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Original poster

Would it be wrong to do this?

50 replies

hollowtree · 02/02/2018 09:32

Hi, I'm desperately sleep deprived and would be so grateful of help and advice here. My DD is 5 months, used to sleep like a dream up until 3.5 months. It coincided with her last jabs and what I think may be the 4 month regression.

Whatever it is, she wakes more than once an hour through the night and I really can't take much more. I have a permanent headache and I think bits of my brain are dying off. I often can't speak properly and can't process what other people are saying to me.

I've read on here that part of the problem can be that they are hungry at night. So around six months some people recommended that babies are given water during night feeds to stop them wanting milk. I'm tempted to try this because I'm tempted to try anything at the moment.

But instead of going straight to water would it be possible to reduce the amount of scoops of Formula in her bottle? So for example if she has 6 ounces put 5 scoops then the following week put 4 then the following week put 3, but always keep the volume at 6 ounces if you see what I mean?

That way her stomach would gradually adjust to having less and less milk and in the end she wouldn't be hungry during the night.

Does this sound like something that could work? Grateful of any replies.

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MissSueFlay · 02/02/2018 09:39

If she's waking up hungry in the night, then you should be making sure she has a good lot of milk during the day to fill her up. I personally wouldn't try to train her to sleep through the night by giving her water, she's still very little and if she's waking up hungry she needs to be fed. Give her a good big bottle of formula before bed to fill up her tummy.

It could be that she's ready for solids, maybe worth looking at that before replacing milk at night with water?

Original poster
hollowtree · 02/02/2018 09:41

Thanks miss, she already has a scoop of bay rice with her milk a few times a day and half a rusk before bed. And she does get a good feed during the day. I had read the water suggestion on here and wondered about whether it could be a solution

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KalaLaka · 02/02/2018 09:43

Are you putting baby rice in the bottle?

KalaLaka · 02/02/2018 09:44

What's her sleep like in the day?

Ickyockycocky · 02/02/2018 09:45

Solids should be introduced at six months and rather than filling a child up, the idea is to start getting them used to new ways of eating, new flavours and textures. Milk is still the main nourishment at this age.

I would try and get more milk into your DD during the day. At this age she probably doesn’t need two feeds during the night but it’s really difficult to break the habit.

MazDazzle · 02/02/2018 09:50

Do you dream feed her?

123456kent · 02/02/2018 10:06

Definitely don’t mess around with the water/formula ratio - that can make them very unwell!! That’s not the answer.
Synpathies with the lack of sleep though, that sounds really dreadful. I hope it passes soon.
From what I’ve read, this 4 month regression isn’t about hunger, but about development and the huge leap their brains take, which messes up sleep.
Not that this helps you really (or me, when I enter this phase shortly)

FortheloveofJames · 02/02/2018 10:13

How baby is going to sleep originally? When she wakes what are you doing to get her back to sleep? Are you feeding?

What does your day look like in terms of naps?

FurryGiraffe · 02/02/2018 10:13

If she's waking more than once an hour then presumably she isn't managing to transition through sleep cycles (ie she's waking up at the end of each one). Hunger isn't the problem (or at least not all of it): the problem is that she's not managing to go through the brief period of wakefulness and back to sleep. In time she may well work out how to do that on her own but your sanity probably requires you to try and help her learn sooner rather than later! Dummies and/or white noise can help. Also, the No Cry Sleep Solution has some good suggestions on helping them sleep through the wakeful period: essentially you have to catch them before they wake and pat/rub/rock etc through the wakeful bit to keep them asleep. They then learn to sleep transition through sleep cycles. That's the theory anyway.

Sympathies though, the 4 month regression is rough. There's huge amounts going on developmentally and that contributes enormously to the wakefulness.

Chaosofcalm · 02/02/2018 10:15

She is too young for food and putting baby rice in the milk is very dangerous.

If you think she is waking up hungry then surely giving more milk not see is the right thing to do.

Chaosofcalm · 02/02/2018 10:16

By more milk, I ran more milk not messing around with the amount of powder.

