My Son's Dr. Says That He Should Be Sleeping All Night & Stop with the Bottles??

How many meals and snacks do you feed him? My kids were eating cereal for breakfast then 1-2 jars of Gerber stage 2 for lunch and dinner. then I would give them cheerios, biter biscuits, or with my son gerber fruit puffs for snacks.

I have two sons, My oldest sons name is also Hayden. when i was weaning them from their night bottles i would change from milk to water in the bottles. They would drink a little water and go back to sleep and eventually they quit waking up for the water too. I hope it works for you.

Well I took my kids off the bottle at 10 months old, maybe wait till he is about 10 months, but feed him some cereal before bed and he shouldn't wake up for a bottle because his stomach will be full. Try that a few time :)

My 8-month-old is breastfed and sleeps with us at night. He feeds at least 2-3 times at night. I agree with other moms that babies know when they are hungry, and that a feeding schedule is only for our convenience. I would much rather my baby grow up with proper nourishment, and the confidence that comes from knowing his needs will be met, than give in to the desire to have a little bit of convenience for myself during this short period of time. It goes so fast! And I agree that you might seriously consider changing doctors. Good luck!

HI K.. I don't know if I can help but I will try:) For Hayden being 6 mo old giving him a bottle every 3 to 4 hours sounds about right. It is good that he is on cereal and being introduced to baby food. I have 4 children ages 8, 5, 3, and 1. This does not make me an expert. I can only tell you what worked for me. For my babies last feeding of the day I would spoon feed them cereal, give them a nice warm bath, then an 8oz. bottle to go to sleep for the night. A babies night may not be 8 full hours. It may only be 5 or 6 hours. If you can get Hayden to sleep 6 hours a night without waking to eat that would be good for the both of you:) He may be having a growth spurt and need more calories in a day than usual. If my 6mo old was scratching his face and screaming for a bottle I would have given him one no matter what the dr. said. You are the mother. Let your maternal instinct take over when you hear your baby screaming at night for food. All four of my children slept all night at different stages, ate differently, and had different schedules and eating patterns. Good luck with Hayden. Sounds like you are doing a good job already. Keep up the good work!

I'm a mother of 2, ages 21 and 10. I never denied my children food or drink at nighttime. I also didn't deny them comfort from me when they cried for it...day or night. No, they didn't sleep through the night when they were babies. They were much older, but I made it through and they knew they could depend on me. I nursed both of them and they wouldn't even take a bottle, so I don't know much about that, but the suggestion to add cereal to the diet at bedtime seems reasonable at 6 months. You may want to try only water in the bottle or diluting the milk a little with water, gradually increasing until it is only water.

I don't believe children are happier and healthier when their needs are ignored so the parents can get more sleep. I don't mean to make anyone mad...that's just my opinion.

Hope that helps.

~A.~

I would get a new doctor. My third baby is six months old and he still feeds in the night, same as my other two. All my children slept with us during their first year of life, and I breastfed them during the night when they woke up, two or three times on good nights, if they were fussy or upset (teething, gas, growth spurt, whatever) many more times. I think you are doing the right thing and that your gut instinct is right--babies are not supposed to have strict feeding schedules--that is only for our convenience. So your baby needs you (and some nourishment) in the night--before you know it he will be grown and you will be thankful that you did the best for him while he was little.

Hi K. R,

All babies are unique and not moldable to so-called "norms". If midnight feeding works for your baby, relax. My input is only a suggestion for changing his sleeping pattern if you are uncomfortable.

My daughter was having a problem with her 6 month old daughter's playing and loud babling in the wee hours of the night until we started increasing her daytime activities. This was discovered after an all-day outing which included lots of sun, pool wading and fresh air. Indoor activities now include lots of playtime, reading, time in the walker, and educational programs which shorten naps and tire her out. As my daughter still breast feeds at night, the house is now peaceful because the baby is sleeping better and longer. I hope this info helps.

A Grateful Granny

FEED YOUR BABY! just because some doctor said he should be ready, doesn't mean he is! listen to your baby. they are all different. i fed my baby at night til she was almost two. she still wakes up for a snack sometimes. your baby is a person. would you refuse food to your husband because your doctor told you that he didn't need to eat at that moment? no! if your husband asked you for something to eat (and couldn't get it himself ;)!) you wouldn't tell him, "no, you're not hungry." would you? you would trust that he was hungry, since he was asking for food. feed your baby. trust yourself. every baby grows up at a different rate, and there is not a timetable for any of it. when he is ready to sleep all night, he will. when he is ready to stop eating at night, he will stop waking up and asking to eat.

my son's doc said about the same thing. My kid was a HUNGRY kid! He got a middle of the night bottle until about 9 or 10 months. He still gets a small sippy cup of milk before bed (he's 2 now). YOU do what makes you and yours comfortable... screw the docs, not all of them know!

PS- I read some of the others responses and I used to ALWAYS put cereal in my son's bottle, he didn't like it in a bowl. No harm done- he loved it.

I have to agree with the rice cereal idea, it definitely helped my 1st sleep longer. Babies are demand fed. Find a new doctor!!

Also, Earth's Best makes organic, whole grain rice cereal and other cereals for infants...just in case you're looking for that...natural fiber is fabulous for anyone, I really don't know why they take it out of our food, and then sell products to add it back in...heh.

Good luck,
~K.

My Dr told me the same thing. My son was over 20 lbs (in the 90th% all around) and was still eating two or three times a night. My Dr's suggestion though was a lot kinder. I was to give him cold water in his bottles after bed time. If they are really hungry they will drink it. It just wasn't worth it for him to get up for water so he started sleeping through the night within ten days!!

