Evening Feeding Out of Control......

Hi,
My daughter (3 months old) does the same thing. I only breast feed her. I found that my daughter is just bored. I feed her at 7 pm, change her and then we lay on her play gym, then I read to her and sing songs. She eats in between and sometimes will fall asleep. If she does I put her on the bouncy chair or the swing, so by 11 when I feed her again she is drowsy and falls asleep easier.
Hope this helps you.

Try adding a tale spoon or 2 of rice cereal to the bottled milk and give that to her I know she is 2 mo nths old but my babies were eating baby food and cereal at 2-4 weeks old it helps when they are fussy and act like they dont get enough! Trust me it helps and works unless they are colic!
Good luck,
K.

Have you tried a binki? Mine just liked to suck as she slept and studies are now showing that they're actually helpful in fending off sids. My child's pediatr. also says it sooths them and there is nothing wrong with them!! I breast fed my first but she wanted to fall asleep and keep breasts in mouth...so that helped a lot and at about 18 mo she didn't want it anymore. Now, my 16 month (my last), I hold a lot more b/c I realise the time they are a baby is so short I want to cherish it...I haven't even had to try a binki.

Dear J., it can be challenging dealing with night-time issues, especially when naturally we would like to have some down time and be able to sleep the way we did before. it may be that trying to fit her into a scheudkle that doesn;t work for her is a big part of the problem. Whenever we try to fit a baby into our preconceived notions of what they should be doing and it isn't working, it's time to evaluate what we are doing, rather than creating a problem where none exists. She is acting the way she acts because she is only two months old! It is very common for babies to cluster feed in the evening. By offering her so much milk in the bottle, she may be actually overfeeding, though, and feeling gassy, particularly if she is swallowing a lot of air. Babies will often take a lot from a bottle, even if they are not particuarly hungry. Just keep offering her the breast, even if you feel as if it is empty. We are never entirely empty, and keep producing in response to the suckling. Have you tried this and still find she is fussy? (I am thinking most likely not). The formula may make her stomach upset, and studies have shown that breastfed babies sleep no longer when supplemented with formula.Babies have intense needs for closeness; this is normal! Maybe try wearing her in a sling or carrier so she can doze in the evening while you get some things done or visit with your husband. There is nothing wrong with letting her go to sleep at the breast, or in sleeping with her, as long as you follow safe co-sleeping principles. Co-sleeping actually reduces the risk of SIDS. Check out AskDrSears.com website for tips on safe co-sleeping. Babies nurse for lots of reasons, and that is one of the most wonderful things about breastfeeding: it can meet baby's emotional as well as physical needs. This is NOT spoiling!!! In addition, babies have different sleep cycles than adults and if we understand this it makes life easier, even if we are not getting more sleep. When adults go to sleep, we go instantly into a deep sleep. Babies on the other hand, slide gradually into deep sleep, which takes about 20 minutes. This is why they wake up when we think they are asleep and lay them down before 15-20 minutes. Instead of trying to make babies act in ways they are not developmentally ready to act, we can accept them as they are and learn about age-appropriate behavior. In our culture we are very focused on adult needs and are fearful of making children dependent. But infants and children ARE dependent, but they will grow and develop if we have faith in them and give them the love and security that they need.

Most of our parenting attitudes and practices have changed drastically in the last 100 years or so. This was not based on research, mind you, and no research has demonstrated that what we do now is an improvement. Rather than relying on other women, who were the experts in birth and childcare, we gradually moved to a system where medical professionals, who were mostly men, became the experts. And the kind of advice that these careproviders give is mostly not based on science but on dominant cultural beliefs about parenting. For example, most doctors are very uncomfortable with co-sleeping and do not hesitate to give opinions on this, even though it is a parenting concern and not a medical issue. Please trust your own instincts: you know your baby better than anyone else does and if the advice you receive does not feel right for you, do not heed it.

I have seen several posts on this listserv that mention "BabyWise." I wanted to share that this is the only parenting philosophy that has been condemned by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The authors have no training or expertise in the areas of breastfeeding or parenting. Babies have been diagnosed with failure to thrive and even clinical depression due to this approach. Our relationship with our children should be one of love and trust, just as we wish it to be with our life partners. We do not need to show them who is in control and who calls the shots. How would we feel if our partners had that attitude toward us?

Your baby is not a little monster, she is just a baby. Try to enjoy her as she is now. She will grow more quickly than you can believe and these days of utter dependence will pass and you may even look back on them with longing one day!

