brand, a lot of the brands clump up and don't go through the nipple. I think you're doing a great job responding to your babies needs... and please, always remember, every child is different. If he isn't waking up for the purpose of interacting with you, but just for the purpose of eating... feed the kid, he's hungry! Also... with the rice cereal, our guy got constipated a little also.. we put about an ounce of pear juice or apple juice in his formula when it happened and it took care of it.

Walmart has a bottle made by NUBY- called a infafeeder- you put cereal in it. But just make the cereal more liquidy-(I use milk or juice to make it) I also use a platex stage 2 nipple with it once they get the hang of it. The playtex stage 2 nipple has a cross in it for an opening instead of a pin hole. I love the infafeeder. I don't use it for everyfeeding, but it helped my kids to adjust to a different texture better because it was like a bottle. plus on Sundays when we go to church early, it is the no mess solution to sunday morning feedings and getting out the door on time.

I have atatched a link to what the bottles look like, however it is an ebay link and the bottles are less expensive at Walmart, when they have them. I have seen them at the walmart near us everytime I go.

My son had severe acid reflux and we started cereal at 4 months and foods at 5 months. Starting foods actually helped his reflux. In fact, we started yogurt at 7 months for breakfast and the spitting up completely disappeared. I strongly believe that the yogurt helped him!

Your son may not actually be hungry but is waking out of habit. I recommend trying the methods of "The Baby Whisperer". Its a much more gentle form of teaching your baby to go to sleep on their own. We used her methods to sleep train our son at 5 months. Since then, whenever we hit a rough patch we let hime cry it out (we go an check on him every 10 mins to reassure him we are still there). He is completely secure and happy.

Not all babies sleep through the night at 6 months, and its very rare for them to sleep through the night at 2 or 3 months. Although, another misconception is the idea of sleeping through the night. Did you know that a 5 hours stretch is considered "sleeping through the night"?

You are not doing anything wrong. You shouldn't feel stupid or ignorant. If your pediatrician isn't willing to hear your concerns and discuss them with you, than I urge you to find another dr. We had to switch our son's pediatrician when he was 10 wks old because his first one kept dragging her feet about his projectile vomitting and weight loss. He ended up in the hospital dehydrated...my decision was made that I would not rely on that dr for my son's care ever again!

this sounds normal -- 5.5 month olds don't usually sleep 8 hours straight! i would say he should be hungry every 4 - 5 hours. you should go to sleep earlier or when he does if you want to get more sleep when he does. my 10 month old just slept 8 hours in a row for the first time the other night but he was completely over-stimulated that day and went to sleep about 2 hours past his normal bedtime. putting cereal in his milk won't necessarily make him sleep longer. don't believe people's stories cause most people can't actually remember. also, some people, especially 20+ years ago, didn't go to their kids at night and let them cry it out, so unless you're prepared to do that (train your kid that you will not come to him when he cries after you deposit him in his crib) then you won't be getting 8 hours in a row for a while yet.

you can jigger with his bedtime to get his long stretch of sleep when you go to bed, but usually their longest stretch is when you 1st put them down. so if he goes down at 7 or 8, and you go to sleep at 10 or 11, you are out of whack with his schedule.

or you can bring him in bed with you. my son will sleep longer if he's sleeping next to me.

i had a headache for about 8 months when i went back to work when my 1st was 6 months old cause he woke up once per night until about 1 year old.

babies are not considered to be constipated unless they poop out hard turds, so don't worry if he doesn't poop every day!

Formula fed babies suffer reflux more than breastfed babies, so if you are still breastfeeding, try to stick more with that, and avoid dairy products, like milk, cheese, ice cream, etc... Very few babies sleep through the night. He sleeps 4-5 hours??? That is wonderful,especially for a baby who is separated from you during the day. He is hungry! Go to sleep when he goes to sleep and you will get 5-6 hours straight. Sleeping through the night just doesn't happen when you become a mom. Your other working mom friends are lying or neglectful, or someone has one of those babies who actually does sleep through the night. I had one of those out of 3 kids, but the other 2 did not. How about this-if you awoke during the night and you were helpless and in need of something, would your husband tell you to just lie there and cry it out? So your baby won't have you during the day, and he won't have you attending him during the night either? Tend to his needs!