As for the scratching, well, that sounds like my oldest too. I'm betting you have a strong willed child too. Likely a very smart one. You will have to be extra smart in dealing with him acting out or he will know which buttons get what he wants. Hurting myself = what I want. When GA was tiny he would cry until he couldn't breath over things like being held facing forward instead of facing backward. At 8 months old he found out a high pitched squeal got most people to give him what he wanted. Took me a year of training OTHER people to get him to cut it out. After that he tried banging his head. Now that he is 10 it is negotiations for everything and I can NOT slip up or he remembers forever!

I agree 100% with Kim K. I used the exact same method that she describes and my son loves his bed and can fully fall asleep on his own. Routine, routine ... and a mother's assessment when things seem off... sickness, etc.... is all you need to do.

I can help**

I just went through the same thing. I started at however many oz you are normally feeding. Each day you do less 1 oz every night the paci. After 5 days...I have a 5 1/2 month old that is sleeping through the night!! Surely it is tough at first...but when he wakes up now...I know he needs something and it is not always hunger. It may be he is hot, cold, uncomfortable etc.
Hang in there it can happen. It is totally possible and yes, they can sleep through the night with no proble. 24 oz a day/24 hours in a day!

easier said than done!! i believe they are all different as my first son slept through the night at 4 weeks, my daughter was 9 months, and my baby, now 20 months just started at about 17 months!! He still takes a bottle at nap and night although we now give him his night bottle of warm milk while he's up, then brush teeth and lay him down with a water bottle and he's transitioned well. My others were weaned by 18 months, but since he's my 3rd, i'm just playing it by ear, who cares, right! As for the night feedings, that's hard, my last did the same thing. I feel like sometimes they're going through growth spurts and need it and it's not going to hurt them, but if the sleep part is killing you, maybe start by giving him water so he doesn't get full or by trying to let him cry and maybe next time it'll go better, but they are all different, so it may work for him or might not, but i wouldn't stress too much, 6 months is still really young, and that dr. isn't the one having to do it!! Good luck!

Hi, it's grandmother KIKI again. My daughter puts rice cereal in my 4 month old granddaughter's bottles (originally for acid reflux) and she sleeps all night. Usually goes down around 7pm and sleeps through until 6am or 7am. She kinda put herself on this schedule. My 7 month old grandson has reflux too (there was no such thing when my 2 kids were babies. We just called it "spitting up" and it was not nearly as volumnous as with kids today)and my son and daughter-in-law put oatmeal in his bottles as per instructed from their doc, and he sleeps all night too. I wouldn't make poor Hayden go "cold turkey" after getting those bottles a night. Ease him off of so many. Check with your doc about the rice cereal and if he agrees maybe Hayden will not get so hungry during the night, and sleep through also. Is he gettng any solid foods at all yet? Good luck and sweet dreams. KIKI

Make sure that at his last pre-bedtime feeding that he gets a little something like a teaspoon or two of infant cereal. Remember, he is not just waking up to eat, he is checking that you are there. It is part of his security. My son woke up throught he night until he was almost 2. He is strong, healthy, and doing great. Some kids just need a little more reassurance. Give him time. It's more of a problem if it's a problem for you. He will taper off as he gets older and eats more solids, too.

Hi K..

You were right to give Hayden a bottle. I don't know if there are health issues to consider. If not, a change in your baby's routine must be gradual. My daughter woke for at least one feeding until she was at least one year old.
I highly recommend Dr Sears' series of books, THE BABY BOOK and THE SLEEP BOOK were very helpful and offer suggestions on how to change routine, etc.

Try uping feedings during the day and right before bed. Giving rice cereal at last feeding may work. (It didn't with my daughter, but that may be because I used my breastmilk..babies digest breastmilk faster.)

Hope this was helpful.

Blessings to you and your family.

Find another Doctor who is not such an idiot. We took our son to a doctor who told us at 3 months to give him motrin at night so he would sleep all night. I did not like that answer so we changed doctors. When I told the new doctor what the other one advised he had a fit and said we should never do that. Since I have children in their 20's I knew better than to take the first doctors advice but it scares me to think of all the new mothers who are doping their children at night to sleep. Some kids will not sleep through the night and others will. As the mom I expect to get up at night to feed them or to change their diaper. If your son does not sleep through the night by nine months I would try to change your bedtime routine and habits. My son took until he was 8 months to sleep the whole night through and it took changing his bedtime routine. We started giving him his last meal with us and then bathtime and playtime on our bed which included being tickled, throwing a ball and being read a couple of books after he was worn out with play I would give him his last bottle and put him down for the night and most nights he would sleep the whole night. We also discovered that if he had a sound machine on the ocean sound and his ceiling fan going that he did not wake up from the noise from the animals, tv or phone. We took him off the bottle the day he turned 15 months and he has not had one since and he still sleeps through the whole night. You are the parent and if you do not feel comfortable with what the doctor is telling you follow your instincts which is what you are doing by asking other mothers for advice.

Your son's physician doesn't have to live with the baby. You might try giving him cereal right before bedtime. If he goes to bed early it's no wonder he wakes up hungry in the night.

He will learn to sleep through. My son was 1 before I could absolutely count on him sleeping all night.

I'm an old mom. My baby boy is now 31 and I let his wife worry about the sleeping at night.
L.