Hi J.! Don't give up! I know it's difficult right now, but it will get better! I have 4 children and I was fortunate to breastfeed all of them for at least 12 months with absolutely no formula! You can do it too. It sounds like she's going through a growth spurt. I noticed that you wrote this on February 7th and we're already in the end of Feb. Is she she eating and eating like she doesn't fill up at bedtime? I know that the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body will produce, and continue to pump, and that will also keep up your milk supply. And you know what, it's OKAY to hold your baby and feed her until she goes to sleep. Some babies just require a little more security and comfort than others. Some people say it will spoil them, but I have found from experience with my own children and previously working in a daycare that it does not. Babies need to feel the warmth and security of their mothers and (fathers). And they're only little for such a SHORT time. Take advantage of it!
Also, it sounds like she may have a little bit of colic. 2 of my children had that. Where they just cry and cry nonstop or uncontrollably for hours at nighttime. You could try Mylicon (which is a medicine for colic), or I used a natural remedy which tended to work better. I boiled some star anise (you can probably find it at publix or definitely a health food store) for a tea. Some people also call it licorice tea. And when it cools enough, you give your baby a dropperful and you drink the rest. Star anise helps in the aid of digestion and also relaxes. It is not a drug. It helps with gassiness and colic. It was a lifesafer when my babies were screaming unconsolably for hours on end, when we were ready to go to sleep.
I hope this helps and good luck to you! If you have any other questions, please feel free to e-mail me!
V.

Sometimes babies need to suck on something to calm them down, not needing to eat, you don't want to over feed her. Try a pacifier, she may suck and calm down and go to sleep. I was very against using a pacifier but sometimes they really need it. My daughter gave it up on her own after she was 6 months old.

Have you talked to her pediatrician? I also think it sounds like reflux. My daughter had it for the first year of her life. She couldn't sleep more than 20 minutes at a time unless we were holding her on our chest.
Also, if she's eating at 7 and then is hungry at 8:30 that is completely normal. Breastmilk is digested very easily so babies that age need to eat around every 2 hours, sometimes more. Also, if it is reflux the breastmilk makes her feel better.

I also don't recommend Babywise, it has been known to cause failure to thrive.

I too have a new born and I have found great resources in this web site! give it a try it takes a min to register but it is worth it! http://www.llli.org/resources.html?m=0 there is a mother to mother fourm there too! you can ask any question and there is people who will guide you too! good luck

It could be a growth spurt..I'm pretty sure they go through a growth spurt at about 2 months..and one of the signs is a lot of fussiness..and a lot of eating..usually, (hopefully) followed by a lot of sleeping.

I would look into the colic/reflux thing too..I had a baby with terrible reflux..he was on 2 different meds,he took maalox..just like a grown man would take ( a small dose of course)and slept in his infant car seat (set inside of his very expensive crib LOL) for 13 months..because we couldn't lay him down flat..he cried 16 hours a day for about 9 months. I KNOW it is very frustrating..and the exhaustion dosen't help you to think rationally.But try to remember she's new at this too..and she can't tell you what's going on.

Try to keep a "journal"..each day try to write down when she feeds, how long..when she cries the most..when she sleeps.. even poops..you will see a pattern that maybe your not seeing now..if not you should start to see one soon.

If you still are uncomfortable..go see your pediatrician, that's what they're there for..GOOD LUCK!!

Sounds like she has you trained pretty well. Put some cereal in a bottle with some formula or breast milk. not much, just about a teaspoon full. you will be amazed. but don't freak out when she actually sleeps. The hardest thing to do is to let them cry but it actually will work if you can be stronger than the baby.

My son was a little piggy at about the same age. He had been very small due to an infection and I always thought maybe he was trying to catch up. Anyway I know many people say nono to this but I started thickening his bottle with some cereal. Just a little, enough to give him some sustanance and it worked like a charm. I was not able to breastfeed him because of illness, but his formula never made him happy. One more thing, my son had reflux and we did not know it. Because of this it seemed that he was always hungry because he was screaming, the drinking helped with the reflux briefly so that is why he always wanted a bottle. Usually tho, it is nothing but growing baby. Oh yeah, schedules with an infant can drive you insane. Babies dont like schedules. Take care of yourself!!
T.

Try putting a little RICE Cereal into the formula with the bottle about one teaspoon. Or for the breastmilk 1/2 teaspoon RICE Cereal from the bottle for her not to drain your breast. Pump your breast sometimes into the bottle.
Yes, she will sleep the whole night through.
Try it.