Hi S.
First don't let anyone tell you that you are doing something wrong b/c your son isn't sleeping through the night. Every child is different. I also believe that you shouldn't let him cry it out just yet. Maybe when he is 1 or 2 years old but not now. The only suggestion I can offer is to keep trying to give him cereal before bed by the spoon and try pears as the fruit for flavor. If your son gets consipated my doctor said to put some kayro syrup-dark kind in his formula and this will help w/that. Hope ths helps

Your coworkers had no right to critize your mothering abilities. Every child is different. The average age of sleeping through the night is 4 months. In any event, since your baby has reflux, he has special needs. The doctor should recommend some medicinal remedies to help his belly or esophogus with the pain of reflux. You might try what I did with my daughter when she was one month old and refused to lie flat in her bassinet and sleep. I put her in her car seat, put the car seat on the bed between by husband and myself and rocked her to sleep that way. To my amazement she slep right through, past 10 am! This might even work for your baby who has reflux, since being raised should help prevent the acid from backing up. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck. Follow your instincts with your baby. Mother knows best. Oh, and maybe hubbie can get up one night, so you can get somem rest!

Please don't worry yourself over this and don't compare your child to anyone else's child. All children are different. My son did not sleep through the night until he was almost a year old. He has a very active brain and I believe he just didn't need as much sleep as other children did.
Yes, it can be very frustrating,not to mention the sleep deprivation it can cause. But my son is now 4 and he is so well adjusted and very secure in knowing that mommy and daddy will always be there. We did try the cry it out method out of desperarion but it did not work. It only made my insecurities as a mom that much greater. The mommy guilt started to set in and we did not continue the practice. It went against everything that my whole being was telling me at the time to do.
I breast fed my son until he was almost 10 months when I had to stop and we also let our son sleep in our bed to make it easier to handle the sleepless nights. Please do what feels right for you and don't compromise that. You will be so happy you listened to yourself in the end and you will have a little one that is better for it. Follow your heart on this and don't let people tell you to put cereal in his milk or cry it out or anything else that doesn't set right with you.
Personally, I do not believe that children are supposed to sleep through the night so early on in life (2-3 months). They wet and soil themselves in their sleep and need changing through the night and need nourishment for development on a regular basis. But that is just an opinion.

Above all, listen to your son. If he is showing signs of not wanting what you are giving or doing for him then back off and try something new. See what works for him.

I hope you find what works for you and your son and that you can feel comfortable with your decisions. Good luck.

P.S. I am so sorry for your loss and can understand the feeling of being overprotection but there is nothing wrong with feeling that way. You are a wonderful mother.

I know how hard it is to cope with little sleep, but don't give up on him yet. My little boy didn't sleep all night til way past a year old. He always ate well during the night, so I believe he needed it. Don't listen to the ones telling you that you are doing something wrong. All babies are different. My daughter was quite different. She slept well after a few months (without cereal). Can you take turns getting to bed earlier while the other one stays up with the little ones? I don't think crying it out will work if he is hungry.
Just my opinion. Hope you find an answer.

...also, the official definition of "sleeping through the night" is 5 hours. It sounds like your baby is doing that! Whenever anyone asks me if my son (now 11 mths) is sleeping through the night, I ask them what they mean by that. It is surprising to see how many people, parents and non-parents alike, have no idea how to answer that question!

Love your baby! :) and if he is hungry at night (at 5.5 mths) that is still normal, and he is likely legitimately hungry. He may also just need the extra time with you, especially if you are working. I work full time, and I found that trying to change my perception of the nighttime feedings I can enjoy them more helps me get through the nighttime wake-ups. (this is easier said than done sometimes, but it can help!)

The sleeping through the night bit is also a myth, because when a baby starts teething they may start to wake up more frequently yet again! And teething can start early, my son started at 7 mths. It will be sometime before you may get 8 hrs sleep straight, but you can do it! :) hang in there and try to enjoy this time with your son! :)

Also, try going to bed as soon as you put your son down for the night, that can mean a crazy early bedtime, but you're bound to get more sleep! HOpe this helps!