Each baby is different. I have two daughters. My oldest now 6 was breast feed and woke up every 2 to 3 hours to nurse until she was about 10 mos old. My youngest now 5 started sleeping thru the night at 3 mos old. You know your baby best. Do what you think is best for your baby. You are his advocate. If you don't like the advice the doctor is giving you ask for a second opinion.

i am not sure i agree with your doctor... but here is what i did to get my little one to sleep longer.

last bottle before bed was thickened by adding baby cereal for a fuller tummy effect.

and then when she woke crying for a bottle.. i made her hold out for 30 mins... as the nights went on we added 30 mins every day or two and finally made it to a full 7 hours without waking. now we are one and a half and we sleep 10 hours uninteruptted but we immediately wake asking for juice or food.

best wishes,
-mb

A four ounce bottle with some rice cereal in it will probably help.
B.

I think 6 months is a little early to want a child to go without a bottle and sleep all night. I'm sure that would be nice but each child is different, for example, my daughter slept all night from about 5 wks and my son never slept all night til almost age 3. They both took a bottle til THEY were ready to give it up, my daughter at about 1 yr and son was about 13 months. Depends on how well they are eating etc. You're the mom, you know if your son is getting full or if he needs a little extra in the night. Follow your instinct.
J.

I agree that 6 months is too early to take away the night feeding. I gave my twins the night feed till they were 2.5 years old. I know, some would gasp at that. But my kids are healthy despite their prematurity.

I also believe that 6 months is a couple of months too early for solids. Let the body continue its focus on maturing the digestive tract, and do not distract it by making it digest the solids.

However, if you believe that he must sleep through the night without a feed, then remember that its a matter of habit. If the baby is used to taking a night feed, it will take him two weeks of smooth transition to do away with that habit. You could start with reducing the milk volume or by adding 10% water to dilute the feed, so that the tummy gets used to less milk. Over two weeks, slowly reduce the milk volume and the tummy will learn to live without the night feeding.

my baby woke up in middle of the night until she was about 11 or 12 months old. every one i spoke to said there child would sleep alnight. each child is different kudos to Kimberly S. get up in the middle of the night, love them hold them and feed them. one day he'll sleep mine did..good luck

Do u feed him any baby foods? Try getting him to eat baby food baby oatmeal whatever during the day and before bedtime. the food being "heavier" will stay later and longer so eventually he'll sleep a little longer... At about 5 months my daughter wanted some of what we ate she also had 2 teeth though but dinner she ate some baby food along with something we ate the softer baby type stuff. But she slept through the night from 2 weeks old... thankfully! but good luck! i don't believe starving him is the way though ur dr. hmmm... all kids differ, maybe u should think about a new pediatrician?

I'm just going to be real blunt...change Dr's! If he's hungry, he's hungry and letting him scream for hours and harm himself aren't going to help anything! (which I'm glad to hear you didn't let him and gave him a bottle!!!) I'm of the belief that a baby knows when they need to eat...that's why they have a cry just for that. (I also believe boys tend to be hungrier than girls, their entire life:)) My son is now 13 months old and we are due in 5 weeks with our daughter. He still wakes up 2-3 times a night (now it's mostly night terrors, but at least once it is to eat and most often that is linked to him teething and not eating very well during the day). Yes, it's very difficult some nights to get up and down with him, but at least I know he's ok and his needs are being met. Some babies require more than others...more to eat, more holding, more whatever it is and you and your baby are the only ones that know what your baby needs most! Plus, at 6 months he's still doing some major growing and probably teething. If you are in the OKC area, I know of some great Dr's if you do end up looking for one! Best of Luck!

K.

I think that 6 month is a little to soon for him to be stopping the bottle, both of my girls had a bottle up until they were about a year old and then after that only at night time but during the day they used a sipping cup. I also at night but a little cereal in their bottle and that helped them sleep though the night. But all children are different and so are children's Doctors. But I still can not believe that the Doctor wants him off the bottle. Sometimes as parents we have to do want we think is best for our children because the Doctor is not with our child all day. Hope that this will help
T.

It is never easy weaning a child from anything, but it can be done. I would first clip your boys nails so that he will be unable to scratch himself and hurt himself. As for the screaming, it is best to learn now, then later on that if he gets his way every time he screams, this will become a very bad habit and much harder to break as he gets older. It takes a week to make or break a habit. It will be a long week for your family, but you will make it if you hold strong. Do your best to comfort him, but do not give in and give him the botle. Most likely your son isn't necessarily hungry, he is just used to having his midnight snack. It is rough listening to him scream, but it will go away as soon as he learns that screaming will not get him is bottle. just comfort him the best you can and your family will make it. I have learned that it really is only a week that it takes to break them of a habit. And while it may seem like the roughest week of your life, it will pass it be completely worth it.

Doctors don't know everything. Give him the bottle.

However, you might let him cry 10 minutes. Because sometimes they go back to sleep in that 10 minutes and that will teach him to go back to sleep on his own, if he is just wanting the bottle so he can go back to sleep.

Hello,
I agree with all the other moms and their advice that babies know when they are hungry and doctors aren't always right! The only thing I would like to add is that it DOES get better! My son is now 15 months old and didn't really sleep through the night till around 8 months. I still feed him some nights when he needs it, but overall he sleeps well and we are finally getting some sleep! I just think all babies are different and that is ok. YOU are his mom and YOU know him better than anybody else!!!

Well, what your dr may be forgetting is that teething is about to begin and that pain can wake them up at night. Do some research on when teething usually begins. Sounds crazy, but when my son was teething he liked his bottles cold from the fridge cause the nipple and formula being cold felt good on his sore gums (my first son didn't nurse, so he was a formula baby). Some kids will sleep all night and some won't. I say be patient, let him cry for maybe 10 minutes and see if he will soothe himself back to sleep, if not, he is probably hungry and needs some comfort as well. Doctors mean well, but bottom line is you need to do what works for you and your child. Good luck!

