Please tell me things get better...

Amanda - posted on 02/18/2010

does she sleep during the day? you have to teach your little one the difference between night and day. Babies learn from your behaviors. During the day be as active as possible. ( I know this is hard since you are up all night ) Open the window blinds when you get up in the morning, wake baby up dress and stimulate her with some activity in the morning. The longer you have her awake during the day the the more baby will sleep during the night. Do the same at night dim the lights, and dont turn the lights on when she wakes up in the middle of the night. She probably will not sleep through the night for a couple more months but teaching these basic things will help you on your journey . as far as the rice cereal..it did not help me much. my daughter would rather breastfeed at night anyway. I hope this helps

Sandra - posted on 02/18/2010

My son started eating cereal at two weeks of age and it helped him to sleep at night. He was hungry. I suggest you try that before you become frustrated and try something else that isn't good for her.

Melanie - posted on 02/18/2010

It will definately get better, they say that it can take until 12 weeks for babies to know the difference between day and night. Just some advice, try and keep lighting to a minimum when bub wakes at night and they will soon understand that it's not play time so they may go back to sleep faster.

Lin - posted on 02/17/2010

Yes it does get better. You will think back on this time and forget the hard stuff. You will remember the sweet little face that was happy to see you. I think it makes it easier to have more than one:) My sister's kids slept through the night by 3 or 4 months. She used Breast Milk and formula in the beginning. She stopped BF around 4-5 months and they slept great then. I think formula is heavier and takes more to digest so kids are milk drunk which makes them better sleepers. Mine are exclusively breast fed. My oldest starting sleeping through the night at 2 1/2. The wake ups did diminish as he got older. My second still wakes up at least twice and he is 9 months old.



But all babies are different. some BF babies sleep through the nite too...holla to all those lucky mommies!! Don't worry, even if you do nothing they will learn to sleep on thier own in thier own bed all nite. Mine did! Good Luck!!

Randi - posted on 02/17/2010

have you thought of putting rice ceral in her bottles.. I had to thicken my sons formula cause of reflux it's 1tsp for every two onces of formula and you'll need a bigger nipple. is your daughter sleeping longer stretches during the day? sometimes babies get their days and nights mixed up. I wouldn't suggest co sleeping there is too much of a rest of sids plus if your a sound sleeper it could be dangerous. I have friends that co sleep with their kids from being babies and they cant get them out of their beds. maybe a white noise machine might help my baby sitter uses one and she can get my son to sleep fast.. Trial and error you just have to find what works for you..

Sarah - posted on 02/17/2010

My son he was about six weeks when he started sleeping through the night which to me was six hours. He would eat 6 to 8 oz before bed. My first daughter was eight weeks She was eating cereal by then because the formula wasn't enough for her. Then My three week old sleeps most of the time she sleeps four to six hours for me at night already. I don't know how I got so lucky. They all have had bad nights but for the most part they are all good sleepers. Sometimes it takes longer for other babies but yours is only five weeks. I kow you must be tired though is there anyone that can help you out so you can get some sleep. If your breast feeding then pump some milk so you could get a litle rest. Good Luck and hang in there!

Julie - posted on 02/17/2010

Rest assured it is very normal. I have two children, 15 and 12, the oldest one slept through the night at six weeks of age. Lovely. The second one had severe reflux for 12 months, then 6 months worth of ear infections and would sleep maybe 1 hour per night, between my husband and myself we managed but were exhausted. Some babies do need more solid food to sit in their stomach for longer and rice cereal is a great way to start. It may help her sleep longer, I introduced it early to my second child to help with his reflux. Check with your childhood nurse as to how to introduce rice cereal and she may have suggestions on how to fill your baby up for longer so she sleeps a bit longer.

Ashley - posted on 02/17/2010

my daughter was always a good sleeper, i feel your pain though, I had a friend go through it, it does get better and it will just all of the sudden happen I think. Best advice I can give is to keep her up as much as possible during the day, try to have a schedule, I know she is still young but it will help. I work at a child care facility... best of luck!

Tammy - posted on 02/17/2010

It gets much better...trust me. My son is almost 11 mos and I thought those first few months were never going to end...now they're just a memory and he's so much fun now!