Supplementing a bottle of formula at night never messed me or my babies up. The milk still comes and both my babies preferred boob to bottle. She might be going through a growth spurt. During those times the eat and eat and eat. The constant suckling increases your milk supply so that she can continue to get enough. Eventually, it will take the normal amount of time. On that note, I am assuming your milk flow is still strong? Someone recommended blessed thestle to me (a herbal supplement) that increases milk flow. Ask your peditrician.
It will get better...I promise. My daugther is 6 months and is quite a hungry little monster herself:P She wakes up at night still. She was almost sleeping through the night, but then was sick and woke up all the time. Now I think when she wakes up its not just about eating, its also about the comforting arms of mommy. I let her nurse for about 10 minutes and lay her right back down.
You know, you could try letting her sleep in a swing if she finds it soothing. If it gets to be too much, its okay to let a baby cry.

Hi! I had the same problem with my son when he was that age. My grandma (a retired nurse) told me to pump my breast milk and then sprinkle a little baby rice cereal into the bottle and stir it up well, warm it up again a little by running the bottle under hot tap water for about 20 seconds and then feed her that half way through breast feeding session. She said my son just wasn't being satisfied by my milk alone. It is a little controversial for some people, but it worked beautifully, and I got about 3-4 hour naps out of him regularly from there on out. He's 2 now and very healthy and happy. This phase will pass anyway, but this suggestion may help you be more sane while it does. Good luck.

Sounds like colic. Talk to your pediatrician. I am concerned that you would even joke about your infant as a "little monster". She does not have the luxury of speech and is therefore communicating to you the only way she knows how. Please talk to your Dr. as from the sounds of it hunger is not her issue!

B.

I don't know if this will help you or not, but my daughter was the same way. She would fight sleep like crazy. We did like you and breastfed her and waited for her to fall asleep. then we would put her in her bassinet. It NEVER worked for more than an hour. Starting at about 2 months we decided to swaddle her before breastfeeding her. Then when she fell asleep we would put her in her swing. Something about the rocking motion allowed her to sleep for hours. Good luck.

First thing you may want to consider is talking to your pediatrian about the Ferber method it works. If she cries when you put her down and then stops when she is picked up she definately is what my mother calls spoiled. Here is how you handle it. Breastfed babies love to be held. They enjoy closeness. I breastfed my daughter and my 18 month old still enjoys momma's milk at night. Formula is a personal choice. I personally would never give it to my child but it is a decision you need to make in your household. ROUTINE, ROUTINE, ROUTINE...Bath, Feed, read a story and goodnight. You should put your child to be while they are awake so they learn to self soothe. No baby has ever been harmed by a good cry. Try it. It is hard but my son got the hang of it after about a week. He sleeps from 8-6. Good luck

Hi J.,
Get the book, "On Becoming Babywise"... it saved me. It's all about schedules and the rhythm of feeding and promises to get even breastfed babies sleeping through the night by 12 weeks. Mine slept through at 10 weeks and she was a voracious eater who would not even NAP in her crib during daylight hours... however, she slept through the night, on breastmilk only at 10 weeks! The book is that good, I promise! Do what is says and it will end this struggle! Stick to the schedule and you will be saved and get some good sleep yourself, which we all know you so desperately need!

Good luck,
K.

Have you thought of the possibility of her having gas or reflux she may just be uncomfortable. Or it may be a security thing, since you do resort to sleeping with her thats what she wants its the most secure place. Not that there is anything wrong with cosleeping we do it and love every second of it. Of course this is of preference its great for some and others think its awful. Also for gassyness sometimes pushing her legs against her tummy might relieve some it worked great for my son when he had already been burper given mylicon and still fussy, its kind like bicycling them back and forth with a little pressure against their tummy. Good Luck and hag in there you'll get through this is where us women learn how strong we really are!!

I got some great advice regarding this from a friend of mine. She gives her son baby cereal right before he goes to bed. You can still breatfeed and such but this helps keep the baby full and satisfied. Her little man has been sleeping through the night since she brought him home because of this. You can get baby cereal in Walmart and other places (don't get the rice kind though!). It is worth a try. Besides, then you're really not supplementing with formula and can make sure she stays use to breastmilk. I really hope this helps! Good luck!

~Nickole

check out the book "Secrets of the Baby Whisper". It was a life - and sanity - saver for me on both of my kids and many of my friends. The book is in the library or easily purchased at book stores or online. There is a whole chapter on sleeping that is sooooo practical. There is also a chart to help you decipher exactly what little Emma is trying to communicate to you and hubby.

