Does Starting Solids Help w/ STTN?

So we've successfully cried it out for naps and have gotten the LO's down to one feeding a night (however this one feeding per baby plus other night wakings for comforting = no sleep for mommy and daddy). My pedi says that we should go cold turkey, sleep in the other room, and let them CIO and not eat for 10 hours overnight. But he also says that since they're getting more breastmilk than formula they don't need to start solids till 6 months. He said he sometimes says start at 5. I know some people start at 4. We want to get them STTN soon, but wonder if it would help them not to be hungry if I started them on solids now?

 

Nope, solids won't help it's just a myth. Mine didn't STTN until 13 months, and you know they were getting plenty of solids at that point.

I'd probably wait of CIO, especially since you are breastfeeding. Sometimes an abrupt change like that can cause supply or engorgement issues.

I'd also wait if they truly are hungry. If they are nursing for 5 minutes or more or downing bottles in the middle of the night, then they still are hungry. How long do they go before eating?

 

I agree that solids are not the key to happiness at night. My first child was sleeping through the night by four months - the earliest recommended age for starting solids by our pediatrician - and I did not do it because I didn't want to mess up the fabulous 12 solid hours of peace and quiet we were getting. We waited to start at 6 months and had no problems - sleep or otherwise.

And I also agree with your pediatrician. My pediatrician makes the same recommendation - they are old enough and mature enough to handle sleeping for a long period of time at their age. My pediatrician put it to me this way - if you woke up and ate at 3 a.m. every night for five months, you would continue to be hungry then, too.

 

Solids didn't help us - we started rice cereal and then oatmeal at 4 months. Doing as your pediatrician suggested did help, though and after only about a week we had two that STTN! Before we let them CIO (in the way he suggests - not going in to comfort, not giving anything to eat or drink in the middle of the night, etc) I was worried that they were waking because they were hungry so we gradually started giving them less (mine were on formula) at their middle of the night feeding and eventually were going to move to just water but never made it that far. They stopped waking for it when we got to about two ounces and they NEVER seemed hungry, even when they woke up in the mornings - it was obviously just a habit!!! They were downing the entire amount that we gave them not because that is how hungry they were, but just because that is what they had always done with their bottles - drank everything that was offered. They would fall back asleep after 2 ounces just as well as they did 8 ounces - they just wanted to get up and be held for a bit and then go back down - eating was just a bonus!!!

 

Didn't help here either. Actually it caused them to start waking up in the night again b/c it was upsetting their tummies.

 

Solids had no effect on STTN here. Our pediatrician had us start at 4 months.

 

Mine were all sleeping through the night before we introduced solids, so I don't believe the myth that solids helps with STTN either

I agree that if they aren't finishing the bottle at night they probably don't need it. But I'm also of the opinion that barring any medical/weight conditions, by 5-6 months the night feedings are unnecessary. I can't imagine still getting up several times a night to feed babies by that age. So I would personally gradually decrease the length of nursing, or amt of bottle they are getting at night, if they need the food they'll start eating more during the day to make up for it, and eventually that nighttime feeding will be done

 

Solids made my DD sleep worse. We had lots of night waking right after we started solids.

 

Solids did not help us sttn, in fact when they started their solids they were pretty cranky for a while and woke up more Mine didn't start sleeping through the night until they were 10 1/2 months old. Hang in there it will eventually get better and if you keep feeding them during the night then maybe you wont have to get up so often to comfort them?

 

Starting solids has never helped any of my kids sleep through the night either. Sorry, I know that isn't really what you wanted to hear. I hope they start sleeping through for you soon! :hug:

 

Solids actually seemed to help one of my twins sleep through the night. Ever since we started them, Nick has slept through the night pretty regularly. Alex still wakes one or twice though and he seems to have a sensitive stomach so I only introduce new foods at breakfast or he is can be up and down all night long.

 

Mine didnt STTN until they were over 9 months old. They were getting lots of solids and even getting cereal in their bottles due to reflux since 6 weeks old. So, solids did NOT help mine STTN.

 

Solids did nothing for us either. We did start very slowly around 4 months even though I am breastfeeding because I work and I was hoping that getting solids while I was gone at work would decrease the amount I need to pump. We are still trying to figure out how to fit them into the routine on a regular basis. Mine have been basically STTN since about 4 months since we did CIO and this was before we started solids. For a while we put them to bed at 7 and did an 11 PM dreamfeed and this cut any night waking for feedings. Then, when they started to seem less interested in the dreamfeed (just recently) we cut it and for the most part they sleep about 12 hours. During a growth spurt one of them may wake about 4 AM and want to eat but otherwise they are good. When we started we made a rule to let them cry if they woke before the dream feed (DS would fall asleep at 7 and then wake at 9 and cry on a regular basis for a while). We would also let them cry if they woke after about 5 AM because we were trying to teach the 7 AM wake up time. Other than that if they woke during the night and didn't calm with turning their mobile on (remote control so they don't see us doing it), we would feed them and then lay them back down to fall asleep on their own. If you are going to do CIO I say just do it and start solids only when you are comfortable.

 

Add me to the list of people who don't think solids had anything to do with their babies STTN. Our pedi at the time actually recommended at their 4 month checkup that we 1) move both babies in the nursery (they were in our room at the time) 2) let them CIO when they were put down to bed for the night (ie. no rocking and giving them a bottle) and 3) let them CIO when they woke in the middle of the night eat. And she recommended all of this occur at the SAME TIME. I did some research after that about CIO and thought she was a bit wacky! After all our boys were 4 months actual then and only 2 months adjusted! Luckily I came here asking for opinions and almost everybody said to do them in phases if at all at that point. So we didn't take any of her advice, LOL. One baby started STTN within 2 or 3 weeks, and we then transitioned him to the nursery. His brother continued to wake once or twice through the night (in our room) for a few more weeks then he started STTN too, and we then moved him to his own crib in the nursery. And for the past 1.5 to 2 months they have both been STTN for the most part in the nursery and I am SOOOO glad I didn't listen to our pedi then! In fact, we went to a different pedi for their 6 month checkup For a while Brandon was sometimes waking 2 or 3 times a week in the middle of the night for no reason, and the only thing that would settle him down was a small bottle. Last week that happened 3 or 4 nights in a row, ugg. I attributed it to teething though and didn't make him CIO. And this week, while he has still exhibited teething symptoms, he has totally STTN for the past 4 nights in the row.

Anyway, to answer your question, solids didn't have anything to do with our babies STTN, and I wouldn't recommend making too many changes at once GL!