Amber - posted on 02/17/2010

u can try to keep her or him up most of the day that is what i did with my lil boy he was sleeping all night at 2 mo and yes it get better just dont let them sleep in the bed with u then that is were u have trouble. my lil boy is 3 and he want to sleep in my room or on my bed but i tell him he is to big to sleep in mama and daddy room

Bonni - posted on 02/17/2010

It gets better - they sleep through the night - some it takes months - others wont give you a true full nights rest until age 2. But you will forget this part - it will be a distant memory and other joys will take over. And then before you know it - you will be wondering where they are at night! Dont fret - hold your baby close - learn to live without sleep and enjoy her. For this time - is just a blink of an eye - no pun intended!

Chan - posted on 02/17/2010

It will. Enjoy the time with baby now...one day they won't want to spend 4 seconds with you. And that day comes fast. Good Luck!

Maria - posted on 02/17/2010

Your baby is normal for now. Most babies will start sleeping through the night (6 hours or more) between three to nine months old, some as late as 12 months.

Around 4-5 months is the ideal time to begin teaching your child to put herself to sleep on more of a schedule. I highly recommend the book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child," by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. He's a pediatrician and an expert on sleep. Read it now, so you'll be ready when the time is right!

Carolyn - posted on 02/16/2010

hi my son is now 22 yrs old and has a very beautiful daughter sky and yes it does get better before long she should be sleeping throught the nite alot of times by around 10 wks they are sleeping alot longer i myself wouldnt give her the rice cereal that early the oatmeal cereal actually will keep her full longer but if she eats good i wouldnt really give her the cereal just enjoy her take that time and bond play with her at night and enjoy because they do grow up so fast just rest when you can good luck

Lisa - posted on 02/16/2010

It does get better, and it also depends on how the babies are fed. Breastfed babies tend to need to eat sooner because it goes through their little bodies quicker. Formula takes longer to digest so the child will go longer. It will get better. I was a reck for weeks after my baby was born. So tired, and having a three year old to boot was killing me. To answer your other question I did used to put rice cereal in my first daughters bottle when she was little. With my latest addition I did it for a couple weeks, and then decided that she was ready for food so I would feed it to her via spoon at the table before a bottle. My baby LOOOOVES to eat! :-D Also if this is your first child sleep when your baby sleeps ok!!!!!! That is your job watching and caring for your baby. As baby gets older you can putt around the house and do stuff, but for the most part sleep when your baby sleeps.

Meghan - posted on 02/16/2010

I can tell you from experience-IT DOES GET BETTER! I promise! lol...may not seem that way now, but it will. My baby cried almost constantly for the first 3 wks after she was born until we found out she had acid reflux & I though I was gonna pull my hair out! I kept wondering why all my friends' babies seemed so calm & quiet but mine screamed all the time & how was I gonna be able to enjoy her being so tiny when she was always crying & I was always frustrated bc I didn't know what to do? We got her on medicine & everything got better with that & now she's an angel..such a good baby. Luckily she started sleeping through the night like 6-8 hours around a month & a half old...adding cereal helps some...I mostly did it just because I felt sorry for her sleeping so long on just plain milk. Your baby will probably sleep better if you add cereal to the bottle. Oh, and forget what the doctors say-I'm here to tell you that babies sleep better on their tummies or side instead of their backs. When your baby gets better control over it's neck & head, let them sleep on their tummy sometime & see for yourself. Most importantly, use your own judgement when it comes to your child. You know them better than anyone, even doctors, & you know what's best for them. xoxo Best wishes!

Hannah - posted on 02/16/2010

If your little one is like mine, it will be a roller coaster of good and not so good nights. He was on a four-hour sleep schedule when we brought him home. At 8 weeks, he slept about 10 hours through the night. That lasted until he started teething around 4 months! We started him on rice cereal at 3 months and I think it did help him rest some, but it wasn't a cure to a restless night. It will get better, but there will be lots of ups and downs. We're crossing the 1 year mark now and we're back to getting up once a night again. It seems when they hit developmental milestones (sitting, crawling, walking) that they have a hiccup in their sleep patterns. Guess they want to stay up and practice what they are learning!