Get this book: "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" - there is also a website. It will guide you toward good sleep habits without crying it out. The reflux may be part of the reason he is waking.. but he is not necessarily hungry but uncomfortable.. get the book! I promise it will help - READ IT ALL - not just the sleep part. You need to understand her general philosphy about babies and you need to learn who your baby is..
MOST IMPORTANT: - you are not doing anything "wrong" - I hate when people say that. You may just be making simple mistakes that when they add up create a problem for the baby when it comes to his sleep pattern.
I wish you the best of luck!

I totally sympathize! My little one (who is now 3 and sleeps 10 hours a night) didn't sleep through the night until 7.5 months (and only napped for half-hour stretches twice a day). YOUR CHILD IS NORMAL! Sleeping through the night at 2-3 months is not! You baby needs to eat every 4-5 hours at this age, especially since he is exclusively formula fed/nursing. I understand and feel your exhaustion, but if you aren't ready to let him "cry it out," then don't do it. It will just be harder on you and make you more stressed. If you can find anyway to alternate night with your husband, maybe that's an option? That way, at least one of you can get some extra sleep each night? I assume you already collapse as soon as you put him down for the first time at night, so you can maybe catch some extra sleep at the beginning of the night? Whatever you do, remember it doesn't last forever. He will soon be sleeping longer and you will make up the lost sleep. It does pass and it does get better!

You aren't doing anything wrong! Each baby is different. My first slept through the night for the first time at 8 weeks. At 5 1/2 months she started waking every night and still does pretty often at almost 7 years old. It does sound like your child is ready for solid food. Try different kinds of cereal. Everyone starts with rice cereal but neither of my kids liked it and rice is very constipating. I understand the concerns with reflux as my youngest had severe reflux but she was able to start solids before 6 months. I am pretty conservative about starting babies on solids but if your child needs it than is sounds like time. And you may need to look at how you are interacting with your child in the middle of the night. It may be that he is seeking the cuddling and attention more than the food. That is the problem that I had with my oldest. She just liked being so close to me at night to nurse. Maybe try offering a bottle and see if your baby will hold it on his own while you watch so that you are limiting physical contact. If he doesn't lose interest in 4 or 5 days and start sleeping that reexamine whether he is hungry. Good luck from one sleep deprived mom to another!

I think it is a myth that babies sleep through at 3 months. There might be a select few.
I am a mom of 3 children and breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months with mine. They did not sleep through the night as babies. When I added food to their diets, it did not change their sleep pattern at all. (I must say we are a co-sleeping family and I do think that the babies realised they were sleeping next to their food LOL) My oldest first slept through the night at 15 months, my middle daughter slept through at 18 months (but at age 3,5 she still at times wakes up and comes and crawls into bed with us) and our youngest is now mostly sleeping through at 18 months. It has been 3,5 years (until recently) that I had a full nights rest.
It is tough to deal with sleeplessness, but I don't recommend putting cereal in a bottle. Feed him from a spoon when he is ready for it. His reflux will be worse if you lay him down right after he eats cereal and that will actually wake him up.
We do use soothing music for the oldest and a sound machine for the 2 youngest which seems to be calming to them.
Don't worry, it is quite normal for a baby to wake up several times a night (check askDrSears.com he has tons of info on babies and sleep) Babies wake up as a safety mechanism.
Good luck!

S.,

Angie is right, reflux babies are very different than other babies. Also, you're lucky to get 4-6 hours at a time. Some mothers are up every 2 hours. I was with my daughter. My son is 2 and still gets up at night sometimes. For a reflux baby, wait till your doctor says to give him solids. Some babies develop differently than others and especially reflux babies can't handle solids too early. Just relax, sleep when your baby sleeps. Another thing you can do is never rush to your baby as soon as they start crying. Let him cry a little bit (2-3 minutes at first). This will help him learn to calm himself and yes it will drive you nuts at first, but he'll be ok. Take this one step at a time and take it slow. Everything will be fine.