Katherine my doctor said the same thing and I didn't stop. I have twin boys they are 6 now and still take a cup off milk and have it on their headboard. My sons got on a routine of every 2 -2 1/2 hrs because they were premie and it took a long time to get them to change but try adding rice to the formula make it thicker so it makes him fuller longer.
My doctor told me to quit, because i was just asking for trouble but I haven't seen any and I don't mind that they have a cup of milk when they go to bed and they have all of their baby teeth and they are strong and healthy little boys. When he gets older and starts to take a cup if you are still giving him one I found an insutlated kids cup at walmart that doesn't leak and works great.
I hope this helps

this sounds way harsh. while I agree he should be weined down a little, this just tough it out thing is crazy. He is waking up because he is hungry. what we did with our guy was to put a little rice cereal in his bottle before bed. he then slept for 6 to 8 hours. when he started waking sooner, we increased the cereal and back to sleep he went. Good luck. Trust your instincts. there are tons of doctors out there.

Every child is different but if he is 6m old and you aren't giving him cereal 9 times out of 10 he's not getting full in the first place. Good luck

Cereal in the bottle is how you make your baby fat. My brother's son is living proof of that. He's six months old and my son is a year old. They wear the same size clothes. My boy woke up in the night for a bottle until he was like 10 months old. All babies are different so a doctor can't say that he's too old for that. He's obviously not ready to stop having his bottle in the night. My son didn't really have a feeding schedule. He just got some when he was hungry. It tended to be at regular times but sometimes, it wasn't. Kids aren't born with schedules and handbooks so you really have to just go with the flow. I'm not trying to say that I'm an expert because I'm far from it, but you asked for a suggestion, and I'm giving one. I don't think my son quit waking for a bottle until I took his bottle from him when he was like 10 months old. Just trust your gut. Doctors don't know everything.

i think that is still a little young to be sleeping all night, especially since he is used to getting up twice for a bottle. if you want him to sleep through the night i would start slowly trying to get him down to one bottle a night by delaying it a little each night. my kids were 9 months before sleeping allthe way through the night. i think too it is more of a comfort for them to be with you at night and it will pass quickly enough so just enjoy it while you can.

I know that it is heartbreaking, but it can be done. We actually did this with my son at 3 weeks old and he has always slept through the night. He drank bigger bottles before he went to bed at night and a bigger bottle in the morning when he got up. We had to let him cry it out a few nights, but it was our doctor's advice too. The only thing is that he said we both had to be willing to let him cry it out or it wouldn't work. There was no use in trying if we weren't both ready for it. We were and it worked. So, when you are ready, it can be done. Good luck!

There are probably different things you could do with this. My son is 2 now and went through this stage. I got up during the night feeding several times during the night. It totally wore me out and I physically could not do it anymore. I was tired during the day because I "thought" I was filling his need of hunger. How I weened him off was cutting back one feeding at a time until we got to sleeping all night. If your son is feeding 4 times a night, then cut one back and when he wakes up, go talk to him or rock him until he's back asleep. For me, all I had to do is keep him in the crib and tell him it's ok, putting his paci back in his mouth. DO NOT give eye contact during this time! Go in not looking him in the eyes and tell him it's time to sleep and walk straight out. I did this and at 9 months old and about 2 months of this, he still sleeps 12 hours every night! He did get a bottle right before bed and the next feeding was at about 6-7 a.m.

Your son also may still cry when you take one of the feedings away but stick to your guns and try to work with him. In a way you are training him to not eat all through the night. It's probably not going to hurt him to miss a feeding. I'm sure he is very healthy!

I hope this helps and good luck! It all bothered me at first that he was crying but I tried to really work with him and in the long run it all worked.

I would find another doctor and do some research. Dr. T. Berry Brazelton is a great resource and Walmart sells his books for parents. Six months is way too soon to be worried about a baby sleeping through the night and witholding bottles.

Good luck to you.

when my oldest child was about 6 months, my pediatrician told me, "God gave you instinct, now put the books down and start using it!"

when my children's teeth started poking through, i switched their night feedings to water, actually i put a baby bottle of water in their crib so they could get a drink whenever they needed one. i wake up thirsty in the night, why wouldn't they??

i have had 4 babies (1 foster care baby, horrible abused and neglected, had failure to thrive and colic, said the 'experts', all she needed was me to meet her needs), plus i have a small home daycare where i have had several babies over the past 5 years. i do not, DO NOT, believe in letting a child cry it out. if they need me, i will be there. if they need a drink, i will be there. if they are scared of the dark, then for God's sake, i will not make them lay there and scream until they pass out from exhaustion. i would not recommend establishing 'hopelessness and distrust' between you and your child. he's only 6 months old. do what you feel is right, i think you really want to get up with him, so do it. what's wrong with a little snuggle time here and there. he will outgrow this naturally, and if he doesn't (he will) then you can work on this when he is a little older. this is a big bright crazy world, and he needs to know that you are going to be there when he needs you. you are the 'expert' now...lol....sometimes doctor's don't know everything. i think they need to tell new mothers to 'sit back, relax, breathe, enjoy' this time goes so fast and is so precious. please don't sweat the small stuff.

I think your doctor has given you bad advise. My son didnt stop waking up for bottles untill around 8 mos old. It never even was an issue of when he would stop. I just let nature take its course. The more solids he starts eating the longer his belly will feel full. My son is now 10 mos old and I would say for about the last 2 mos. he has been sleeping through the night for about 10 - 12 hours. I did start running a fan in his room and that seems to be a part of why he sleeps so well for me. I wouldnt rush it. Your baby will let you know what he needs.
K.

I don't know if anyone would agree with me, but I put a little rice cereal in the bottle so my kids wouldn't get hungry at night. They would sleep all night.