Stephanie - posted on 02/16/2010

I certainly wouldn't introduce cereal until at least 6 mo, it really is only a myth that it helps them sleep better. I used to give my "difficult sleeper" massages at night with great smelling lavender baby lotion and sleep with her on my chest in a recliner so we could both get some sleep and around 2 mo she started sleeping longer and longer in her crib until she started sleeping all night. anyone that says their baby came out sleeping all night is most likely not remembering those first couple of weeks accurately due to being delusional from a lack of sleep.

Aunt Debbie - posted on 02/16/2010

i'm a mother of a 19 year old. back in the day, we did things very differently. god gives us motherly intuition and we should follow it. if you think your baby is hungry, phone your pediatrician. every baby is unique. mine drank 28oz of formula per day at one month and wasn't satisfied. we gave her 1T of cereal in her bottle at bedtime and she slept the night. i know how overwhelmed you feel when you and the baby don't get enough rest. try to sleep when she sleeps and remember that these infant days will soon be toddler days and then school days and college days...and before ya know it...she's 19 :o) keep up the good work, mommy :o)

Krissy - posted on 02/16/2010

I had gotten some great advice from a friend/doctor before I had my first baby. He suggested keeping the baby up from about 7pm to 10:30pm, change them, feed them and put them in their crib. It worked like a charm for both of our boys. They would make it until about 5:30am. It is really hard at first, but it will get better! And, sometimes if the baby wakes up, change them, feed them and put them back in the crib. If they cry, they cry. As long as they aren't sick, they are safe. It's hard to listen to, but they will eventually learn...hey, she's fed me and changed me, time to sleep. Good luck to you!

Lorraine - posted on 02/16/2010

it does get better but my 3 kids by the time they where 1 month old @least the tip of spoon I'll put a little barley cereal (recomended by my pediatrician) only at night so I got @least 4hrs straight of sleep since i was breast feeding and 3 kids get you really tired and on top youhave either work or house chores!!! I recomend you give very little cereal oatmeal or barley and see how it works :-) (but always ask your baby pediatrician) most of them say no but mine say yes sinces i had NO SLEEP at all and my kids are VERY healthy ;-) Good luck

Sara - posted on 02/16/2010

and he does have some solids now and i found that helped and after say 5 or 6 oclock i would try not to let him nap so when he had his last feed he would be ready to sleep.

Sara - posted on 02/16/2010

Hi i have a 2 1/2 year old and a 4 month old..it will pass. As below i would enjoy your time with your baby they grow so fast. with having a 2 year old i used to relish (sometimes) waking with him in the middle of the night because it was so quiet!.as your baby gets more active and stays awake longer in the days the nights will become easier. my daughter used to sleep through 7-7 at 8 weeks we were so lucky my son did start doing the same but from 8 or 8.30 till 6.30 ish but after a month or so of that he decided to change his mind and now wakes up once a night...babies lol.

Heather - posted on 02/16/2010

When my daughter was a baby I felt as though I coudlnt' get anything done around the house because I was holding her with a bottle all day. My pediatrician said although cereal isn't recommended until 3 months that I could go ahead and start giving it to her. Just make sure she wasn't getting too much air so she wouldnt' get gas. THis helped tremendously. However she is my night owl, she still stays up super late and will still wake up at night a few times a week and she is 6. But it isn't like waking up to a crying baby. Like Michele Elison said though enjoy that bonding time. I can't tell you how many times I wish I could hold that little baby in my arms and just stare at her at night. That was time for just she and I, we were the only ones up and I miss it very much!

Vanessa - posted on 02/16/2010

Oh. Sure does get better and your closer than you think!
To be honest there is a point at 6 weeks where the sun starts to shine - and normally kicks in around the time they smile for the first time.

My little one is 16 weeks and after the DREAMFEED (10:30pm) I wake her up at 7:00am and start the day - she doesn't wake during the night and I'm LOVING IT but remember back a few weeks back where there was a lot of 3:00am and 5:00am business.

Wanna know a secret? Try a couple of extra blankets - your'll be very surprised!

Also re solids - babies don't need anything before 6 months - they get all there nurtiriants from milk however everyone I know and what I've been recommended is to start at 4.5 months so they can start to get used to the taste and fingers crossed it may help the sleeping but you will have it sorted before then.