Bless your heart, it is very hard to take care of your little ones when you are running on no sleep for almost 6 months. First of all to the people who are telling you that you are obviously doing something wrong and that their babies were sleeping through the night at 2-3 mos, all babies are different. I personally never fed my baby cereal through a bottle, I always used a spoon. They are going to have to learn how to eat the right way. My daughter started sleeping through the night at 2 mos, but when people tell you that it doesn't really mean every night. They still get up here and there until they really get used to sleeping through the night. My daughter didn't like the cereal either, but I just gave it to her every morning whether she would spit it out or not we just tried all the time. If she ate it great if not then try again later or the next day. Are yo giving your baby vegetables yet? Are you trying to feed him breakfast, lunch and dinner? If not then I would definitely try to start putting him on a schedule where he maybe gets a bottle when he wakes up in the morning and then maybe an hour after that try the cereal and fruit and then depending on how often you give him bottles then either bottle or lunch and so on. I am not sure if you are doing anything like this already, but if not it is definitely worth a try. Once he starts getting more solids through the day and at dinner then he should start sleeping through the night. I am like you, I never could let my baby cry. You are right about them not feeling secure, crying is their only way to communicate at this point and if we ignore them now they won't feel secure. Sorry this is so long and drawn out, but my nephew was 6 months old before he started sleeping through the night and his older sister started sleeping through the night at 3 months, so it just depends on the baby. Don't let people get you down, just try getting him on a consistent feeding schedule and maybe things will start clicking here soon.

Sleeping through the night is defined as sleeping 5 hours in a row. so congratulations, he sleeps through the night. I know that you are tired. You might try having baby sleep in the same room you do so that there is less time awake for you. you also might try skipping the diaper change in the middle of the night. Breastfeeding is the easiest way to get the most sleep but if you are bottle feeding you can have everything in your room by the bed and ready to go in the middle of the night. I had one child that required bottle feeding due to a medical issue and that is what I did to maximize sleep. It does not sound like your little one is ready for solids. The way that is supposed to work to increase sleep is that the food is so hard to digest that the baby goes longer between feedings. Babies do not sleep 8 hours a night at 2-3 months old. They can be "trained" to not bother their parents at night but they are not sleeping. If the parents stayed up all night and watched they would know this. It is an unrealistic expectation. when babies are allowed to "cry it out" they learn that when you put them in the crib that you will not respond to them no matter what. I do not think that lays a very good foundation for communication with your child. Mothers are designed to respond to their babies cry. It causes a distinct response for you to here your baby cry and you have a strong desire to comfort your child. If you let the baby cry it out you deaden that normal natural desire that I would credit to God's design. Sometimes just having realistic expectations makes things easier. You and your husband might want to read Sweet Dreams by Paul Fleiss it is a quick read with solid information backed by years of research it includes good information on sleep for infants- Adults.

Hi S.,
With our first child (son) we did let him cry it out at night when he was 4 mo old. It took 4 nights and he never cried more than 15 min each time. My husband would just hold me and tell just wait for 15min and it worked. But I couldnt do it with our daughter b/c she had rsv as a baby, so we did the formula reduction (down to 2oz then go to water). It only took 5 days and I guess she didn't think it worth her time to wake up for just water. Either way worked and both of out kids are healthy and had no impact on either tech. They are 4 and 2 now. As for the food issue or son would not eat the cereal either so we tried Grits and we made them according to the package and he loved them, so maybe you could try those. I hope this has helped if you have any question just email me I will listen if you need to vent. Good Luck!!!

First of all, you are not doing anything wrong. All babies are different; you can not compare. My daughter was the same way with sleep and food. I would go to the lactation consultant every other week for months because i thought i was doing something wrong and she was not getting enough food. I added formula to her diet before bed to see if it would help her sleep, to no avail. I bought a co-sleeper and that did not work. The cry-it-out method did not work because she did not stop crying. The only thing that did work for both of us was co-sleeping; my husband, who made it clear before she was born that there would be no co-sleeping, even agreed that it was the way to go in the end. I know the mixed feelings with that, but she loved the security that it came with. My daughter is very independent and it is not an issue for her to sleep in her crib. Even at 2, she still has some rough nights in which she wants her mommy. Sometimes she can be put to sleep with a pat on the back, and sometimes she needs a snuggle. This may not really help you with an overall solution to yout 'problem', but in the end, you have to do what is right for you, and not worry about the mothers who say their kids slept through the night at 2 months.

