DD2 slept through from 9-14wks, now waking several times - help!

[WeesaD]

DD2 slept 10-7 from 9-14 weeks, since then wakes several times for a feed. I feed every 2-2.5 hours during the day to increase daily input and have even added a teaspoon of rice once a day the past two days but nothing helps. I am exhausted!

Any ideas?

How old is she now? Maybe it's the nasty 4 month sleep regression? Solids won't help because your milk will have more calories the rice and purees. Think how thin the Japanese are and would you eat apples to gain weight? That said if your DD can already sit up in a high chair, then it's no harm to give her solids.

I'm afraid it's a case of bear and grin it. Mine seems to sleep through half the week now at 5.5mo.

Sounds like the 4 month sleep regression. It can seem particularly cruel as you've just gotten used to a full night's sleep.

Please do not add rice to your babiy's bottle. It is a dangerous choke risk (yes, even just one teaspoonful) and there is no evidence that rice or solids improve sleep. Best thing to do is to go with the flow as much as possible and to try get some sleep during the day when she naps.

And your baby should not be receiving anything other than breast milk or formula until at least 17 weeks. The gut is too immature.

Yep, that's what they do! Frustrating but very common - big growth spurts and developmental leaps at 4 months keeps them up in the night.

I agree about stopping the baby rice - you know solids aren't recommended til 6 months? Anything before 17 weeks at the absolute earliest is a risk to your baby's health.

Sorry, should have said- she is 19 weeks now.

I also have to say I asked for advice about the sleeping, not giving her rice.

OP, I'm sure no offence was intended. But you did say you had introduced the rice in desperation to help with the sleeping.

There is lots of information online about the 4 month sleep regression. It's a bit of a killer, but really the general consensus just seems to ride it out, go with the flow and catch up on sleep when you can.

FWIW, I did introduce some baby rice to my DD at around 20 weeks (on the advice of my HV for reasons that are not really relevant here) and it made absolutely no difference to her sleeping whatsoever. I don't want to get on your nerves, but thought you should know that I speak from experience, not from a text book.

Didn't mean to offend. However, you did post this in breast and bottle feeding not in sleep. But even if you did, I'm sure most posters would still tell you that adding solids has not been proven to improve sleep in any way

Thanks yes, and it was my HV also that advised it.
I probably should have posted this in sleep. Sorry.

How long does the sleep regression usually last?

Dam HV's they should know better. There is no evidance that starting solids helps with sleep, in fact it often has the opersit effect as baby is then having to process something new and if they aren't ready for it can course more sleep disterbances.