Cereal in Nightime Bottles

We just got the go-ahead to add a little rice cereal to our LO's night time bottles in hopes that it will help them to sleep more than 3-4 hours at a time. For those who have done this, I was just wondering how much cereal did you add, and did you have to go up a flow size with the nipple? Also, how much of an improvement (if any) did it make with your LO's sleeping longer?

Thanks for any tips!

 

Hi there! In my experience it does not help them sleep any longer! We did use it for reflux, however, and put 2tsp per oz/used a size 3 Dr. Browns.

 

It didn't help my girls sleep longer either. Sorry, but I think that is a huge myth. We used 2 tbls per 2 ounces with a size 3 or 4 nipple.

 

Didn't help with sleep here either! Sorry! We switched to a y cut nipple but I don't remember how much cereal we added. 1-2 tsp per ounce I'm guessing.

 

I have to agree that it won't necessarily help them sleep longer, but they may actually take less formula because it fills them up more.

My LO's just started giving us about 6-7 hrs at night around 3-3.5 months, I think it's just a little early to start pushing your lo's to sleep through yet They WILL do it on their own, when they are ready, and it's normal for it to take closer to 6 months for them to sleep through the night

I totally understand the sleep deprivation!! Hang in there, one day they will surprise you and sleep 6 hrs and you'll wake up in a panic because they haven't woken up yet!

 

Thanks for all the info. I know it will be a while before my twins really STTN, but they were sleeping at least one 5 hour stretch per night from about 7 weeks old, but suddenly the last couple of weeks we have been lucky to get a 4 hour stretch. Most of the time it is 3 hours (and sometimes 2 :blink: ). I was thinking maybe they hit a growth spurt or something and maybe needed a little more substance to help them get back to at least that 5 hour stretch again. Even if they would consistently give me a 4 hour stretch I would be happy. This momma needs some sleep! :lazy:

 

It does sound like a growth spurt. My girls always go bonkers during the night when they hit a growth spurt. It sucks, but it will pass and you will get your stretch back again.

 

Definitely sounds like a growth spurt to me too, and those suck! And sometimes they seem to last forever! They'll find their groove again, I hope it's sooner rather than later for you! :hug:

 

We thought we'd be smart and try this one evening and it totally backfired. They got fussy and we were up all night with them. We haven't done it again since then. I think we'll save the cereal for when they can take it off of a spoon around 4-5 months or so.

 

Thanks for the warning .

 

Mine slept 12-13 hours at night starting at 3 months old, and they never had a cereal bottle. Just pointing this out since is can happen. I would just pick one bottle (for us it was the 2-3 am bottle) and cut the amount in it. One day, after cutting back for 4-5 days, I gave one a paci to comfort him while I got the bottle ready, and he went right back to sleep. Within 3 days, both were sleeping through that bottle. At 3 months, I was waking them to eat the 11 PM bottle, my mom told me not to, since they were getting harder to wake, and from that day on, they slept from 7 pm to 8 am--yes, at 3 months.

 

Thanks Sharon! I am willing to try anything. Last night they got up every 2-1/2 hours, ugh!

I think what is killing me is that they were sleeping 4-5 hours every night, and now we suddenly have this 2 hour thing going on. It's driving me nuts!

 

Yep, they like to keep you guessing. We were adding a ton of cereal to all of their bottles due to reflux and it did not help them sleep better at all.