My baby keeps waking up to eat

amother

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 5:43 pm

I nursed for 6 months and now Im giving formula. My baby is used to waking up at night to eat so even now that I'm giving her formula she still wakes up a few times. How do I train her to sleep through the night and how do I know if shes really not hungry?

abaker

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 5:50 pm

Not water for a 6 month old. The baby is probably still hungry at night. Water is fine with solids but not in place of a bottle of formula or breast milk.

amother

Babypink

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 6:32 pm

I offer a full feeding 2 hours before bedtime and then another full feeding at bedtime to totally fill her tummy.

In the middle of the night she gets a pacifier if she wakes up. If that's not enough, it's a small bottle- not a full feeding.

amother

Aubergine

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 7:15 pm

abaker wrote:

Not water for a 6 month old. The baby is probably still hungry at night. Water is fine with solids but not in place of a bottle of formula or breast milk.

A 6 month old baby shouldn’t need to feed in middle of the night and is likey waking out of habit.

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 7:24 pm

amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:

A 6 month old baby shouldn’t need to feed in middle of the night and is likey waking out of habit.

As I posted on another thread, I don't like "should" rules for babies.

Some of my babies managed an 8-10 hour stretch at this age, some only 6 hours before needing to eat again.

Look at the baby, not the clock or the book. If baby is hungry, feed the baby.

(If it is really a habit, here is a way that might work to stop it: Sit near the room, doing a quiet activity that you can interrupt at a moment's notice. As soon as you hear baby starting to wake up, IMMEDIATELY go and do whatever you usually do to get baby to go to sleep - shushing, rocking, patting, etc. This should keep them from waking up entirely. After a few days, they should stop waking up habitually.)

amother

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 7:26 pm

amother [ Amethyst ] wrote:

(If it is really a habit, here is a way that might work to stop it: Sit near the room, doing a quiet activity that you can interrupt at a moment's notice. As soon as you hear baby starting to wake up, IMMEDIATELY go and do whatever you usually do to get baby to go to sleep - shushing, rocking, patting, etc. This should keep them from waking up entirely. After a few days, they should stop waking up habitually.)

Sit near the room all night??

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 7:28 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Sit near the room all night??

If baby usually wakes up at 10:00, starting from 9:45, sit near the room.

amother

Oak

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 7:43 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Not sure why you think the switch to formula will make a difference - except that there is an unlimited supply available. Can you encourage her to drink more before bedtime?

amother

Orchid

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 7:45 pm

All my babies still woke at 6 months for feedings. I think most babies don't sleep through the night at that age. If baby is not hungry, baby won't eat.

tichellady

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 8:00 pm

There are lots of different opinions on this from you must feed baby to you must not feed baby. I would start by talking to the pediatrician and seeing what he/she thinks based on baby’s development and weight. If you want to keep night feeding, that’s fine and normal. If you don’t and the doctor is ok with it- you should do sleeptraining with nightweaning. You can get a book on it- I like “ the happy sleeper”, choose a method and stick to it. It will probably take a few nights to two weeks and then should work.

amother

Thu, Sep 26 2019, 8:27 pm

amother [ Oak ] wrote:

Not sure why you think the switch to formula will make a difference - except that there is an unlimited supply available. Can you encourage her to drink more before bedtime?

Formula is thicker and more filling. Therefore they dont need to drink as often.

FranticFrummie

Fri, Sep 27 2019, 1:52 am

6 months is old enough to put some instant rice cereal in a bottle before bedtime. It's just filling enough to keep the baby's tummy full until morning. DD didn't sleep through until we started this, and it was like a switch was flipped!

Your baby may be going through a growth spurt, and a little extra fortified baby cereal might be exactly what's needed right now. DD's growth spurt was so drastic that she jumped from a size 6 month to 12 months clothes, completely skipping the 9 month clothes. A friend of mine with a 9 month old was delighted to get all the brand new clothes that still had the tags on. Smile

banana123

Thu, Oct 03 2019, 10:35 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I thought Im allowed to give water from 6 months

Not in those quantities. In small quantities together with solids, yes. A small quantity after a nursing session has filled baby's tummy, yes. A bottle of water to sate thirst, no.

banana123

Thu, Oct 03 2019, 10:36 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Formula is thicker and more filling. Therefore they dont need to drink as often.

That's true but it is completely normal for babies to need night feedings even at one year. Offering formula is not usually a solution for eliminating night feedings. Your baby may simply not be ready to give them up. It is tough (believe me....I know....) but it is normal. This, too, shall pass.

abaker

Thu, Oct 03 2019, 5:35 pm

Forget the "should" rules for sure. My babies have eaten during the night until approx 18 months old. Always breastfeed which I know digests quicker, but it's very possible a 6 month old actually is hungry in the middle of the night, even on formula.

amother

Magenta

Thu, Oct 03 2019, 5:45 pm

This was 25 yrs ago. LOL
But I use to feed the last bottle at 11:30/12
This way I got at least 5-6 hrs sleep

Also, I’m not sure how pediatricians feel about this today, so, please ask before doing this
PLEASE ASK BEFORE DOING THIS!!!
I was told to put a scoop full of cereal into the bottle to keep the baby full longer.
PLEASE ASK YOUR PEDIATRICIAN BEFORE DOING THIS!!!