K.,

Although I am not a professional Doctor,Rn, or hold a degree in "Child Psychology" I can tell you this simple fact. Do what is best for you and your child. My mother in law raised 8 children on her own. I remember when my first child (14 years ago) came home from the hospital. I called my mother in law every day several times a day with things the Dr/Rn had told me to do and not to do. She finally one day told me to put a big X on all the pages in my books that I had bought and to forget what the Dr. had told me about feeding my child at night and do what I thought was best for my baby. I took her advice and yes survived and so did both of my children. I have been a full time Mom for 15 years. I home educate my children and offer a "umbrella school" for families that choose to home educate in Alabama.

Please feed your baby when he is hungry during the night, please do not let your baby cry all night. Love him, change him, and feed him....and love him more!! These days will go by so fast you will one day look back and think to yourself, "where did the time go."

K.

Try eight ounce bottles every 4 hours all day, plus baby food. If he gets enough to eat during the day, you can be sure he's not actually hungry at night. Once you know this, you can feel better about trying to stop the nighttime feedings. It's a hard habit to break, but you need sleep too.

My baby was definitely sleeping all night by 6 months. There was a short time though that she started waking up (maybe teething) and my husband couldn't get her back to sleep without a bottle (easy way out). She got in the habit and starting waking in the middle of every night. I nipped this in the bud! When she woke up, I would snuggle her back to sleep in her room (NO TALKING!NO EYE CONTACT!NO LIGHTS!). Eventually, I just had to give back the paci and pat her bottom, hold her bottom down, etc without even picking her up. Whatever soothes. She's been sleeping soundly ever since (she's 12 months now) ALL NIGHT (10-12 hours). It's soooooo nice.

Try soothing your son back to sleep without a bottle (paci, snuggles, pats, just a hand on him etc.). If you absolutely can't and you really believe he is hungry, by all means feed him, but he shouldn't be hungry if he gets enough during the day.

I have 4 children and was always told the opposite. To stop bottles during the day first and then slowly move to the night time bottles. But if it is just to keep him from getting a bottle during the night, try putting cereal in is last bottle before he goes to bed. My youngest would wake up in the middle of the night hungry even if I did that, so I would give her a banana in the middle of the night and that worked. Then I started giving her the banana when she would start to go to bed.

I totally disagree with your doctor. If your son is hungry, feed him. Every baby is different, and why is it necessary to prescribe to this one size fits all? You eat when you are hungry don't you? I am sure others moms may disagree with me, but your baby is only an infant once. It will get better. Just be patient and don't make him go hungry or wanting cuddling in the night. Hold him, feed him, love him. It may take a while longer, but he will grow into sleeping for longer stretches.

I would give cereal for breakfast and right before bed. I would give it out of a bowl and use a spoon. You have to give it to him quick since he is used to the bottle or he will scream and spit and have fits. Also, I would start itroducing veggies for meal times. Then once he gets the hang of all of that then maybe he won't be getting hungry during the night. I did this and both of mine slept through the night early. If he is hungry, by all means feed him. What the doctor says is a reccomended guideline. Not all babies are the same, so if yours needs a bottle during the night, then by all means give it to him.

Try decreasing the amount of milk/formula or start watering it down until all you are giving him is water. If he is like my son, he will decide that an ounce or so of water just isn't worth fussing over and will go back to sleep. Good luck to you!!!!!

Much good has been said already here, but I want to add a couple of things.

A six-month-old is completely capable of sleeping through the night, and for your own sake, you should go ahead and teach him to do it. There is no need for you to continue to be sleep-deprived at this stage of things.

Have you heard of the book, On Becoming Babywise? I highly recommend it. It explains step-by-step how to teach a baby to sleep through the night with emphasis on routine and mother's instinct. Everyone I know who has ever tried the Babywise method has had success; in my experience, the people who say it doesn't work are the ones who haven't read the book. I started it with my three-month-old, and it did work.

Sure, you can keep getting up all night with your child until he is two or three years old, but why? He will feel more secure and more rested if he is getting a full night's sleep, and you will have more energy, patience, etc., if you are rested too.

Babywise is a tried and true method, and it works with the natural habits and needs of your baby. You can get it at any chain bookstore (Books-a-Million, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.) or you can order it on-line from somewhere like amazon.com or even ebay.

You have nothing to lose by trying! Good luck.

At six months?

I can see sleeping all night -- but I thought babies should do that THE MOMENT THEY CAME HOME from the hospital. How do they expect me to get enough sleep to get everything done during the day? This is very tongue in cheek... Anthony came home after a 3.5 month stay in the hospital where nurses watched him 24/7. They didn't want him to cry too long or too hard because he would have used up too many calories -- he was a premie.

My son never slept through the night but he learned to fall back asleep.) Heck, he's 26 now and still wakes up intermittantly to go to the bathroom!

Have you started some solids? Do you have a pacifier?

I'm curious as to what the other mothers will advise!

K.,
I am no expert on this at all, but I do have 4 kids of my own, and every kiddo is different! It makes me CRAZY when Doctor's use their knowledge to put every child in the same category! My advice would be to try and extend his feeding times a bit, maybe do a bigger bottle with a bit of cereal in it an hour later than usual, fill him up a bit more at bed time! Start with a little bit of cereal in the bottle to thicken it up, then in a few weeks maybe a small bowl of runny ceral with the bottle. If he is full at bedtime he will sleep better and longer!! Hope it helps! ~S.