So, I don't mean to sound mean or harsh, but 5 1/2 month olds don't necessary sleep through the night and they surely don't sleep more than 8 hrs max without eating. Now, will giving him solid food help this, maybe a little, but not much. More importantly for you, if you feed your baby too early (with acid reflux) you risk them making it WAY worse, which means they're up all night crying and don't go to sleep because they're in pain. My son had acid reflux and we actually waited until almost 9 months to give him solids before bed, because he couldn't eat and lay down within several hours. A hint that can help with the reflux, if you elevate one end of the crib up one notch more than the foot the baby won't sleep but it keeps an angle so gravity can help keep food and acid in the stomach where it belongs (a large book under the mattress can do this as well). good luck

First of all. You are not doing anything wrong! Everyone wants to give you their two cents and it makes them feel oh so good to tell you that their child did "what they were supposed to." Remember when you were pregnant and all anybody wanted to do was tell you their delivery horror stories?!?

I have 5 kids but am by no means an expert. I don't think I've had more than a handful of full nights of sleep in the last 10 years! I was never one to let them "cry it out." If you can do that it's fine, but I didn't feel comfortable with it and it drove my husband crazy!

I can't even remember all of them at that age, but I know that with a couple of them I put cereal in their bottle at 4 months. The poking the hole thing is tricky and I spent many, MANY days washing sheets b/c they had dribbled or the bottle tipped over in the middle of the night and leaked everywhere. But I do think it helped. (There was also a thing called a "sheet saver" I got at Babies R Us that covers the sheets just where their head is and it's easy to swap out.)I know the one with colic (and reflux) did better on a full stomach and would sleep a longer stretch with cereal.

He may also be going through a growth spurt and need to continue the same amount of food in short periods instead of being able to go longer.

What ever you decide to do, remember that you are the Mom and you are doing a great job. Every child is different and yours is doing his own thing. It's okay! As far as your exhaustion, just try to sleep when he sleeps and cat nap when you can. There is nothing wrong with closing your eyes for a minute on the couch while he's hanging out in the swing or the excersaucer.

So there's my two cents. Good luck and give yourself a break!

M.

2 things: WAIT on the cereal! too soon! and did you know that "sleeping" through the night is considered 4-6 hour intervals. There is a sleep sense program that you can use but let's talk frank here! honey you need to give it some time! so do what I did...my daughter sometimes woke every 4 hours until she was 8 months! SLEEP when your baby sleeps! shut everything down and rest! also invest in the book...What to Expect the First Year! read up and RELAX~

hi S.,
i know the lack of sleep is enough to make you nut up, but your baby is still so young. it is very rare for babies to sleep longer than 5 hours at this stage. i'm chuckling a little at the irony of your title. yes, indeed, a 5 1/2 month old DOES need sleep/food! being a little hungry in the night at this stage is completely normal, and he's really too young for cereal or fruit yet. there are times when CIO is appropriate, but not this one. please gently convince your dh that your baby is being absolutely 'good.' since he goes right back to sleep after actually EATING, it's too much to assume that he's not actually hungry.
hang in there. this stage of his life passes all too quickly anyway.
khairete
S.

I know how frustrating this can be!! My first child was not a good sleeper until recently (she is almost 6) and my youngest took many months to sleep through the night. My middle son did not start sleeping through the night until he was 7 months old, and that was my earliest. I think at this age, they still need to be held and loved. If he is only waking up once a night, I would count yourself as lucky and love the little man!!

Hola S.... I would like to recommend a book to you that I used with all three of my kids and have told all my friends about and if you read it and learn the system, it works wonderfully!! The book is called, The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg. I basically teaches you how to get your babies to sleep through the night... no one believes me until they try it themselves but my kids all slept through the night from day one!! I never had any sleepless nights with my babies..... however, be sure to read the book through because it will teach you what to do for each age/stage your baby is in. It may be that your baby isn't ready for food... that's usually a sign when they keep spitting it out or gagging... I'd give it some time but get the book, it really works!!!! I know, you probably don't have the time or energy to read a book right now but try to make a little time to read it and within a week, you should be on a good schedule!! Hope this helps!

