Almost 1yr old getting up every 2 hours for 6oz bottle..help!

Pilar - posted on 01/22/2010

I would also advise you to work on his feeding skills. That will help you a lot, because he will eat better during the day.
Regarding to constipation, do you think he could drink more water during the day? That worked with my baby.

Jolene - posted on 01/22/2010

Melisa, are you asking if you should let him cry. That depends on if you can let him cry or not. Do not let him cry and then go get him in 15 minutes, Because you have just taught him you will come pick him up in 15 minutes. :D Go in and check on him, lay him back down, rub his back, but let him stay in bed. Try not to give too much stimulus, quietly tell him it's bedtime, sleepy time, what ever you call it. But leave him there. Let him know you are there/in the house but that he can not get up yet. He may cry for a good long while at first, but every day the time while shorten as he realizes that no matter how long he cries he is not getting a bottle. It will not hurt him as much as you :D it is very hard to listen to your baby cry I know. But remember you are training/teaching him. And that he is not hurt, just mad that he is not in control you are.

Dr James Dobson

In the Book the Strong Willed Child

calls this kicking the soda machine.

when we put money in the machine and push the button we expect a certain reaction, we get a soda. When we do not get the soda, we kick the machine to try and dislodge the soda. He equates this when a child pushes a button on the parents, (Cry/waking up for a bottle) and he doesn't get the desired soda (bottle) he starts kicking (Crying) hoping for the desired soda to emerge form the machine (parents)

Ok that is not his exact words but something like this.

Hoe it make a little more sense.

There is also a book I heard about at my Dentist office this week. They know I run a day care so they always want to pass on good books. :D

I can find out the exact name but it was something about Good sleep, good habits. ????

Melisa - posted on 01/22/2010

so i should sto[ giving him a bottle cold turkey or gradually work towards that, i know that everyone says let him cry & he'll go back to sleep, but really he wont. this isnt a fussy cry because hes tired, i tried that this morning and he woke up at 5:30 ready to go, he did not want to go back to bed at all, and really didnt till about 8..i have let him cry and go back to sleep before, but he does wake up for something, and doesnt want to take his pacifier.

Melisa - posted on 01/22/2010

thank you so much Jolene, i understand that SOMETHING needs to change, this is my 1st time and i dont take him to daycare i stay at home with him, and unfortunatly im in a different state than my mother and all my family, so im slowly but surly figuring things out, tonight im going to give him more before bed time, and see how that goes!

Jolene - posted on 01/22/2010

At one year old he should/could be sleeping through the night.

I have seen many children in my day care that don't sleep through the night until Mom decides enough. If he is hungry in the morning he will eat better, maybe even food that he normally doesn't care for. But he doesn't need to eat, because you are supplementing with the bottle. He is old enough to go without bottles through the night. I have never heard of a child starving between night time and breakfast in the morning. But it will take you deciding enough is enough and not get up to give him the bottle. Even reminding yourself that you are training him to sleep, while he is crying at night for that bottle. It should only last for 2 weeks then you will be able to have him sleeping through the night. I promise this has NEVER failed with multiple child care parents that have been where you are now and feeling very sleep deprived. They have all come back after a few weeks and thanked me and said how they wished they would have asked months ago what to do. Make sure as you are getting ready for night time that he eats or that food is offered and remind him no more bottles at night. They understand more then people give them credit for. He will learn to eat a better dinner before bedtime or become a fantastic breakfast eater. Good luck and stick to it.

I just wanted to share with you why I know this will work. When I was a teenager about 17 yrs old. My sister left to help at a girls camp for church for a week and left her 16 month old little boy in my care. Every night he would wake up. So I got up and gave him a bottle. :) I didn't know not to. When my sister came back and took her son home she called me the next morning, to tell me thanks al ot :) That he hadn't had a bottle at night since he was 6 months old and in one week I had retrained/ruined him. It took her just 2 weeks to retrain/re teach him to sleep through the night. It was a lesson well learned!

Melisa - posted on 01/22/2010

i agree the nutramigen did stink!! ive been reading a lot about parents giving their babies bottles at night and then the child just gives up in the end because they dont want water lol, so im going to have to try it, i think im going to lower the oz's we give him also, instead of 6 move it down to 3..we'll see! thanks so much!

Dona - posted on 01/22/2010

Melisa, my now 13 year old did exactly that. my daughter however, was allergic to all dairy and lots of other things and was on nutramigen (that stuff stinks lol). With my son I was told that milk is a food and therefore they will "fill up" on milk rather than eat. They also said that if they eat things that have colourings i.e. fish fingers etc. they will keep them awake also any squash even no added sugar has a small amount in it and will all come together over night. You have to do tough love i'm afraid and start to water the milk down over night therefore making it become water in the end. Believe me its hard to do but they do survive. My son was terrible and is now 13 a size 8 1/2 shoe and wears 14 - 15 clothes. Believe me he will be fine in the end. Good luck x