Sincerely and empathetically,
L.

29 year old mother of 3 year old son, 2 year old daughter, and baby boy due in March

I am guessing gas/colic. My baby started crying and being fussy early on. Nothing I did soothed her. She too could nurse all night. The doc finally confirmed it was probably colic and it would go on for a few months. I remember being so incredibly exhausted and crying at 1am in the morning just begging her to go to sleep. I finally let her sleep next to me. I was also advised by several moms to buy the book "The Happiest Baby On The Block" What a God send that was. It helped alot!!!! Take a look at the book it's a short read and saved me. Colic they are guessing is something to do with gas problems as their system is finished developing yet. Although they are not 100% sure why it happens, but it is common and most people think it's gas. My husband put pillows on her belly one time ( out of desperation) what do you know, she stopped crying!! So that was a daily routine for a while. We would sit on the couch with her next to us and put some pillows on her belly. She would take a nap which was a great relief from the crying. So I don't think she is eating because she is hungry but trying to sooth her self. Please do try the Happiest Baby on the Block...it has alot of great information and makes you think in a different way about what is possibly going on with your baby and makes you more in tune with there needs. God Bless you it is nerve racking, stressful, and totally exhausting. I also slept with her for a short period of time, but would transfer her to her bed once she was good and asleep. They really need to be close to you after all they were a part of you for 9 months!

Could very well be a growth spurt, They normally last 24/48 hours and then they sleep a little longer. Normally happens at 2 months. Just persavere and nurse until her tummy is full :)

J.,
I know your distress over this. I have three daughters...
You sound as if you are describing my oldest daughter as an infant. She absoultely did not want to sleep.
I used to admire contented babies sleep as their parents would lie them down for naps or at bedtime. My Baby would
scream!!! she did this for about 3 months until she could hold her head up... the discontent eased up (just a bit)
then when she was 6 months that baby of mine was pulling up on the side of the play pen and walking around the edge!
by 7 months she was walking around the house and she was
much happier.

We had tests run her when she was 2 months to exclude any
infections or physical pains she might have been feeling.
We found none. I finally found an aricle written about
babies that don't fit into the colic catagory of symptoms.
I spent a fortune on anti-gas baby meds and fed her as you are doing thinking she was always starving. Apparently,
there was not much we could do but pray for patience as she
would cry - she would seem to fight sleep all the time- after 4 months as with your story we would break down and bring her to bed with us just to try and calm her down and get sleep for ourselves.
unfortunately, she then expected to only fall asleep in our bed... thus, creating a bad habit to break.

The article I found was written by a neurologist that suggests that discontent babies like this appear to have
a more mature neurological system at birth - their system is siganling them that they
should be able to bodily move about - but, the babies
muscular and skeletal development is not as advanced or strong enough yet to support strong movements. Ex: lifting head, standing, walking, etc....
I believe his theory applied to my daughter... each time she was physically able to do something on her own she was
more content. Acheiving all the usual physical milestones
earlier than the average baby - and thank the Lord by the
time she was 9 months old we had a happy baby. Running about! The challenge was then to break her of sleeping with my husband and I... We were unable to break her of this until she was 2. Whew... My Mother says it is a miracle that I wanted more babies after raising my first through infancy. On the bright side, my 2nd and 3rd daughters had a "normal" first 12 months of life. They actually loved to sleep! Yea!

I also atribute my first borns personality which is intense and determined coupled with an advanced neurological system to intensify her discontentment.

I often would rock her and try and feed her and she would still cry. LIke you described not really wanting to eat.
I know it is a helpless feeling. Prayer is the glue that held us together over the first 9 months. I don't think hunger is the root of the problem. Many times it would help to keep her awake as long as possible during the day so that she would sleep at night. The sound of the car motor would help her fall asleep - a strict routine about meal time and bath time helped. These are smart babies that want to control everything including you and demand attention! Once she settles down and is not so discontened she will have to "learn" how to fall asleep. This took my daughter till she was about 3 to figure out. She would say Mommy how does that girl go to sleep. Give her tools of things to relax her... imagine floating clouds, etc...
eventually she will find her own method.
Love her, pray for her, and I believe that by 6 months old you will begin to see a happier baby.

So what does a discontent baby that drives a parent to the brink of insanity grow up like? Well, She is my most goal oriented, determined daughter, when she has her sights on something she doesn't give up until she acheives it! She is loving, and appreciative, reliable and a perfectionist If I can brag she is a junior studying international marketing and on a full academic scholarship. She loves a challenge!

