Xero

I know there are probably a lot of threads like this, but I'm having trouble finding one that relates directly to my situation just because there are so many to look through. Anyway, my son Eli is six months old, will be seven months on the first of April. This is my first baby. He has always been the type of baby to wake up a lot in the middle of the night. He used to sleep with a binky, and recently I took it away because he was waking up like 5 or 6 times at night for me to put it back in his mouth. I had to let him cry when I knew he wasn't waking up to be changed or fed because I know from what people tell me that they have to learn to comfort themselves back to sleep.
That worked out pretty well, but he still wakes up 2-3 times a night to have a bottle... I know some people say it takes a long time, but I read quite a few different books by different authors that say babies shouldn't need to be fed at night anywhere past four months or so (at least nutritionally speaking). And it also said that he'll continue to wake up and want a bottle as long as I continue to come and give him one when he wakes up, and it's more just because he's used to it than because he needs it or he's hungry. They said that I should not give him a bottle anymore, and to prevent him from waking up otherwise, just to let him for the most part cry it out. Also, just so you know, he does eat solid foods besides formula during the day.
I'm not weak about letting him cry or anything, although I get the feeling he is a teenie bit spoiled, but I get so worried that maybe he IS hungry when he's crying and if I don't come with a bottle I'm really doing the wrong thing, and maybe if I just keep waiting he'll start sleeping through the night and not wanting a bottle on his own. But then, on the other hand, I'm equally as worried that if I keep feeding him at night, he'll continue this for a long time. He's almost seven months old... I don't mind feeding him at night, though I would love to just sleep through the night for once, but I don't want to do it if it's going to continue a bad habbit as he gets older and it gets harder to fix. Can anybody help me with this? Any experienced opinions? Sorry this was long... Thank you.

HappyMomma

I would not avoid feeding him when he wakes - he might be hungry. Just because a book said that he shouldn't need to eat at night, doesn't mean that is true for your child. Although, I used a cry it out method with my daughter... I still made sure she was well fed and all clean before I would let her cry it out.

Lissa

At 7 months old, I don't think he should still be eating at night. Maybe if he was nursed, but he's bottle fed and on cereal. He's obviously not hungry. I agree with the CIO method as long as your instincts are very closely followed.

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Trina

Parenting books are OK to use as a general reference, but you need to learn to trust your own mommy instincts. Every child is different and will not fit into a cookie cutter mold. My DS was sleeping through the night by 6 mos., but DD wasn't. In fact, she was still nursing 1x2 times a night until 16 mos..

fallon

I would say feed him when he wakes and give him back the binky, he'll learn to find it on his own soon. He will start sleeping through the night and may just be teething a lot at the moment also...If you don't mind me asking, what does your bedtime routine look like right now?

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Xero

HappyMomma - He's always clean and well fed before bed, and he does do a little crying on his way to sleep, but he's out quick. He wears overnight diapers to bed too. Do you think he'll just stop eating at night on his own? Did your daughter do that? If so, how old was she? (assuming she did wake up at night for bottles, my mother said I slept through the night since I was born haha) I don't trust everything books say. I was thinking of discussing it with his pediatrician too when we go next. The book also said something about weening a baby off of night time feedings. Like making it less and less over time. As in, from 3 times a night to 2 and then down to one until eventually they sleep through the night. Or do I just keep feeding him as often as he wakes up for it and he'll grow out of it maybe?

fallon

my son started sleeping through the night without waking for a bottle around 6 or 7 months old...he was a big boy and he was hungry

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Xero

I appreciate the binky advice, but since I already took it away and he doesn't really seem to want it anymore, I'd rather not go through the willful toddler age of taking away a binky lol. I also heard it could impare speach and have seen that happen with a friend's child. She's about two and hardly talks at all cause she wont take the binky out of her mouth. And since I took that away, waking up for no reason isn't a problem anymore (I do believe he's working on those teeth though). He eats every four hours-ish during the day, and he wakes up right on time after four hours for bottles at night. So I don't think the binky would matter too much anymore...

Before bed, I usually put him in the bath with the Johnson's bedtime stuff, and then I'll give him a bottle and rock him a little (but not all the way to sleep, just sleepy) and then I give him kisses and lay him down. I was thinking about trying to feed him cereal right before bed lately though, but he does eat cereal and baby food during the day. He cries for maybe ten minutes and then he's asleep for the night except for when it's normally (during the day) time to eat.

Trina - I think it's different when you're breastfeeding... (if that's what you meant by nursing). I think it would be a different story for me at least if he were at that age with formula and food and that. But who knows, I'll find out. I know it varies from baby to baby.

HappyMomma

I always fed on demand, if she was hungry I fed. I just feel that their instinct knows when they need to eat at that age. (JMO)

It seems that she started sleeping through the night at around 5 or 6 months, because I remember she would be sleeping and I still had to wake up every 2 to 3 hours to pump.

If he's actually eating though, I would not think he's just waking for attention.

Xero

Oh yeah, that's Eli. He is quite a big boy. It's been a bit since he was weighed, but I'd have to say he's probably just over 20 pounds. And he's long. So if that helps anyone out, he is big and has always been hungry. I have thought about that too, and wondered if that's why he's taking so long to sleep through the night.