Hi K.
Well I first start off by saying you can either do what you feel is right for your baby or you can worry that he is doing what the doctor says is right. I am a mother of and yes his doctor is trying to prevent Hayden from continuing to wake during the night for no reason, but as a parent it is hard to do. I never let either one of my girls cry themselves to sleep or denied them a bottle if they wanted one. Both of them grew out of wanting a bottle when they woke up. I did not tell their doctor that they were waking and getting feedings in the middle of the night, because I was doing what I felt was right for my children. So you can let Hayden cry or go back to sleep with out a bottle and he will eventually stop waking up when he realizes his mom will not give him one. Or you can give him a bottle and he will eventually stop waking up as he gets a little older. I hope you figure out what will work for you and your baby. Good Luck! The doctor wants to help, but not all babies are the same, and neither are their parents!!
C. Stork
www.forourkidz.fourpointmoms.com

Hey K.,
I had a friend who gave her son water in his bottle at night and she said he was not interested in that and gave it up eventually. Other than that, I would say he is mad (scratching at his face) and to let him cry a little bit. Scratches on his face are terrible but not serious. He'll be ok. Maybe holding him and then laying him back down would help. Once he realizes that he is not going to get his bottle, it won't be worth getting up for. Good luck!

You need to do what you think is best for you and your child. I don't really know of any 6 month old that is off of the bottle or is not still nursing. But did your doctor suggest giving your son some baby cereal before bed? That might help him feel fuller and sleep longer. Each child is different and I would not be concerned if your son is not sleeping through the night. You need to use your motherly instincts and do what is right for your child.

Best of luck.
J.

I agree with a lot of these responses; it's better not to encourage them to eat all night - if they are getting enough during the day (and usually they are), their bodies know they don't need it at night. But if we don't respond to that, they think they do. The water thing works. My daughter had stopped eating in the middle of the night and suddenly started waking and wanting bottles again, so after a couple of times,I just put water in the bottles and she changed her mind and quit taking them and slept through. It seems like the easy route for us to hand them a bottle and settle them down, but it sets them up for bad habits in the future (cake and ice cream at midnight). We had reflux, too; I feel you there, but i just means that eating in the night is even worse for him because now he is eating and laying down right after for a long period of time. Be careful of that...

Blessings
Bran

my child did the same thing. i started putting cereal in his bottle. it was not enough to where mine could not drink it, but it had enough that it was more filling than just his milk. he went to sleeping all night, the first night i tried this. good luck.

The first thing that you need to do is find another doctor for your son. I have never, ever heard of taking a 6 month old baby off the bottle. I do agree that he should not be waking up 2 or 3 times so you might try giving him some cereal before you put him down for the night, but go ahead and continue to give him his bottle. Best of luck....
G.

Hey K., looks like others have already mirrored what i would suggest. You didn't say anything about daytime food. He's probably hungry if you're not giving him cereal or food during the day. I know many doctors say not to feed them ANY food till they are "older". My oldest was on cereal at 10days because he was hungry during the night. By the time he was 3 months old he was eating all of the fruits and veggies and several types of table food. And no he doesn't have allergies or any of the other things they seem to think this causes. K., feed the little guy cereal before he goes to bed, give him his bottle at bedtime and i bet he'll sleep thru the night. You have to do what is right for your child. Your doctor isn't there and is using a "standard" to give you input for YOUR child. I would say find another dr as well unless you're happy with him other than this situation. If so, just do what you need to do for your baby. You're the Momma, don't forget that....Good Luck. R.

I too have a son named Hayden that is now 8. He also was early and had the same issues as your son. H e really should be sleeping through the night by now, I would continue to try to at least reduce bottle feedings at night. If things don't improve you may need to go back to the doctors to see if there is a physical reason for his need to eat at night.

First of all, never - I don't care what that doctor says! - ever feel that you have to let your baby cry without responding to his needs, and certainly not all night. That must have been very traumatic for you! And it sure was for him. Going from 2-3 bottles a night to nothing is too fast a transition. Then, crying without getting a response from mom or dad is extremely distressing for a baby, who depends on mom and dad for his very survival. Not getting a response to crying leads a baby to not feel that he can communicate with his parents and that they will take care of him. This breaks down trust, and also teaches the baby that nothing he does matters (you can imagine the discipline implications this has later on down the road: "Mom and Dad don't really care what I do; why should I do what they tell me to do?" - and on some level feels that Mom and Dad don't care about him, period).

Start by reducing the amount you give him in the last bottle of the night, bottle #3. That way, he's already had a pretty good night, with the usual comforts, and with a full belly, if he still wants more out of that last one, you can reassure him, soothe him, give him extra cuddles and he will probably settle back down. Just give him 3/4 of the amount that he usually gets. He might not even notice.

Then, after several nights or a week or so (depending on how well he is adjusting to this change), start decreasing the amounts of his second bottle of the night, as well. Again, go slowly, decreasing it to 3/4 the regular amount, or half.

Then, decrease his first bottle to 3/4 of the old amount.

Next, decrease that last bottle to half of the old amount. Then, decrease bottle #2 to half of the old amount. Then, decrease his first bottle of the night to half of the old amount.

Next, it's time to eliminate that last bottle of the night. Be sure to be available if he wakes up and shows signs of wanting it. By now, he's getting fed so little that it's just a habit. Be ready to provide any other comforting ritual or item that will soothe him: rocking, singing, walking around the house, a favorite blanket, etc. He'll probably do just fine. If not, be willing to revert to the old bottle - he just needs the reassurance that if he needs it, he'll get it. (This doesn't mean you're spoiling him or "giving in" - it just means that you're recognizing that he's not ready just yet.) After a few nights of this, he will probably just sleep through it. Just keep offering him other comforts.

In the same manner, keep reducing his other bottles till you can eliminate them in the same way.

