Breaking the bottle habit...

Hi Ladies I have a problem.

The twins were just starting to sleep really well through the night when all of a sudden....they are wakeing up throughout the night crying for a bottle. I try to give them a pacifier but they know it is not a bottle and get upset. They keep fussing and get louder and wake the other one up. I have tried to hold it there and maybe they will drift off but it doesn't work.

Currently they are taking 4oz every 3 hours. Monday they will be 5 months. Should they be eating more during the day so that they won't be so fussy at night?

I think they honestly aren't hungry just used to having it in their mouth when drifting off to bed bec most of the time they never even finish it.

any advice is appreciated. I NEED SLEEP!

 

At that age I dont think there is much you can do about the night waking. I was still feeding mine at night when they woke up. You can try letting them fuss a bit, but if they just get louder and louder I would feed them and then get them back to bed. Is the temperature in their room fine? White noise? Hang in there.

ETA: plus you need to take into account their adjusted age when it comes to feedings and sleep.

 

I agree with Rachel - I think at that age what I would do is the first time they woke up I would try the paci but if they woke up a 2nd time then they got a bottle. I know I tried to stop feeding them at night but if they were hungry a paci just wasn't going to cut it. Mine started to consistently STTN at 6 months old so just hang in there, it might not be too far off for you. It was annoying at 5 months old b/c they'd do the same as yours are doing and not take the whole bottle, but if I didn't offer it they wouldn't go back to sleep for a significant amount of time. Don't worry about creating a bad habit of waking in the night just for the comfort of the bottle, I don't think that's possible at 4 or 5 months old, at least that's not what happened to me!

 

Sounds like they're hungry - and even for their actual age (not adjusted), that is perfectly normal! Babies eat at night. Could your DH take over a feeding so you can get more sleep?

 

Man.. mine were doing 6 or 8 ounces every 4 hours at that age, I believe.. ?? 4 oz doesn't seem like enough to me, but I don't know. Have you tried giving them more??? IF they will take more at a feeding, I'd do it! Also, are you doing solids?? That should help too

And I agree w/ previous posters, they are still young and IF they are getting up and a paci isn't doing the job.. they are trying to tell you that they ARE hungry. My policy has always been.. if the baby is truly hungry, I feed. I'm sure you know the difference so that's a judgement call.

I'd start by upping cal intake during the day and see if that works itself out.

They are still young and when they are THAT early, I would certainly adjust for things like this. Mine were five weeks early and I adjusted til a year and then quit. It just doens't seem fair to expect soo much of them soo early.

FYI- mine STTN from 14 weeks adjusted, 19 actual, from 6pm until 6:30 am but at 10 mos started waking up in the night!!! WHAT!? Instead of feeding them that bottle, I upped their calorie intake during the day cuz what THAT signaled to me was.. "We're not eating enough Mom and we're trying to make up for it.."

Anyway, sounds like you've got a great handle on it! Good job!

 

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I agree with everyone else. Chances are, they really are hungry. Mine ate 1-2 times during the night until they were 7 months olds. It's only in the last couple weeks that we've had our first few nights of STTN. You can try increasing the feeds during the day by 1-2 oz each, but honestly, that did not work for me. They still wanted to eat at night, so I just went with it.

 

I agree with pp, they are probably just hungry. Maybe someone else can do some of the feedings so you can get a break :hug:.

 

Four months is a typical growth spurt. At this stage they still need you and nourishment. They continually need more food, they are growing. :hug: I know how frustrating it is, but there will be hiccups in the sleep all night times. Hopefully this is just a hiccup, but in the mean time, they're hungry.

 

Mine slept through at 4 months for two weeks, then started waking up at night again.. I'd give a bottle and they went right back to sleep. They did that until 6 months, when they started waking up at 4-5am only, then at 7 months they started sleeping through the night again.