Sara-Marie - posted on 02/15/2010

I started rice the day my son came home cause he was the same way he is now three and normal there is no problems with him i was a single mom at the time and went back to work three days after having him cause someone had to paay the bills he slept for 4 hours and wanted to eat and that is better then an hour and a half but i only used a tea spoon till he was four months then went to two tea spoons but it does get better mine now sleeps 10 hours and he is three and isnt fat and a ball of crazy at times but sooooo much fun and funny to boot

Alycia - posted on 02/15/2010

My son was the exact same way!! I hate to say it, but I personally found the whole "cereal" theory...to be just that...a theory!! As it didn't change his sleeping habits. Slowly as the months continued he did start sleeping for longer intervals (I jokingly said that I power napped during the evenings) He is now a little over a year and is in bed by 8 gets up once during the night but will sleep until 7-8AM. So...it does get better, but every baby is different. Just know the first three months are truly mommy bootcamp!! But it will get better!

Susan - posted on 02/15/2010

It gets better. It is just a long haul.

Kristi - posted on 02/15/2010

With a baby this young,I would say that hunger and discomfort could be causes of her frequent waking.My hubby calls it "burrito baby",a receiving blanket swaddled around the baby up to the shoulders will make her feel secure and like she is being held.Make sure she is good and "topped off"..LOL..before laying her down in her crib or bassinet. Some babies sleep constantly,like you said,apparently yours came out ready to party..:)...I used rice cereal at about 8 weeks believe it or not(with doc's consent) to help with formula just not being enough to sustain them.Some babies are different,but my oldest(who is now 14) was very comforted and ready to crash after a nice warm bath and lotion massage before bed.My other 2 like baths in the morning to pep up for the day.Hope this helps!!

Cathy - posted on 02/15/2010

Please try to just enjoy these times, sit in a comfortable chair and hold her. My daughter didn't sleep all night until she was over a year old. I enjoyed the alone time, after she had her bottle I put her back to bed she went right to sleep. She usually stayed awake just long enough to eat and I made sure I was able to get to bed early, because I had to get up and go to work and she had to go to daycare.

Kelly - posted on 02/15/2010

I went through the same thing with my daughter who is now 14 weeks. She started sleeping through the night at about 8-9 weeks. She has reflux and we started mixing rice cereal in her bottle at 8 weeks per her doctor's request. I don't think the cereal is what changed her sleeping patterns. Everyone will try to tell you what worked for their babies but every baby is different. Try talking to your childs pediatrician. Good luck and enjoy your little one.

Sara - posted on 02/15/2010

When my daughter was 6 weeks it was like a switch flipped and she started sleeping about 5-6 hours in a row. A lot of people have similar experiences around that age because a baby hits a neurological milestone that helps them to sleep longer. Just hang in there, it does get better!

Also, you should never give cereal to a baby that cannot support her own head. Ever. And Rice cereal is not proven to help them sleep longer...you can't rush their development.

Jena - posted on 02/15/2010

It does get better! At 5 weeks they are growing so fast and have such tiney bellies they need to eat more often. Pretty soon she'll eat more at each meal and be able to last longer between feedings.
I agree with what Ms Elison said--enjoy your special night time with her. Before long she'll be so busy and active she won't want to cuddle with you as much. So soak up the time while you can!

It's hard to see the silver lining when you can barely stay awake to see at all--but it will get better.
If you are really hurting for sleep, ask your partner/husband or friend to take a night shift with bottles and let you sleep. Sometimes a quick break is all you need to recharge your batteries.
good luck!

Lori - posted on 02/15/2010

I introduced rice cereal (by spoon) at 4.5 months and it DID help. I understand that some pediatricians differ on when to start this but I believe it depends on your baby. Not all babies can tolerate it or eat from a spoon at this age but mine could. And yes, it does get better! I remember my daughters colic peaking very badly around the 5-10 week mark and then it got considerably better. By 4 months she was only eating once a night (around 4am) and then by 5-6 months she would sleep all night, from 7pm to 7am and that trend continues now and she's almost 4. I agree you should spend time enjoying those moments like Michele says but coming from a Mom of a very fussy baby girl at that age, its realistically very hard to tell yourself that when you haven't had any sleep in a month. The time really does fly though and before you know it she'll be sleeping like a baby! ;)

Su - posted on 02/15/2010

Do you put her down at the same time, every night. Is she fed and dry? Is she sleepy or are you putting her to bed to be able to get on with whatever you want to do? Is the environment comfortable? It doesn't have to be graveyard quiet and pitch black but bedtime is not the time for Heavy Metal music with surround sound and a light show. I agree with Michele: enjoy these days and nights. And do sleep when the baby sleeps.