Hang in there - you have a special baby that just wants to Run the world- she could be frustrated because her little body is just not strong enough yet for her to get started.

Blessings,
B.

Dear J.,

It is sooo great that you really want to breastfeed and cuddle your baby girl. It sounds like she must be growing like crazy and wanting to nurse a lot. You are probably exhausted and I really hope you can nap with her and sleep in short bursts as much as possible. Did you know that when a mother sleeps with her baby her REM cycles may occur more often? It's nature's way of helping you to get the rest you need, but you've got to rest with her in order to do that.

When she was first born her tummy was only as big as a ping pong ball. It could only hold just so much milk at a time and since you're giving her the perfect food, the breast milk is more rapidly absorbed by her. She is just two months old now so her tiny tum can only be just so much bigger. She's doing all she can to grow up and it sounds like you're doing all you can, too. Have you found a La Leche group? It may help to meet with other moms, in person, and make some more intimate connections with others who are going through this same, and very exhausting, phase of motherhood. HANG IN THERE!

L. N.

I also think you should ask the doctor about reflux. Here's a good article about it: http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/silent-reflux.php

It also may be that your daughter is cluster feeding - doing a ton of feeding very close together. Or she could be going through a growth spurt.

I definitely would not give her formula because it will interfere with your supply. If you supplement, you have to pump that amount when she's being fed the formula or else your body won't be keeping up with what your baby needs.

I feel strongly against the "Babywise" program. It teaches the cry-it-out method which is not God's way at all. Two-month-old babies can't be scheduled and certainly should not left to cry lonely and scared and alone!

I would also recommend the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD. You can get it on amazon. It's like $30, but it will be the best $30 you've ever spent. Our bedtime routine went from 2 hours to 15 minutes.

A good place for advice about breastfeeding is kellymom.com - they have forums there where you can ask lots of questions and get great advice.

Most of all, remember that this won't last and your baby will fall into a regular schedule on her own in time. It's hard, but your baby will thank you for it!

are you sure she doesnt have gas?

I would do these things:

1. Up your water intake to help increase your supply.

2. Eliminate dairy and anything else she might be reacting to.

3. Feed her on demand. It could just be a growth spurt. It's common for babies to all of the sudden need to nurse more often. They know what they need.

4. Stay away from the formula. I've talked to moms who have introduced formula only to end up with more complicated problems due to allergies and illness--and I even know one who lost her supply within a week of the first bottle of formula.

Good luck!

Hi J., my name is S. A., sorry you are going through so much. I am a 33 yr old mother of 2, married for 4 years, living in Pensacola, Florida but from Valley, Alabama. I am 7 months pregnant with my 3rd and final child. My advice is to incorporate some formula at night and it should not break up any routine but provide you a little more rest. I have not breast fed in a while cause my son is now 4 but I did both to keep us both happy and I even added a little baby cereal and he slept at least 4 hours. You proably think she is a little young for it but you will rest alot better, believe me I did it. My prayers are with you and your family and good luck.

Any chance she could have an earache? Definitely call your pediatrician and run this by him. She may even be in a growing spurt -- which would cause her to be extra hungry. It kind of sounds like she wants to continually graze at night -- ask your pediatrician if you could supplement with a formula only at night? (this may cause other problems because you may need to experiment which formula will work best for her). Another suggestion: how about changing her bath routine? Instead of night time, maybe mid-day?

Hi, I don't know if this will help or not.... we are first time parents and our son is 5 month old. You might want to change your feeding schedule a little. Try giving her her bath about 30 min before bedtime and then feeding her from your breast. I also highly recommend using the lavender scented baby wash and lotions-they helped my son settle down a lot. We massage him with the lotion while a soft lullaby cd is playing in the background. then my husband would swaddle him pretty tight and he would calm down. put her arms down by her sides and roll her in a recieving blanket like a burrito. then maybe feed her in another room other than where you sleep. It might help and then our son slept better with his head slightly elevated with some recieving blankets folded underneath his head. I don't know if this will help, but maybe she isn't really hungry, she just hasn't settled down. I would suggest changing your feeding schedule so she isn't eating from your breast at 7pm. Maybe if you breastfed her when she is ready to go to sleep, it will calm her down enough to make her sleep. good luck!!!