 

My boys sleep from about 8pm to 5am and then they get up to eat. We call this STTN at our house because DH gets up for work at 4:30 anyway and I need to get up at 5 in order to have enough time to get everything and everyone ready for the day before I drop them at daycare a little after 7. After they eat at 5 they go right back to sleep for another 1 1/2 hours before we leave the house. Some nights (like last night) they wake up at 3:30 or 4 and want to eat. We usually just give in and feed them because otherwise they won't go back to sleep. It isn't worth it to me to make them wait if they are fussing and even if I do get them to wait it usually only ends up being 20 min. or so before they freak out.
Right now they are eating 6oz. 4 times a day and 7oz. before bed. They also get about 2 tablespoons of cereal in the morning and before bed. They are also getting to the point where they will be getting a fruit or veggie everyday consistently, probably starting while I am off of work next week for the holiday. I'm not sure if this will affect how long they sleep at night, but even if they sleep longer in the morning I will still need to get up early.

I also agree that they are probably to young to make it all the way. Even if they can make it for a good chunk of time it helps.

 

I agree it may be a growth spurt and even if they don't finish it they may feel they need it. It is hard to increase their intake during the day if they won't drink it then either. Cereal/solids to get them to sleep longer is a myth at least it was for us. GL

 

Seems like I heard that around 4 months, many babies go through a waking up during the night thing again. I remember my other kids occasionally waking up during the night again after having slept thru. I didn't want to encourage the habit, so I would let them fuss some. Usually they fell back to sleep on their own. If they got louder and louder or if they sounded really distressed, I always responded.

 

Mine were still eating at least 1xnight at that age. They would usually sleep from 6:30pm - 1:00am and then wake up again around 5:00 to eat again. Sounds like they are still hungry. Hang in there - it is so hard to be exhausted. :hug:

 

I would try giving them a little extra in each of their bottles during the day. At the last feed, I would try giving them an ounce extra. DD started to sttn around 7 weeks and DS about a month or so later. They´ve been going 12 hours at night without food for over a month.

Mine were, and still are, on a 4-hour routine since they were 4 weeks old (they moved to that themselves). We used to wake and give them their last feed at 11.30pm which used to see them through to 7am. We dropped that dream feed about a month or so ago. We also gave them a spoon of cereal in their first and last bottles from 4 months which helped to fill them even more. The pedi told us to do that.

I also agree with the PPs that 4 months is the age for a growth spurt though I never noticed mine go through them.

I hope things improve for you asap and that you can get some much-needed shut eye!

 

thank you ladies. They go to bed every night at 7:00 on the dot... on their own. then wake for a late feeding. They would usually only wake up one other time at 3:30a but now its all over the place each at different times. Not sure if they are starting to teeth but they are putting their fist in their mouth and drooling alot. Every time I make them a bottle they will take a few sips and spit it out. So, not sure whats going on but I hope it is a phase and things get back to the way they were. Right now they both have the flu and can't hold down their bottles. Doc switched them to soy formula and it is helping somewhat. I am keeping a close eye so they don't get dehydrated. YIKES. The fun never ends.

 

QUOTE(GEKASBABY @ Nov 22 2008, 08:10 AM) [snapback]1082139[/snapback]
thank you ladies. They go to bed every night at 7:00 on the dot... on their own. then wake for a late feeding. They would usually only wake up one other time at 3:30a but now its all over the place each at different times. Not sure if they are starting to teeth but they are putting their fist in their mouth and drooling alot. Every time I make them a bottle they will take a few sips and spit it out. So, not sure whats going on but I hope it is a phase and things get back to the way they were. Right now they both have the flu and can't hold down their bottles. Doc switched them to soy formula and it is helping somewhat. I am keeping a close eye so they don't get dehydrated. YIKES. The fun never ends.


My son is exclusively breastfed but my daughter takes a bottle. When their teeth or gums were bothing them they would do the same thing take a few sips and then spit it out. You may try baby orajel before you try to feed them. Mine would drink better if I numbed their gums beforehand. Hope everyone feels better soon!