Mandy - posted on 02/15/2010

My baby is 8 weeks today.. he is getting better at sleeping but had to put a fan by his head for the noise at night. It has helped a lot, otherwise I have stuck my kids in the swing or their carseat ( if they liked it) and that made them sleep way better..None of my kids have slept thru the night til they were almost a year. Hope this helps good luck :)

Nicole - posted on 02/15/2010

Ohhh, hang in there sweety. Things do and will get better. Introducing solids does help because there's less of a need to feed as often as before. I remember at that age having to drive my daughter around all hours of the morning just to get her to stop crying and go to sleep. During those times, I thought I was gonna lose my mind. But as she got older, she definately slept for longer and longer intervals.
Also if she sleeps for longer periods during the day, and you're able, try to take advantaged of those opportunities to nap yourself. That way at least you will have more energy and patience for those 2 hour intervals during the night.

Heather - posted on 02/15/2010

i put rice cereal in both of my kids bottles from the time they were about 3 weeks on. they were big kids, and formula wasnt cutting it. rice cereal is perfectly safe - as long as you only add a tablespoon or two per 8 oz bottle, so its not too terribly thick.... =)

Dawn - posted on 02/15/2010

I miss getting up with my son who only wanted to eat then go to bed!!! He is now about to turn 1 and even though he sleeps 10-12 hours at night, he still needs to be recovered and comforted, and sometimes thinks he can just ask to get up and play at 3:00 am, then we have a heck of a fight on our hands:) LOL!!! It will get easier as the weeks pass but just remember we are parents now, so I think our days of true sleep are gone for good: there will be the waking up and coming into your bed for monsters and thunderstorms to look forward to as well as the teenage years when they stay out past curfew and you can't sleep because you are so worried........:) :)

Alice - posted on 02/15/2010

at 5 weeks old she's still trying to get her schedule down its very rare babies that young sleep 6-8 hours at night. Are you breast feeding or formula. It really does make a difference . Make sure you warm the formula not just pour from the can. She also could have her day and nights mixed up. I would never ever put cereal in a bottle it really is not healthy and its such a big mistake. Things can only get better at this point right? Just remember to hell with everything else .......Sleep when she does.

Jaeni - posted on 02/15/2010

Ive used rice and it does help, they slept a little longer- sleep when they sleep !!!!

Cee - posted on 02/15/2010

It will get better ....
Everything happens in stages. So view the first 6 weeks as a stage. Everything is very new and both mom and baby are adapting. Then there is the 3month milestone. Things sometimes change in small steps, other times in big leaps.
So just get thru each 'stage'. Something will change each time, so just bear up with what's happening at this 'stage'.
Don't think too far ahead! It can drive you nuts - this is, after all, a 20year project LOL.

Diane - posted on 02/15/2010

It definitely gets better - my daughter used to wake up every 40 minutes when I was breastfeeding, and with no help from my partner (he can't breastfeed lol) we put her on formula through the night so he could do some feeds and let me get a bit more sleep. Now she is 9 months old and still wakes every 4 hours through the night... even more if she's teething etc. But we just give her a bottle and put her back in her cot and she goes straight back to sleep. When your daughter wakes through the night keep it dark and quiet, don't play/talk to her so she knows the diffference between night and day, this made a big difference for my bub.

Heather - posted on 02/15/2010

i know its not the politically correct thing to do, but if you think your baby wont choke we gave rice cereal in a bottle. and i know parents will say its a myth that it doesnt work and such, but let me tell ya it did!!!!!

Annie - posted on 02/15/2010

Hi. Yes it does get better. My first born slept through at 7 months, but my 2nd not until he was 4 years old. I agree with Michele. This time goes so quickly, cherish it. change your attitude to the waking in the night and try to sleep when she does in the day. Limit your visitors and ask everyone to please phone before they come. switch off all phones when sleeping. no-one is more important than you and your little one (just tell hubby u r switching off though). Enjoy - they grow all too fast.

