5 months and still waking for one feeding per night

Jack and Lily are five months and nighttimes are very random. They go to bed between 7:15-7:45 and the rest is up for grabs. Some nights Jack will sleep through until 7-7:30am and some nights Lily will - generally not on the same night though! When they do get up it is usually only one time and occurs anytime between 3 and 5:30am. Last night they both got up, one around 3 and one around 4. We do not use pacifiers and they do not really respond to soothing like but patting or anything like that. Jack screams when he wakes up so we usually just grab him and feed him. We have moved them down to 4oz. bottles at this time but they really did not respond well when we tried to go down to 3oz.

I am not sure what else to do or what to think. I don't think this warrants CIO, yet. Should we feel behind or just glad that they are only waking one time at night.

Thanks,
AMy

 

Each one of mine woke at least once up until 9 months old. Sometimes they would sleep through but most times not. I just gradually took more time to go to them and decreased the ounces very slowly.

 

We still wake up once a night to eat. Mine will drink a full 6oz bottle. I thought I was probably lucky that this is all they woke up. They do wake up other times, but it is for a paci insert(which I think we may have started a bad habit).

Missy

 

Hi there. First of all, I don't think there's such thing as "behind" in this case - many babies will need to eat at night until 9 months (usually just once though, like your babies) according to HSHHC. How many ounces do they take during the day? My night feedings disappeared once we were getting lots of ounces into the babies during the day.

 

QUOTE(CHJH @ Nov 5 2007, 09:21 PM) [snapback]482428[/snapback]
Hi there. First of all, I don't think there's such thing as "behind" in this case - many babies will need to eat at night until 9 months (usually just once though, like your babies) according to HSHHC. How many ounces do they take during the day? My night feedings disappeared once we were getting lots of ounces into the babies during the day.


My son gets anywhere from 30-35 during the day and my daughter tops out around 25 unless she is having a growth spurt. My son eats 6oz. bottles and seems to lose interest pretty quickly when I offer him 8oz bottles. He is on the fastest nipple that playtex has but he just isn't really into putting the effort into the entire 8oz. bottle and seems to get bored or frustrated after about 6 or 7 ounces. I also only offer this to him for the two bottles that occur in the middle of the day. They NEVER finish their morning bottle and I try to give them a smaller one after their last nap so that they will eat their final bottle. I have also been subing a meal of solids for DD during her second to last bottle.
I am really hoping they start to sleep through consistently so that DH and I can start sleeping together again and not worry about taking shifts with one of us sleeping in the guest room next to theirs. It is kind of worth it though to know you are going to bed and will not be awoken by babies until your turn starts which, for me, is around 4 or 5 am! We did just go on vaca together for our first time away from the babies and I had forgotten how terrible DH's snoring is !

Amy

 

Amy,

You're not alone... my girls are six months old and still wake up once a night to eat. Actually, they're technically probably still eating twice a night (sigh). They get their last meal at 6ish and are usually asleep by 6:30. Then they wake up around midnight to eat and then again at 5am. We've tried doing a "dreamfeed" when we go to bed at 9 or 10, but that only pushes the midnight meal to 2am and they're still hungry at 5. I can't get either of them to eat more than 5 ounce bottles during the day which is why I think they still eat at night.

I'm like you in that I can not wait to get a full night's sleep. Hopefully soon!

Trish

 

Mine woke at that age to eat...I fed them and put them back to bed. I eventually did a dream feed until about 10 months, which really worked for us...

 

Nope, mine woke up until about 6 months for a bottle in the middle of the night.

 

My two were waking once a night till they were about 7 months old. I would feed them and put them right back in their beds. The still have the occasional night but it's mostly due to teething now and not wanting to eat.

 

Ours are 6 months, and going to bed around 7pm....getting a dream feed around 11pm, and waking between 4-5 to eat again. I have told myself that I will address the issue at 9 months. For now, I'm honestly thrilled to be able to sleep from 11-5. Until last month they got up 2-3 times a night!

Reyna

 

I agree that there isn't any such thing as 'behind'; i know there are statistical norms, but I also think we have to acct for individuality.

If it makes you feel any better, mine are 7.5 months and still getting up TWO to THREE times a night (we go down between 6:15 and 7:00; they generally wake sometime between 10:30 and 12:00, then again at around 3 or 4, depending, then either they make it til 7 or not....

i have tried getting more into them during the day; only in the last couple of days have they started to EVER drink more than four ounces at a time; one will regularly take 5 or 6 or sometimes 7, but the other, hardly ever.....I'm hoping that once they are getting more during the day they'll stop waking at night.

Although, if I recall correctly, HSHHC says that sleep is a brain thing, not a food thing - and yet he does say that many babie wake to feed once til 9 months, so - go figure, i don't think there's any one answer.

But man, I, too am looking forward ot a whole nights' sleep!

 

My Kevin still got up once a night til we CIOed at 7.5 months. It was painful, very tiring. I think it is normal though, lots of babies have trouble sleeping. I think you can try a modified CIO at about 6 months, so right around the corner!

 

I'd just go ahead and keep feeding them until they are 6 months adjusted. Then start watering down the formula until they are only getting 4 oz of water and then start decreasing the amount. This worked like magic for our two.

 

Even HSHHC says it's normal to need at least one night feeding up to 9 months old. If they're hungry, just feed them! Sounds like you're doing everything right as far as getting enough food in them during the day.