This is all said assuming that he is getting enough calories, especially protein, during the day. Because of his age, I'm guessing that he might NOT. You've probably started feeding him solids, is that right? If so, make sure that you're only providing them ON TOP of the formula or breast milk that you were giving him before you introduced solids. Giving solids before a year of age is just a way of getting your baby used to the concept. It is absolutely not meant to replace any of the amount of formula or breast milk you were giving him before. He needs a bare minimum of 40 oz of formula per day. For your son it could be more; go by what makes him seem satisfied.

The reason you can't reduce the formula or breast milk as you increase the solids is, the solids generally don't have the calories, and especially not the protein, that are in the formula/breast milk. They won't stay in the stomach as long, either, so baby wakes up sincerely hungry - it's not just a comfort thing at that point.

Good luck! If you have any other questions or issues as you start weaning him, send me an email. My mom works for WIC as a nutritionist, and I can ask her for you.

L.

That sounds like a doctors response or advice. Well, they are not always right, especially since every child is so different. You need to listen to your own INTUITION! These things take time and baby needs time to adjust to new routines. If you want to ween him, start slowly- give baby less bottle when he wakes up and then soothe him back to sleep by rocking or patting back if need to. Then, if he is used to getting three bottles at night, cut back to two (with less milk)and try to soothe him to sleep the other time. After a couple of weeks you may be down to one bottle a night, and so on. My son who is now two, nursed at night until he was over a year. It took time to ween him at night. I just cut back, talk to him a lot and let him fuss in my arms as we rocked, on the occassions that I said no more. It didn't take him long. Though frustrating at times, I realize in hindsight, we went exactly at the pace WE NEEDED!

And yes, solids during the day, but it is more a routine and soothing thing. He will still probably wake up for the bottle, even if you give him cereal before bed.

Awww...forget the doc. He's not God and not the baby's mother!
All kids are different and there are not two who need just the same thing. Your child could very well be teething, for one thing, and could be uncomfortable....and they can 'teeth' for weeks before the tooth pops out. And some kids just don't sleep well..who knows why. Just like grown people, their little personalities are all different!
Just don't worry about it, girl! Unless you just need some sleep yourself...then that's a separate post! haha
PS: If your baby is smallish, he could wait until he hits a few more lb.s before his body fat can sustain him through the night--just another thought... : )
Luvs,
H.-- Mommy of five gorgeous, sweet kids!

First of all, from a dietitian's view, I would definitely stop giving him cereal in his bottle. He is old enough to eat off a spoon. Secondly, if you want the night feeding to stop (so you can get more sleep), try feeding him more solid food during the day -- cereal at breakfast and dinner, and a couple of fruits or veggies at lunch -- and wean him slowly off the bottles in the middle of the night. Start with 6 oz, and lessen the bottles by one oz. every night (5 oz. the next night, then 4, then 3...). Soon, he will adjust to less in the night and sleep longer. He might still get upset, and if you can't stand to hear him cry, you could hold him to help him go back to sleep, but don't feed him any more. Oftentimes a baby that age is just eating out of habit and not because they need it. I suppose you could go against your doctor and feed him anyway, but I will tell you, the older they get, the harder it is to break this habit. Good luck!! (Parenting is fun, huh?) =-)

Switch doctors, & add Gerber dry baby cereal to his bedtime bottle to help him stay full longer.

It looks like I may be the lone voice that agrees with the doctor. I have 3 children and all of them slept through the night by 3 months old. I nursed exclusively and none of my kids received cereal until 6 months. For us, I think the trick was establishing a good routine during the day with "meals" and naps that came at approximately the same time each day. Then we had a regular bed time routine. My kids very naturally spread their need for feedings out from every three hours to every three and half to every four and then the night time feeding gradually went away. (I did make sure that the last feeding of the night was a REALLY good one!) There was never any crying themselves to sleep in the middle of the night. I would suggest letting your child cry (briefly - 5 or 10 minutes) and then go in to comfort them. Don't pick them up, but pat their back, talk soothingly to them, let them know you're there. Then leave and see if they can go a little longer. It may take several nights, but by about night 3 or 4 the child should be able to put themselves to sleep. I think the problem with the bottle is three-fold. One is that the child is likely getting too many calories. Another is that the a bottle in the mouth while in the crib can leed to tooth decay. And the finaly issue is that they are dependant on the bottle to get to sleep if they wake in the middle of the night. Ideally, a child should learn to put themselves back to sleep - to be secure enough that they don't need a bottle or mommy to get to sleep. I'll say that my children are now school age (10, 8 and 5) and, although each is very different, they have all always considered bed time and sleep a good thing. We have NEVER had bed time struggles and my 5 year old still happily takes on nap on days when I think he needs one. I'm convinced that this is because they are confident and secure when they head to the bedroom - they know I am nearby, but that they do not NEED me (or any other prop - like a bottle) to get to sleep. I don't advocate neglecting your child at all, but I do think we want to raise confident, secure, independent children. And, that starts even at the infant stage by teaching them that they can sooth themselves to sleep. I hope this helps!

Hello K.,

I would change doctors pronto if mine told me that! Some children take a bottle until they are 12-15 months old and will let you know when they are ready for the "big boy cup". That advice is just mean. Also, some do not sleep through the night without waking up. Try mixing some baby cereal in his last bottle before he goes to bed, that worked with my daughter. Please don't just make him suffer, change pediatricians or get a second opinion.

Try feeding him some rice cereal mixed in his formula or milk just before you put him to bed. You can start with a tablespoon full and increase as needed until he sleeps through the night. Adding some fruit also helps with the taste. I had both of my boys (now grown) eating cereal at night and they both slept through the night.