S., you got lots of advice already, so I will just tell you what seems to be working for us (I agree that 4 hour stretches are a good sign, though, and if you go to bed earlier, it will help you get some rest). Gradually reduce the amount that your baby eats at night (I basically pumped and decreased the amount of breast milk he would get to 2 ounces or less, and down to only 1 feeding at night). Eventually you eliminate that feeding also, but do it gradually, so there is no shock to the system. Growth spurts usually last for a few weeks so try to be sure you are not doing it during the growth spurt. See if your husband would agree to get up at night sometimes also so that you can get a little break. Go up to the baby and comfort them but try not to pick them up - it helps them to learn how to soothe themselves better (without the drastic measures of crying out). Also, our boy kept waking up lots and it turned out he was teething! If this is the case, try giving infant tylonol and see if it helps. Try to stay positive!! Our reflux is so much better now (at 6 months), but I know how challenging this is.

Your son gagging is one of the reasons that they say you shouldn't put cereal in a baby's bottle! Not to mention, that it doesn't help them learn to eat well. If you can get him to eat it with a spoon, and he doesn't throw it back up (w/the reflux), then he should be fine. Putting it in the bottle, particularly if it makes him gag, could very well make him not want it in the future! or not want to eat w/a spoon in the future! Good luck!

Our daughter awoke once in the night to nurse for over a year. Some babies just need more to drink. Listen to your doctor. don't feed solids yet. It could make the child develop food allergies. And It will not make your son sleep longer. take a nap in the day if you feel tired. I always did. AF

You are doing nothing wrong! Every child is different, neither of my children were ever good sleepers until they were older (2-3 years I also could not bring myself to ignore my children when they needed me. Wether they really needed to eat or just thought they did did not matter, in their little minds, they needed comfort from mom and I found for the same reason as you, that I could not let them just cry. They are both confident children now (6 and 3)that will go back to bed easily even after a bad dream because they know if they need me, I will be there. Yes, it was hard and sometimes I cried with my children and found that I felt better afterwards. My husband also became tired of the multiple wakings and it was a big stress on me to try to make him happy too but in the end, I decided that I was the best advocate for my kids and that my instincts were better than any advice. My husband is a grown man and had to realize that it would not be forever and that this was best for our children and that he and I would have to deal with the lack of sleep the best we could. He often ended up on the sofa to get a solid night of sleep. I was exhausted as well but it was a path that I chose. It was easier when I just planned for my child to be up between 2-3 instead of "hoping" that tonight would be the miracle night. I would have my husband help clean up the dinner mess and go to bed as early as possible. I know this is rambling and not really helpful but I wanted you to know that you are not doing anything wrong and shame on anyone for saying that to a new mom. Follow your heart and you will be a great mom and your child will always know that you love him. DH can not insist if you tell him no and give him solid reasons as to why you feel that this would not be good for your son. I wish you the best!

K.

S., don't let anyone tell you that you are doing something wrong! All babies are different and some wake up more than others. Neither of my children slept through the night consistently until they were well over 1 year old. If the baby is waking up every 4-5 hours, could you and your husband switch off with getting up to feed him? Say, you feed him before he goes to bed, then your husband gets up with him after 4 hours, then you get up the next time. That way you should each get at least 6 hours of sleep. Actually, to me, sleeping 4-5 hours at a time is not bad! It's better than every 2-3 hours! Plus since you are bottle feeding, your husband can help. With my kids I breast fed so I had to be the one to get up every time. It could be worse. Hang in there and remember it will get better! Good luck!

It doesn't sound to me like you're doing anything wrong. My son slept through the night at 2 wks. My daughter still doesn't, and she turned one on the 10th. My husband and I have taken turns, we've given the bottle in bed and out of bed, she's nursed right before bed, she's even eating solid food, and still she gets up, and she is genuinely hungry. We don't know why, and unfortunately I can't give you any advice to fix it (I feel we've tried everything, including letting her scream it out, and that didn't work when an hour later she was still screaming). But it doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong. Some babies just don't sleep well. We considered co-sleeping, hoping that would help, but she thought that it was playtime, so that was a no. It'd be nice if all babies would sleep, but solid food doesn't guarantee it, and so far, everything that everyone told me didn't do it for my little girl. She just needs something in the middle of the night, and it's very hard for us, but we keep doing it, hoping one night something will click and she'll be fine.