formula won't keep her alseep anymore than BM, trust me, i too tried it out of desperation. she may be getting ready for a growth period. At night time in particular, baby's need to be close to their mothers. And many babies, especially one as little as yours, will still be waking every few hours. We have this obsession in this country about babies sleeping through the night as being a sign of successful parenting,but its bull. Some of the best parents and most well adjusted kids I know don't sleep through the night. But that's why co sleeping is beneficial too. at 2 months old, a baby has basic YOU, eating and sleeping. Its a rough period, but a this age you can't spoil them, and they don't know why you keep putting them down when they so desperately need you. Good luck. Have you thought about getting a sling? wearing her in the evening, my little one, who liked being with me, often would sleep inthe sling.

we had a similar problem with my son at first. He was going on runs of wanting to eat almost hourly in the early evening until bedtime. What we finally figured out was that he had reflux and he was eating to sooth his tummy, no because he was hungry. The pediatrician had use supplementing him with formula with rice cereal, which seemed to help.. now, at 3 months, he eats every 3-4 hours and sleeps through the night until 7:30 am!

J.,
I know I will have people who may disagree with me, but I would recommend a few of things concerning the schedule:

1. bath her before you nurse her, making sure she is all clean and cozy, LOL
2. Then nurse her, burp her, and place her in her bed; do not allow her to nurse herself to sleep, this is habit forming and not something you want to condition your child to do (please no flames, also it is not good for your breasts to be used as a pacifier
3. When she cries, or 'if' she cries, check on her, making sure she is fine, don't say anything to her, and leave the room; continue to do this, making sure she is fine, and leave the room, do not pick her up (unless there is something obviously wrong like she spit up, or something) - this is the hardest thing for people to do, as we want to pick up our child.
4. probably by 10 p.m. or so she will need to eat again, and do the same thing, nurse on one side, burp, then change diaper, then nurse on other side, burp, and put her back down. It is very important not to interact a huge amount with a baby at night, so that they learn 'this is night, time to sleep', as in the day time, go about your regular routine; cleaning, vacuuming, don't draw the shades in her room in the day time; allow her to self sooth.
True you can never hold a baby too much, but having the baby sleeping with you is not good for the baby, or you and your husband, and it is habit forming for all parties.
Personally, I never had my children even sleep in the same room, we used a baby monitor to hear them, worked perfectly. I nursed all my children one till 8 months and the other 2 over 1 yr. old. They NEVER had a bottle, never had formula, and they are all just fine (they are 21, 18 and 17 now). As long as you are producing enough milk for the baby, then feed her every 2 to 3 hours, as she is only 2 months old.
Do make sure that you burp her, as that may be part of the problem. Best of luck, but don't give up on the nursing, it is totally worth the work.

How often do you feed her during the day? Try to get her to take a FULL feeding every 2 1/2 hours or so. And make sure she isn't "snacking", meaning only suckling for a few minutes at a time. You should get a good 15 minutes out of her at least. She might not be getting sufficient calories during the day and makes up for it at night.

Make sure she naps during the day by setting her up on a schedule, EAT, AWAKE TIME, SLEEP. You could hold her until she is drowsy and almost asleep before you lay her down. And the shhh sound works wonders for my little boy. He will cry and bury his head in my chest for a few minutes before he settles down and starts going off to sleep. That behaviour can also easily be confused with the baby being hungry, when he is just TIRED. And maybe even OVER tired. Try to put her down after 1 1/2 hours of awake time during the day to prevent her from getting over tired.

Does the bath make her too wound up maybe? My baby does not like baths at night. Way too stimulating for him. I would start making it dim,calm and quiet for her about an hour before you want to lay her down in bed for sleep. Then change her, and feed her in a dark room. Have you tried the white noise machines? I use mine ONLY for bedtime on the OCEAN sound. Let your little girl know it is bedtime with a consistent routine like this.
And I put my son down at about 7:30. Try an earlier bedtime. She might be tired and you are missing that window by letting her stay up too late.
This routine works like magic for my 3 month old. He sleeps about 8-9 hours straight every night.

Good Luck!

