Matthew will be 6 months old tomorrow. For the last month or so, he has been 'sleeping through the night' although I wouldn't call it sleeping.... he is able to go from about 7:30 to about 7 in the morning without eating, but at night, he has been waking up every hour or more fussing, where we need to get up and pat his back and give him the pacifier. Sometimes he goes back to sleep easily, sometimes it's tough, but he is up again an hour later or earlier doing the same thing. Finally last night I said I want to give him a bottle (he woke up at 2) and see what happens. He gobbled it up like he was starving and then went back to sleep for another 3 hours without waking....
Should I 'not' feed him at night? Could he be waking so frequently because he is hungry? The thing is, ever since he started solids (cereal, fruits, veggies) he doesn't drink much of his bottle.... only gets about 20 ounces or less per day... could he need to make up for it at night? Am I spoiling a good thing by feeding him? Could he really be hungry? It seemed like he was? Thanks.
NovemberSue
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Re: Did I do the right thing?
The most important meal for babies is their bottle even if they are eating solids. I think your baby is waking up during the night because he is hungry. 12 hours is a very long time for him to go without his bottle. Next time he wakes up crying during the night,I would fix him a bottle and I bet that will hold him off for a few more hours until he is hungry again. Some babies can sleep for 3 hours before they need a bottle and some can go a little longer. He WILL let you know if he's hungry.
MrsERod
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Re: Did I do the right thing?
he went back to sleep the first few nights, without a feeding...maybe he's just teething and is waking up from the pain??
Elizabeth
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Re: Did I do the right thing?
Have you discussed how much formula he is having with your pediatrician? They should be having more than 20 oz of formula at 6 months. Their primary source of nutrition is still the formula (or BM) for the first year, all the solids are filler but are really just about getting them use to eating. With that said, he could very well be hungry. I hope that doesnt sound too bossy but please check with your ped, I really think he should be having more formula.
HTH
Kate
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Re: Did I do the right thing?
Do you offer the bottle after he has eaten? If so, he may be too full for it at that point. This was happening with Aidan and I started spacing it out and not giving formula right after a meal, maybe an hour or two later and then he would drink it down. (or you could do it the other way, bottle first then in a little while whatever he will eat)
But like your son, mine was taking in about the same amount of formula towards the end of 6 months. He had peaked with drinking the most in the beginning of the month and then it started to drop off to about 24 ounces by the end. The dr told me it was fine. But only you and your Ped know him best so of course check with them.
Will he take a bottle right before he goes down at night? Maybe that will hold him off til the morning.
Sometimes Aidan will wake up in the morning starving and wants his bottle right away and sometimes he is playing and then eating breakfast, and he will have it before his morning nap... you just never know what phase they are in.
JustJodi
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Re: Did I do the right thing?
I think trying the bottle right before he goes to bed is a good idea. Its excatly what I do. I give the bottle and a small jar of cerial ( or even a few bites) before bedtime. It usually holds him off till morning.
If he wakes in the middle of the night hungry then I think you should of course give him a bottle. I guess just like us, babies get thirsty and hungry at all different times. Eventually the more he eats before bed the more content he will be
jpsgirl
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Re: Did I do the right thing?
Angela is 6 months and getting about 22 ounces of BM or formula a day, this is like 3 6 ounce bottles, plus the 2 or so ounces I put in her cereal twice a day. Even if i give her less food, she still does not take more bottle....our routine is that she eats in the am (all of a sudden in the am's, even after not eating all night, she would only take like 3 ounces and not want anymore, so I cut that bottle out) mid morning she has a bottle, then lunch, then mid afternoon bottle, then dinner, and then she gets a bottle right before bed, and usually falls asleep right after she finishes that bottle. If she does wake up in the middle of the night, which is rare, if she doesn't go right back to bed, I give her a bottle and she always takes it. The last few days she has been getting an early morning bottle bc she has been waking at like 5:30.
MamanDaddyof2
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Re: Did I do the right thing?
I would give the bottle because we as adults get parched/thirsty in the middle of the night too ....only we can get up and get a drink they can't.
Mishy626
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Re: Did I do the right thing?
Thank you so much ladies for your help. I will mention to my dr on Monday the amount of formula Matthew is drinking and see if he thinks it is too little. The thing is, we feed him cereal, fruit, etc, and he usually fusses afterwards like he wants his bottle more than the food, but then doesn't drink much of it. I guess I will play it by ear, and if he keeps waking, give him the bottle at night.
He does get a bottle right before bed, but it is also with fruit, cereal and bottle.... and by that time he usually only has about 3 ounces of the formula. Do you think I should cut out the cereal and fruit at this time because he should have more formula to hold him over at night? Thanks.
ddunne23
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Re: Did I do the right thing?
Jack is 5 months old and the way I approach it is I haven't cut back on his formula but any solids he eats above and beyond that is like bonus nutrition Remember that for the first year babies primary source of nutrition is formula or breastmilk and the solids are more of an intro to different tastes, getting used to the spoon, etc. Here is our schedule:
7am:bottle 7 ounces 10am: bottle and cereal :4 oz bottle followed by cereal 1 pm: bottle 7 ounces 2:30ish: vegetable 3 pm: bottle 7 ounces 7 pm: bottle 7 ounces
7:30 or 8 bedtime
Sometimes I also give him a little cereal at about 6 before his bottle. He sleeps all night without waking 5 out of 7 nights a week from 7:30 to 6:30 or 7am