First off you are not an ignorant person you are a first time mom who needs a little advice. (We have all been there)Don't ever feel like you have a stupid question to ask you are only trying to find out what is best for your son.

Second off your friends/co-workers need to back off every child is different, some are just horrible sleepers, some eat more than others, some just need to know you are there & there maybe other reasons your son is waking up.

I am not sure about the feeding him food since I am not familier with a baby who has reflux. I would not think a few weeks early would matter but I don't really know for sure. I used to mix my daughter's cereal with baby prune juice to give it a little flavor & help with the constipation problem. Good luck I hope you get some sleep soon & remember you are his mother & you are the only one who knows what is best for your little man.

Ok first of all babies at 5 mo. don't need to eat anymore at night. He wakes up to eat and goes back to sleep because he's always done that not because he needs to. Also most first time moms think crying it out breeds insecurity. That isn't correct. My daughter i let cry it out as soon as she was 3mo. old it took about 3 days to get over it and she was fine. Actually daycare and her doctor said she was the most secure child they had met. Her first day of childcare she ran from me. Was very secure about what i expected and what i would do never had a concern i would be back in a little while. Was very secure with me and my husband as her parents. I think the exact opposite happens when you let a child cry when there isn't a prob. i think you teach your child you understand when something is really needed and will respond accordingly. My daughter is now 6yrs old and the top of her class. I can't count the number of times i had to let her scream from the time she was 3mo. old until now so i could do things or not do things i knew didn't need to be done. You will know it's a scream of pain or a scream of being mad.... When you leave to let them yell MOST parents know that when they leave the child is mad at them for leaving not afraid or in need of something. A child after 3mo. doesn't need food. If you want to feed cereal mix it with good flavored baby food and feed with a spoon. He's going to be constipated a little it's his body introducing new things. That's why they say ONE thing at a time. Don't introduce more than one it could over whelm his body. Feeding this in the evening BEFORE the bottle could help him sleep longer. The longer you wait to stop night time feedings the harder it will take. He will learn to yell your name and that's the hardest.. Leaving when he's saying your name and than most will also learn to make them selves throw up with they are around 1yr old to get you back in. You want to avoid that like the plage. lol

I also did want to add my daughter did have reflux also so it's bull about just because they have reflux means they need to eat more often there for eating at night is ok for them. That's not true. My daughter stopped have bottles at night at 3mo. You just have to make sure you don't over feed at their last feeding enough to fill up but not over feed to cause trouble. You will learn this quickly if you are an attentive mother.

My son slept through the night last month. He's 17 months old. All kids are different, and I didn't go into him at this age, he would wake up, cry for a minute and go back to sleep, but still.
Insofar as the food's concerned; constipation is really normal when they start solids. And is more so with the grain than the fruit. Be careful with giving him new foods, you should wait a few days in between each new one to make sure he's not going to have an allergy or intolerance. If he gets constipated, use glycerin suppositories for children, cut in half lengthwise (I also cut the end off, because they were really long for an infant). He won't be pleased, but it's worth it. Just be prepared for a lot of poo.
Extra food isn't going to help him sleep. I would first try to console him without the bottle in the middle of the night. pick him up, rock him, hold him, then put him back down. Sometimes they wake up to eat because of habit, and if they aren't fed, they'll give up their night wakings.
I know you always hear about those kids that sleep through the night at 3 months, but frankly that's not the norm. And I absolutely wouldn't CIO at that age, either.
Good luck with everything!

You are NOT doing anything wrong! Every child is different! Waking every 4-5 hours is good for a 5 1/2mo. Their little tummies can only handle so much and they are starting a very active time and need the nourishment. My oldest, now 8, did not sleep in 4-5hr stretches until he was 3 YEARS old! He woke every up every 2hrs like clockwork. He would only take 2-3oz each feeding. He did not sleep through the night (8 hrs straight) until he was 5 1/2yo! So I did not get a full night sleep until he was 5 1/2yo.

Be patient. Try to take a 10min refresher nap during the day. Make sure you are eating healthy and exercising to give you extra energy. If you can, negotiate a schedule with DH to sleep late one morning on the weekends or switch off nights during the week to get up with the baby. Good luck!