J., first congrats on your little one. I often miss those days (my boys are 5 and 3 now). I think a lot of people are mistakenly under the impression that a baby should sleep at night, all night at 2 months old. Neither of my boys did at that age and when most people I know are honest and think about it, theirs didn't either. It's not at all uncommon for a baby that young, particularly when they are breastfed, to sleep shorter spurts and not be "through the night" sleepers... something that is ideal, but rather unrealistic in the real world. I don't know what real advice to give you, other than patience and time will help. I know how hard it is to have patience when you're exhausted and just want rest. Both of my boys slept best close to me, often on my chest. I heard all of the scare tactics about smooshing the baby, SIDS, etc. but I know I got a LOT more sleep when I kept them near me and followed the "sleep when they sleep" method. By about 5 months, both of mine would sleep up to 8 hours at a time at night, but it took time. As they got bigger, they're bellies held more, they could stay fuller longer and sleep longer. I will say that adding formula helped, but it wasn't any kind of magical cure. Mostly I just had babies that wanted to be held. Something I miss now, even though at the time I just wanted to lie them down and get some rest myself! I'm sure you'll get plenty of 'cry it out' and 'feed them rice cereal' comments, and I don't have anything like that. Just a sympathetic ear who remembers those days. It will get better. Enjoy your little one while you can. It just doesn't last long enough. :-)
Good luck!

Have you tried a pacifier? Also, maybe hold back a feeding since she is crying anyways. I don't have a ton of experience but my son is 3 months old and breastfed as well. I give him a pacifier when he's crying, if I know he's full (ate within the last hour and one half or two hours). I've also found that a lot of times when he's crying he has gas. So, I try burping him or rubbing his stomach and sometimes it works. Good luck, it can be tough sometimes.

J....one thing that I would suggest is to not feed her before giving her a bath, if that is possible. Two of my five children were colicky and had acid reflux, and I noticed that if I bathed them when they were first starting to get hungry around bedtime, they would nurse better and sleep longer. Sometimes a bath before a feeding can get their stomach in knots and even cause them to spit up. The Dr. also prescribed acid reflux medication. (I'm sorry I don't remember what it was. I think it was a low dose of Zantac or something.)That seemed to help too. Also, try to burp her for a minute before you feed her, and then after.
I know it can be frustrating. I found myself sometimes trying not to cry right along with the baby. I noticed a change right around two months for one of my sons, and three months for the other. Hang in there!!

Hi, I'm a mom of a 6 year old and a 7 month old. I hate to say it, but this too will pass. I know "almost two months old" may seem long enough or old enough for a baby to be on a "routine" but its not. Both my boys were what I called "needy" at the time. Basically, a small baby like that needs nothing more than for you to hold them...a lot. It's hard because you're tired, but try to enjoy the moments your baby just wants you. I also breastfed and will tell you that at times that definitely made it harder...more tired. I never noticed any difference between the formula at night and breastmilk but it's worth a try since every baby is different. I never felt that a bottle or two a day of forumla interfered with breastfeeding...just have dad give it to her and you go pump. I also found a lot of success with the vacuum cleaner. My husband or I would put the baby in a sling on us and vacuum. They get to feel close, secure, and the noise will either put them to sleep or drown them out. :)My best advice is probably not what you want to hear...but give it time. My 7 month old has just recently started sleeping through the night and he's such a good baby. My six year old slept through the night at six weeks and he's my more challenging child. Good luck!

This sounds just like my son. I know that others will hate that I'm saying this but, all three of my sons sleep on their tummy. (My oldest is 4 now, my youngest is 4 weeks old) They just sleep better that way. We bought an AngelCare monitor system (about $100) that goes under their mattress and detects and sounds an alarm if they stop breathing for more than 20 seconds. We have never had a problem and they slept through the night faster. My oldest son did exactly like you are describing and I thought we were never going to sleep. We thought it was the feeding for the longest time then realized that he was just using food/nursing to get himself back to sleep. He just needed something against his cheek to get to sleep.
Best of luck, Jen

I think your best bet is to document her eating and sleeping habits for several days and discuss it with her pediatrician for professioal advice. Some things to keep in mind though (I can't give professional advice, but as a mommy of 3 I've learned a few things along the way)...

Just because a baby cries doesn't mean she is hungry. And just because she eats to stop crying still doesn't prove that she was hungry- she may have just been soothed by the process of nursing or even the sucking from a bottle. She may be crying because her belly hurts or for some other reason.

Keep in mind that you have no idea how much she is getting when she nurses. I have had friends who discovered that they were not producing enough milk so they needed to pump and feed from a bottle just to see how much the baby was getting (and/or suppliment with formula).

She will sleep when she is tired. It sounds like you are trying to establish a routine where she gets a bath and goes to sleep around 8-8:30 PM, but depending on when and how often she napped that day, she just may not be tired enough to fall asleep for any good length of time.

Supplimenting with formula shouldn't necessarily interfere with her breastfeeding- especially since she has already drank breastmilk from a bottle. I supplimented with all 3 of my kids. Check with your doctor, though- espcially since there are so many different types of formulas out there.

