The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for "about" the first 6 months of life... Let me tell you why they say "about"...
About a week before Oliver turned six months old, he started sleeping like crap. He was up every three hours demanding to be fed. Once Ollie goes to sleep for the night if he wakes up before 4:30am I always send dad in to calm him. In the past hubs could get the little guy back down without having me nurse him. Last week that changed. So much so, hubs refused to even try to sooth him. “You know he wants the tits! You go in there,” was pretty much all I would get from dad. He was always right.
I just chalked it up to a growth spurt and fed him. Four days and a well baby check-up later, I was ready to start Sleep Training. I was over the reverting to the old days of up every three hours. I told the hubs it was time to get serious about sleep training, and he was going to have to help me. On the first night, Ollie’s six-month birthday, we gave it a shot. Dad went in and tried to sooth him. Out he came, “This is stupid, he wants the booby milk!” In I went. The hubs was right. Again.
Night two of sleep training… well I should back up to DAY two of sleep training. The doctor told us at the 6-month check-up to start feeding Oliver twice a day. So I fed him a lunch of pureed or really mashed up avocado, then a dinner of mashed sweet potato. I mix it with purified water to soften it a little. By the end of the day, I had a happy, non-fussy baby. Real food was doing wonders for his mood.
I put him down for the night and didn’t hear a peep. SWEET ASS! This food thing was working. I decided to pump a small bottle and mix it with rice cereal for a dream feed. I gave him that at 11pm and didn’t hear from that sweet little boy until 6:30am! HELLOOO FAT AND HAPPY BABY!
I nursed him at 6:30am and he went right back to sleep, not waking again until 8am. I could not believe my eyes when I looked at the clock. My poor baby was really hungry all this time!
Lesson Learned- Feed the monster and he will sleep.
9 comments:
Interesting. Baby Loquacious must not have a very big appetite, because aside from the 12 supplemented ounces (and some days it's as low as 8 ounces) of formula plus whatever I nurse her with, she isn't a big eater. She'll eat for fun when we are eating (baby-led weaning!) but she's not crazy hungry. That said, I miss her chunky tummy and she really doesn't have as many rolls on her extremities as other babies. Maybe I should try to get her to eat more?
That's just it, Oliver was not going to miss a meal. He fussed until I fed him. If baby L is happy and healthy...
I was just going to write you about how often to feed. We've been having some of the same trouble. But when I try to increase her feeding she often won't eat the extra. Luckily her wake ups aren't every 3 hours, but it's still exhausting. Since she's been teething hard core now, I can't leave the room without her crying; I can't get anything done or I have to listen to whining and sometimes bloody murder crying. Most of the time she also wants me to be holding her no matter how squirmy she is, my arms are getting quite the workout.
I was also going to ask how much table food do you feed Ollie? I have no idea how much to give my baby.
Great question! I asked our doc the same one... ;). The answer is, we now feed Oliver twice a day about 8 oz of food. Either I will make it or be lazy and feed him some organic pouch. We use Ella's and earths best.
Our doctor told us to follow his cues. At this age, babies eat out of necessity. They eat until they no longer feel hungry and then move on to the next exciting thing. We feed Ollie until he turns his head or fusses. We never force him to eat one more bite than he wants.
Most mothers I have talked to are up to 3 meals a day with their 6 month old, so we are way behind. However, chubs is 95% weight and height so no harm no foul!
Long answer longer....
Two meals a day lunch and dinner and then 1-2 tablespoons of rice cereal at 11 pm dream feed. That is what makes Ollie a happy guy. Clover may be different... Just follow her cues, and trust she will eat when she is hungry and turn up her nose when she is not!
Thank you for this. My little guy 5 1/2 months old just started doing the same thing, waking up to be fed every 2-3 hours. I'm going to feed the beast all day! And thanks for the dream feed tip too!
I hope it helps! Let me know.
See? I knew I should've read your blog before writing back- I SERIOUSLY have got to try feeding my monster more solids- because the waking up 2-3 times a night stuff has created one cranky mommy monster. Awesome! Trying it today :)
It has made such a difference!! We are back to 7 pm sleep 4:30 wake. He nurses and is back out until 7. Loving it!!
It is so tough when they go through growth spurts. I have had 4 and every time one starts waking more and more I am confused!!
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