Jennifer - posted on 02/14/2010

ok well my son was born on the 5th of jan and he sleeps through the night better now. i have introduced him to cereal because it helped my 18 month old when he was this little and my doctor said it was fine and nothing bad has happened to either of them. and it also helps with the spitting up alot. so i say do it. all you have to do is for a 4 ounch bottle add 2 tablespoons of cereal after you make the bottle and shake it and you are good to go i would try it and see how she sleeps. hopefully this helps!

Amanda - posted on 02/14/2010

I've a 9 yr old and a 6 month old...My 9 yr old slept though the night at 4 weeks old...My 6 month old...not yet!!! He still wakes up atleast 4-5 times to eat...Dr's said I could give him rice cereal at 5 months, but due to a lovely inherited stomach problem, that dosent work either..The best suggestion I can give you is routine, get into a routine. Me and my husband jus started this routine a week ago and its working amazingly...He still takes his naps in the day, but I try to push his naps later and wake him from naps earlier, come evening, he gets bathed, lotioned up, we play till 10 pm, lay him in his crib, he DID cry alot the first night, but we stuck by it, would check on him every 10 mins, but then again, your daughter is a bit younger...Jus try a routine that you feel will work for you!! It gets better, I promise!!!!!

Melissa - posted on 02/14/2010

Lets just say if your baby was sleeping thru the night we would all consider you very lucky its still early days yet! Its just the nature of the beast and it does get better though the days seem to go so much slower at this stage of development.

I have a 6month old but when he was 5 weeks old he was doing exactly the same thing as your baby.

What I did to cope:

Get help if you can: my husband had to take atleast 1 of the night feeds even though he was going to work at 6am everyday and doing a 10hr shift - it didnt kill him - he survived and it meant I didnt fall to pieces the next day when I had to look after our other child aswell.

Routine: Make sure you give bubs a deep warm bath with a bottle to follow every evening at the same time everyday - eventually I found my son would take this as his que to sleep for most of the night.

Relax and go with the babies flow: there really is no such thing as a text book baby - your baby needs are different to everyone elses they will form a routine when they are ready.



Good luck I do sympathise with you and know how it feels to be sleep deprived - they say it is a form of torture I cant say I disagree!

Emily - posted on 02/14/2010

I did not just make this up. http://www.babyzone.com/baby/feeding_nut...

Just because your child is not obese does not negate the fact that babies fed solids too early statistically have a greater chance of obesity. Does not mean it's a certainty, but why take the chance?

Christy - posted on 02/14/2010

Meredith, My kids are now 14 and 12. Every child is different and no one thing will change when your little girl decides to sleep through the night. However, there are multiple things you can try to help "encourage" her. Keep in mind, you are going to get conflicting opinions from all of us, because they are just that, opinions. But, we are all trying to help based on our own experiences. When my daughter was 6 weeks old at the time (now 14 yr old), she did the same thing, she wouldn't sleep more than a couple of hours and then was up for an hour or two. I was nursing her. My mom told me to mix 1 TEASPOON of rice cereal into a bottle with about 4 oz of formula. It is highly unlikely for a child to be allergic to rice and rice is very easy to digest. The very minimal amount of cereal added to the supplement of formula before bedtime was just enough to keep her full for hours and she slept through the night the first time I gave her this. I was SO grateful!!! There is no evidence to prove that this will lead to obesity later in life. My daughter is 5' 6" and 120 lbs. She has never been obese. Obesity comes from overeating and lack of exercise, simply taking in more calories than we burn. However, we have to keep in mind that, just like adults, some babies are hungrier than others. Unless you or your husband has severe food allergies, I would suggest trying this for a night or two. If it doesn't help, then you certainly don't have to continue it. If it does help, then be thankful :-). As far as sleeping with your precious daughter temporarily, I personally suggest against that. I have also tried this, when my daughter was about 2 yrs old and we were trying to break her from being rocked, b/c we had another baby (our son) due any day. They become accustomed to this VERY quickly, even as an infant, and it is extremely difficult to end this habit. In fact, I know a woman whose marriage ended b/c of this. Her daughter, at age 16, was still sleeping with her. I have a good friend, whose 3 yr old is still sleeping with her, which all started, b/c she was nursing her and she would fall asleep and Mommy didn't want to wake her to move her. Anyway, just some things to consider. Obviously, we learned a lot with our daughter. The poor child was a guinea pig, I think! ;-) Anyway, things WILL get better!