Also, with baby #3, I followed the advice from books like "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" to teach him to fall asleep on his own without crying himself to sleep. Basically, if he was crying I would hold him, as soon as he calmed down and was soothed by my holding/rocking him I would lay him back down, still awake. If he cried again, I picked him back up and started all over again. It seems tedious and it takes a bit of time and patience, but he finally "got it" and is the best darn sleeper I've ever met! He is 18 months old now and he was playing happily today-- I scooped him up, told him it was nap time, kissed him and placed him in his crib. I heard him play for a couple of minutes and then he fell asleep. It blows my mind every day when he does that, but I owe it all to the steps I took when he was a teeny infant.

Routines are great and she'll get used to them eventually. she's only 2 months old, still a newborn. Mabie she just wants to cuddle with her favorite person. Mabie she feels more secure with you, and lonely in her bassenet. Not that you have lots of time to read but...I liked dr sears The baby sleep book, they have some great suggestions on getting my munchins down. Not that I'm nursing until he's 2, or sleeping with him until he's 4. I wish I'd read the book with my oldest. It helped me see my baby's perspective. Good luck!

J., I feel for you. It sounds like you have the feeding and bathing backwards. She's fed, all nice and satisfied (even temporarily) and then she's bathed. That bath is waking her up, stimulating her. She's aggravated, fussing, and using up every bit of nourishment you gave her by expressing her dissatisfaction at being roused from a good, sleepy full belly.
Try bathing her first, then an hour or so later, feed her. Make sure to change her diaper before the feeding. Once she's fed, burped, hold her for awhile, even rock her. Soothe her with your words, your voice. Hum to her, sing to her. Before she's completely asleep, put her in bed. Even if she cries. DON'T PICK HER UP, yet. Pat her on the tummy. Continue to talk soothingly to her. If she starts to quiet then continue for a few more minutes.
However . . . at 2 months old, if she's that fussy, pick her up. If she has colic, you're going to face this same routine for about another 4-6 weeks.
I am a mother of 6 and 2 of my babies had colic. If you think this is the case, re-post and I can give you more suggestions for that.
I hope things works out!! Don't give up, the first few months are hard. Try other suggestions before you use formula. Your breast milk is the BEST thing for that precious baby.
Take care,
C. M

They sometimes require more food at night. I had to supplement formula because I wasn't making enough milk. I wouldn't worry about her not going back to the breast. If that is what she knows for 2 months now she will still prefer the breast milk. Feed her til she is full. Make sure you get a burp. She could get gassy. You may want to try a couple gas drops too. Good luck!

Hi J.! I'm the proud mom of twin 3 month old boys. I went through a little about what you're dealing with- although not to the same degree. I was advised to get the book, "On Becomming Baby Wise". I did, and I've read some of it...it has some good advice but it seems to be very partial and makes me feel at times that I'm doing the "wrong" thing for my boys and that they're not sleeping is my fault. Don't give up yet- your baby is still very young and it may take several more month before she's ready for a routine! Oh- do you have a swing? I don't know if this is good advice or not- but it works for one of my boys. He sleeps in his swing ALL NIGHT- only wakes up once now. We might be starting a bad habit that will be hard to break later- but for now it works...

i had the same problem with my son he was hungry all the time so I gave him fomlua at night just to get him to sleep. then i breastfed at 12am then on from there for the rest of the night then he still was not getting enough i tarted rice ceral at 2 months old he started sleeping for 5- 6 hours then. he is still waking up at night but it getting better, he is at 8-9 hour now up for a bottle the back down for 2-3 hours . Don't let anyone tell you what you are doing is wrong go with the gut instincts. I did.

Hi J.,

Hugs to you... we had it like this the first few months. Baby was hungry, and all the time. Over time, we learned how to co-sleep and nurse simultaneously. She could breastfeed in her sleep and we both got rest.

We also realized that "colic" is not simply "unexplained crying". There is always a reason, but the babe cannot communicate what it is. For us, crying was often in reactions to food I was eating - I could not eat broccoli, chocolate, beans, cabbage etc for the first 3-4 months. Other babes are sensitive to other things.

And sometimes they just need to cry about all the newness. Let her be, do what she needs. Please remember you cannot spoil a baby.

give the poor baby a break. i mean dr sears calls the first 3 months the fourth trimester, everything is still new and scary and you want her to sleep alone, in that huge bassinet whenshe was use to being all safe and snug inside you... i mean check with the doc for reflux, be sure to burp to fill the tummy with milk and not food, but a schedule at 2 months?