Original poster
hollowtree · 02/02/2018 10:21

So she's usually up for good around 6 a.m. she then has a nap at 9 till 10:30 then she has another nap from 12 till 1:30 then she has another nap 3 till 4:30.

Yes a scoop of baby rice in every feed due to silent reflux.

She drinks one and a half litres of milk every single day and feeds more than once an hour during the night.

She self settles for all of her naps during the day

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Original poster
hollowtree · 02/02/2018 10:21

Oh and she has a bath at 6:30 then a baby massage and bed at 7

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Chaosofcalm · 02/02/2018 10:27

Please stop the baby rice. Is she medicated for the reflux? Rantitadine dosage needs to be recalculated as she gets bigger.

FortheloveofJames · 02/02/2018 10:28

If she’s up at 6ish I think the gap between them and first nap is a bit long. My DS is 8 months and we’ve only just move to 2.75/3hours before first nap.

Is she on any meds for the silent reflux? How long have you been giving the baby rice?

Original poster
hollowtree · 02/02/2018 10:43

We've already been told that baby rice is fine Shock what is wrong with it why is it dangerous?

Yep might try a smaller gap between waking and first nap

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Myddognearlyatethedeliveryman · 02/02/2018 10:44

You risk damaging baby's digestive system and kidneys with your methods imo.

Original poster
hollowtree · 02/02/2018 10:50

Which ones 'mydog' reducing the amount of Formula in a bottle because I haven't actually done that yet I was just finding out opinions before I tried it or are you referring to baby rice in the bottle?

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Original poster
hollowtree · 02/02/2018 10:50

Meant to put mydog in bold!

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Original poster
hollowtree · 02/02/2018 10:51

Oh God! Everything I know is wrong!!!

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Soubriquet · 02/02/2018 10:54

Please don't put baby rice in the bottle

If you need something for reflux, get the doctor to prescribe gaviscon or ranitidine.

And no, don't reduce milk to water ratio either. Can make baby very sick.

At 5 months, she is still young enough to need feeding as and when...though I know it's hard with your tiredness.

Try dream feeding before you go to sleep and see if that holds her for longer. Basically go in just before you go to bed and offer her a bottle whilst she's asleep. She will take it as a reflex and it can keep her fuller for longer

FancyNewBeesly · 02/02/2018 10:59

I now water down my twins night time bottles for two reasons: they are 16 months, and they have way over the suggested amount of formula during the day and loads of solids. They don't need as much milk as they're having so I'm trying to reduce it.

I would not be giving a baby of that age large quantities of water, their salt balances are still very delicate. I definitely wouldn't water down formula before 12 months

I've been there, my twins tag teamed me all night from 4 month to 15 months - it's only recently they've started sleeping for longer stretches but still up 2-4 times a night each.

At that age, if they wake up wanting milk, giving it to them is the quickest route back to sleep! You do sort of get used to it. I don't know what I'd do with a full night's sleep now!

FancyNewBeesly · 02/02/2018 11:01

Rice in the bottle is a choke me hazard and not good for the little one - I would speak to your doctor about medication for the reflux (which will probably help them sleep better too). If they want to thicken the milk there are gel products specifically for that which are safer.

demirose87 · 02/02/2018 11:01

Just give formula for night feeds without watering it down.6 months is still very young and if they are waking for it they obviously need it. I found waking the baby about 11.00pm even if their last feed was about 9pm helped them sleep for longer but it can be a gradual thing.

Original poster
hollowtree · 02/02/2018 11:04

Yes we already dream feed. Thanks fancy I haven't reduce the amount of powder in her bottle yet but it's good to get some opinions and know that it's not a good idea. I hadn't heard about the gel products but I'll have a chat with the doctor and see what they can do for us.

I have only been adding one flat teaspoon to a 9 ounce bottle, just to thicken it up a little and it has really worked- she hasn't had reflux since we've been doing it. Glad I posted on here otherwise I'd never have known.

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