I too have a 6 mo old...And an 18 mo. old
First, you might want to consider how much the baby weighs...And how many oz a day does the baby have from the time he wakes in the morning till he goes down at night...
That is the criteria I used to base my decision on tough love and letting him cry it out...(write down everything he eats and does) So when he wakes up you can assure yourself that this kid has eaten plenty and needs to learn how to get through the night on his own...you'll have to do it eventually, but truth be told, the longer you wait the worse it gets...
My son drank 32-38 oz a day and started him on cereal in bowl at 4 1/2 mo. (2xs a day) ANd he was still waking up for another feeding at night between (11:00-2:00). After this continued for a couple of weeks, I put my foot down and let him cry it out...this last for about two weeks (and he began to drink his 8 oz bottles on demand every three hours during the day, b/c he figured out that he's not going to get it at night) and now he is sleeping through the night and if he wakes..its usually b/c he has to burp or his teeth are hurting...That could also be the reason why the baby is waking up...doesn't mean he is hunngry. Babies cry and it not a bad thing, probably hurts you and i more than it does them...

Hello S., I am a single mother o four and I know that the doctors all say wait til the are 6 months old but I have feed my babies before they reach 6mo I always mixed a little cereal in there bottle and you have to experment with the nipples to get the hole just right I probly went thru 6 nipples before I got the hole right I have a 51/2 mo granddaughter and we give her mashed potatoes on our finger or baby stage 1 fruit all of my babies loved to bananas and the hawaiian delight but she dont she likes peaches and pears and sweet potatoes also to my youngest didnt like the rice cereal they tell you to start them out on he like the oatmeal better babies catches on quicker than you think they do and they will play you if you are going to them whem ever they cry then if they just want to be held they will cry to get that attention sometimes you just have to let them cry a little while I would check to se if they were wet or messy if not they went back to bed and fussed there selfs to sleep or until I gave in and picked them up and for constipation and belly ache luke warm water with a little sugar and yes the doctors or against this but it works and none of my babies were hurt by it wish you luck

Oh - that is hard. I remember this well :) If you think he is truly hungry, you are probably right - you are his mommy and know your child. All babies are different - don't let your friends stories sway you. Some kids sleep through the night quickly, some don't and it really doesn't matter if they are on solids or not. I wouldn't push cereal if he is not ready.
Are you breastfeeding or using formula? Sometimes breastfed babies digest faster and need to eat more often. Since you are using a bottle, how about if your DH gets up in the middle of the night to feed him instead of you? That way you can get some sleep at least! This can't be just your responsibility - the baby is both of yours. DH needs to be supportive and you two need to come up with a plan together that will work for both of you.
I am so sorry you are going through this.

Hi S.,
You are a first time mom and you are not doing anything wrong that makes you little boy not sleep through the night. Not all babies sleep through the night by 2-3 months, most do not. My daughter is 15 months and is just now sleeping through the night. I bf her so for the first year, she would wake up 4-5 times a night. It was pretty bad. After about 7-8 months, it just became a habit and I knew she wasn't hungry and just pacifying. I told myself at around her first year birthday, we would start cio since she was old enough to be sleeping through the night. For us, cio worked well. She was sleeping through the night waking up about 1-2 times a night, but crying back to sleep. Like I said, she is just now starting to sleep completely through the night. Some nights she'll wake up and cry for 5 sec and then go back to sleep for the rest of the night. You know your baby the best and if you feel he still is hungry at night, then all you can do is feed him and put him back to sleep. I know, easier said than done. I'm a sahm so I just tolerated the night feeding/wakings for the first year (I honestly did not have a full nights sleep til after her first birthday when we did cio), but I'm sure it's a lot harder on you since you work. Good luck, you are doing the very best that you can do right now.

Pick up the book BabyWise at the bookstore or the library. Get book one. It's by Gary Ezzo. I used this w/ both my boys and it REALLY works! It's a method of sleep, eating, and wake cycles. It's not very long and very easy to understand and follow. I just checked and Massanutten Regional Library does have it. I hope it helps....try it, you'll be amazed! :o)