All kids are different. My oldest was sleeping through the night at 7 months and my youngest didn't sleep through the night until she was 12 months. I think it just depends on the kid, regardless of using solids. I would say by 12 months he should be sleeping through the night, and if he isn't you probably just need to let him cry it out. Doctors mean well but they don't know the kids like a mom does, Good luck!

Thought I would put my two cents in the jar as this is problem I remember having.
To begin with if your child's teeth are beginning show or have developed there is a pretty good reason why your Dr may want you to cut off the night time bottle.
Babies that fall asleep with a bottle of milk in their mouths can develop some pretty bad dental problems. The milk pools around those little teeth and can cause what we use to call milkteeth which is a nicer way of saying their little teeth are full of cavities and rotten. Which can lead to further problems with development of permanent teeth. So what to do??
At 6 months we changed out what was in the bottle from their warm milk to warm water. The first couple nights where hard for us so we developed a plan. A big supper of rice mixed with fruit or veggies and extended their bedtime by an hour in which we played nice soft music and just generally let the whole family unwind. Then when they where relaxed into bed with their nice bottle of warm water.It took patience and alot of self reassurance that we knew that their bellies where full and recognizing that mostly they where just after a little night time comfort and company.
I waited till my son was 1 before I let HIM throw his bottles away and we followed the same plan with my youngest daughter. Lucky us our dental bills as the children grew up where always minimal.
Bblessed always in all things

I would agree that he is old enough to sleep all night without a feeding. But it is up to you if you really want that to happen. My first slept 6 hours at night at 8 weeks and her morning feeding grew steadily later and later, my second woke up once a night, every night until 12 months-it drove me crazy!! With her I had to just stop feeding her (I was breastfeeding) so I would just go in a rock her until she was calm and she would go back to sleep-she eventually started sleeping all night. I also started feeding my girls cereal at 4 months and working table food in from time to time. At about that age I would feed them both a snack before bed, cereal or yogurt (Yo-Baby is a good 1st yogurt) or applesauce, I always hoped it would help them sleep better-it really didn't seem to make much difference. For my second it was just a habit she was in, which could be whats going on with Hayden, and why he got angry when you didn't feed him.
I don't know if this will help you any-this is just my experience with my 2 very different girls.

I found that if I fed my son a little cereal before his last bottle he stayed asleep longer. Or you can add a little to his bottle if you feel comfortable doing that. He should be able to sleep through the night. But it does seem kind of drastic to go from 2-3 feeding a night to none... maybe you could ween him off a feeding for a week or so, then ween him off another the next week, & so on until he's sleeping through. Another thing is maybe he isn't getting enough food during the day if he's still waking up @ night. I can't remember how much baby food 6 month olds are supposed to eat- my son is 10 months now & eating EVERYTHING!!! I believe the Gerber website has a guideline for you.
Hope this helps! God bless!!

My first question would be...are you giving him enough milk before bed? Maybe you should increase the amount you give him before bed so he'll sleep longer. Also, a good book I read about breaking the "habit" of waking up at night is Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. It really helped me get my child sleeping through the night. I didn't feel like it was as "harsh" either as some of the other books. Hope these help...

Is he getting solid food during the day? Maybe you could try giving him baby ceral before bedtime. I followed the dr's advice and didn't give solid foods until my daughter was 4 months old and it was like night and day - she was a much better sleeper and happier baby when her little tummy was full. Not all kids are the same either, so what works for one baby doesn't work for all of them.

Good luck

K., when you give him the bottle at bedtime do you add "rice" cereal to make a thick pablum (You'll need to widen the hole in the nipple)? That always filled my kids up enough for them to sleep all night. Waking 2-3 times a night at 6mos., does seem excessive. Maybe there's something else going on. Is he really hungry for food or just extra cuddling? Does he actually finish the bottles he's given? How much does he eat during the day? Is he accustomed to eating every 2 hours? That could account for waking 2-3 times, during the night. I'm a mother of 5 and grandmother of 11, and this is a new one to me.

K.
My children were all bottle broke by one year, and no night time bottles after six months. I started my daughter on cereal when she was five weeks and she did sleep all night without a bottle. By the time she was six months she was passing baby food and getting into finger food. Fresh carrots, green peas, green beans, fresh fruit. Anything I thought she could safely pick up with her fingers and eat. If I had waited on the doctor, she would not have eaten good stuff until she was two. And no, it did not hurt her digestive system and she was a premie. She is still little, but very healthy. All babies are different and will grow and mature at different ages. If they are not full when they go to bed, they are going to wake up and be hungry, If you know they are full, and they still wake up for a bottle, then it is becoming a habit. As long as you continue to do it,they will wake up. Then you will have to decide rather to start not giving a bottle in the night. It will be hard to do because no parent wants to hear their child cry or react to a situation, but eventually the bottle will have to go. Follow your instinct, and you will know what is best for your child.

Good Luck
Let us know how it goes
S. Miller

Have you tried feeding him the cereal from a bowl/spoon? We never put cereal in our daughter's bottle, in fact we were told NOT to put it in the bottle. We just mixed some of the cereal with a little bit of formula so that it wasn't too thick, but not too thin either. Kinda like oatmeal. I think we started that around 4 months & tried baby food later.

I'm not a doctor but I don't think at 6 months old it is time to give up the bottle. Not by a long shot. That's just my thought. I started weaning my son off his bottle when he turned 1 year old and now....2 months later....he has given up all his bottles except for the nighttime one (by far, the hardest to give up!) So....maybe your Dr is trying to help you break the hardest bottle to give up first??? No clue. Also.....there is NO textbook on when babies sleep through the night. Again, my son is 16 months old and he has only slept through the night about a dozen times since he was born. (He's got some major sleeping/insomnia issues.)

"Most" babies are sleeping through the night by 6 months of age....yes.