Hungry baby milk just at night to ensure a full nights sleep

[mumsrthebest]

Hi all, my son is 11 weeks old and is still waking in the night. I know he is still young but would like to try and get him to sleep through the night. He usually has his last bottle at around 10pm - 10:30pm and wakes at 2am and then 5am. On his 2am feed he generally only has an ounce and falls asleep. This tells me he doesn't really need it so I have been trying to put him off by putting his dummy back in and this works for about an hour and then to be honest I give in and give him a bottle (too tired).

My friend suggested I give him hungry baby milk for his last feed before bed. Has anyone else tried this? She tried it with her son and he slept through as he felt fuller I presume.

My son has had awful colic too that seems to have gone this past week or so but we are still putting colief in the milk (going to reduce dose next week as he will be 12 was) Do I need to do it ŵith the hungry baby milk too?

To the poster worried about her baby sleeping 8-8, don't.

Some babies do sleep really well (I have a friend whose three kids all slept 12 hours from the day they arrived home from hospital!), but most wake for feeds overnight. If yours doesn't, then that means she doesn't need it.

The only worry is when people try to force their babies to sleep through when they are genuinely hungry and not ready. Or by manipulating them (using incorrect milk for age) into being full and therefore (hopefully) sleeping longer. That doesn't always work anyway.

My DS had overnight milk (expressed breast or cow's milk over 12 months old) until he was around 17mo. It's much, much easier when they can hold their own bottle because you don't have to get up and hold to feed.

It will pass. Good luck until then!

Is there any chance your partner could do the last feed? My little boy is almost 13 weeks and has a similar pattern to yours most nights Dh does last feed as I go to bed and ds wakes between 2 and 4 so I normally get a good 6/7 hours sleep with just a little disturbance when they come up to bed

I can't believe you are expecting an 11 week old to sleep all night! It is normal and healthy for them to wake several times during the night. I read an article recently about sleeping for long periods, i will see if i can find the link.

I prepare for my long nights with a drink (usually a flask of tea!), snacks, ipad and the tv remotes, and catch up on all the tv that dh doesn't like.

I've been feeding ds2 (10weeks) every 3 hours day and night....for over an hour each time

Are you breastfeeding though?

Also how is the baby going to learn to sleep with TVs on at night while feeding??

It's not unrealistic, mine was sleeping through at 11 weeks or waking once. I would try it OP, if it doesn't work just change back.

We had the TV on at night for a good few months when mine was a baby, she just ignored it and slept, she still does (aged 17 months) when we stay in hotels etc. Obviously I only have a sample of one so no idea if it's because we've always done it so she's used to it or just her nature, probably a mixture of both I imagine.

It is unrealistic to try and push sleeping though when they're not ready. The majority of babies this age don't sleep through. The OPs baby sleeps really well for an 11 week old.

I don't think it is culture, I started just giving DS his dummy and he stopped sKing for a feed.

I started doing that at about 8 weeks by the way

I think it's wrong to say that an 11 week ought to or should sleep through, when the majority of babies don't sleep through at this age. I also don't understand why it's important or necessary to push the dropping of feeds at this age.

There are steps to take to encourage better sleep tho!!

My DS DOES sleep through (which is what I believe the OP is asking)

Establish a good night time routine so bath bottle story etc (we start about 7)

Last bottle is no later than 5 so he fills up a bit, if he stay awake after that the more tired he is (DP comes home at 5 so gets entertained anyway)

We put DS in bed at 8 every night, although the last week he struggles to stay awake past 7.30.

He sleeps in a sleepy head and a grow bag.

All the lights in the house dim at 7 and we turn the TV down and talk quietly.

We have a Ewan the sheep and play the classical music bit.

Most times goes down fine but if irritable we use a dummy (I hate dummies but we reserve them for nighttime)

We've done all this pretty much since day one.

When he did wake in the night, no lights on, no eye contact, feed, wind, straight back down.

The 4am slowly becomes 5-6 which is better then a bit later.

Also I've noticed the crying has stopped DS no wakes and giggles to himself sometimes around 6 then goes back to sleep. Then wakes about 8, again not screaming for milk. 8am feed is in the front room, lights on.

I think we all agree you cant force your DS to sleep but certainly can improve what your doing and get a better block of sleep.

culture I don't think they should but I don't think it's a problem to try and drop feeds. It's important because people would like to sleep!

And that's not going to happen camping on the sofa watching Netflix!!

unimaginative you know that it's possible to do all those things, and have a baby that wakes 2/3/4 times in the night to feed? What you're describing is fairly similar to what we did with my DS. He didn't sleep through at 11 weeks. Perhaps you could tell me what else I should have been doing?

cats I still don't understand why you'd want to give an 11 week old baby less milk. Of course every parent would like more sleep, but surely at this tiny age you'd accept that broken nights are just how it is? And two wakings a night is amazing sleep at this age! I'd have bitten your hand off for a block of 4 hours sleep.

DS1 slept through at 13 weeks and DS2 a little later.
I don't think changing the milk will make a jot of difference, but agree good habits from now on will pay dividends. Dark, quiet room, no talking during feeds, straight back to cot, and never ever bringing baby into your bed. Ever.

culture because I don't want to get up in the night. Providing he's gaining weight and feeding in the day he doesn't need to, and I don't just accept that having a baby means no sleep. Mine never woke more than 2 or 3 times a night anyway, never less than 3 hours between feeds and from 6 weeks it was only twice

Well I was clearly doing it all wrong!

Culture, sorry that basic sleep training hasn't worked for you but I didn't say it was a magic formula it just works for me. Obvs some people have bad habits and complain their babies don't sleep.

I was just thinking offering the op advice not you as she wants to sleep a little longer at night.

People telling her their stories of sleepless night isn't going to help in her quest for a few more hours sleep.

Although perhaps having realistic expectations of typical baby sleep patterns might help her cope, and that she doesn't have to blame herself for not managing to get her baby to sleep through the night.

culture you weren't necessarily doing it wrong, do what works for you. But I don't think it's wrong to try to get them to drop feeds

Yes because that's positive help

No, no and thrice no! Babies wake in the night because they need nutrition. Don't try to trick his tummy into staying more full by using Hungry Baby milk. My son didn't sleep through the night consistently until he was over 12 months. Adjust your expectations, OP.

I was ready to stick pins in my eyes every time someone asked me "does he sleep through yet?" - at one month, two months, three months ... Not till 18 months! But he was a mere lightweight compared to his little brother.
Two feeds a night is great, one might be dropped soon anyway, the hungry baby stuff might bring on more colic but I suppose you could try it once.

Although perhaps having realistic expectations of typical baby sleep patterns might help her cope, and that she doesn't have to blame herself for not managing to get her baby to sleep through the night
This with bells on.