BTDT parents, I have some baby questions!

[Sonya]

OK, Samuel is 3 months old this Tuesday and still doesn't sleep through the night. He eats every 3-4 hours during the day, and at night I can sometimes get 5 hours from him. But sometimes it's 3 or 4. Is this normal?
During the day he divides the time he is awake and asleep about even, for example 2 hours awake and a 2 hour nap. Then he eats. Some days he doesn't sleep as long but will take a 4 hour afternoon nap. Should I not let him do this? Should I wake him up after 2 or 3 hours during the day?
He's not on a scheduel, so he doesn't have a set bedtime, we usually put him down after his last evening feeding, maybe between 8:00 or 10:00. Then he's up about 2or3am, then 5or6am. I'm going back to work soon and would like to get some rest! Help! Am I doing this right?

How much do you put in each bottle? Should I just put in what I think he can take, or a little more? Right now he's getting 5 1/2 oz. but I'm wondering if I should put in 6 oz and see if he takes it. Or even 7 oz. He will stop when he's had enough, won't he?


How much spit up is normal? I try to keep him upright for half an hour after he eats, even at night, and sometimes he seems to spit up a lot and sometimes not. Some days we go through a bib a feeding and several burp cloths. Is this normal? How can I tell if he's spitting up b/c he ate too much?


I'm being the paraniod new mommy!

 

[bsnyder]

Sonya, how much does he weight?

 

[Michelle]

Not paranoid at all, just normal.

I'll tell you what my pediatrician told us. Around 2-3 months of age babies should be able to go 6 hours without eating. She said to "ignore" some fussiness around 2:00 am, unless it became a huge, hungry wail. Sometimes babies wake and they're not really hungry, they just want company, but if you feed them then they expect it.

Yes, babies generally do stop when they've had enough to eat. I would go to seven ounce bottles and if he starts sucking those dry increase to eight ounces.

Our Sam used to stay up pretty late at that age, around 10:00 or so, and she'd get a full bottle then, and she generally slept through until 5:00 am or so once she was three months old. I would try and keep him up LATER, give him a bottle later, and hope that will help him to sleep a little longer. Since he's getting a very long afternoon nap he should be able to stay up a little bit longer. Some people would even wake their babies for a late last feeding around 11:00, but I never did that...Sam was colicky and once she was asleep there was no way in hell I was going to wake her.

Good luck, and be sure to ask your pediatrician for suggestions at his next check-up!

 

[Sonya]

Thanks Michelle!
bsnyder, he is 12 pounds 13 oz.

 

[janette]

If he was sleeping better and now seems hungry and eating more often it might be time for a little cereal or other solids. You might check with your peds but they tend to have different ideas on this one.

Every child is different in when they need it, my older DD started on cereal at 2 months, 2nd DD at about 5 months.

As long as he doesn't seem to spit up everything everytime I wouldn't be concerned. Usually babies won't overeat, putting more in the bottle won't matter but if he's not finishing what you have he probably doesn't need more.

Good luck, he probably will get a better schedule soon

 

[Eiblis]

I always woke DD's for a feed b4 I went to bed.....they usually had a bottle at 7 ish then i woke em at 10.30-11pm and fed them......figured i was gonna get sleep while they did.
Was told to always make more than they take.

Oldest DD was a sicky baby...just persevere....as long as they are checked out and gaining it isnt a problem.

And I survived ( so far) they are now 13 and 16

 

[jamsmom]

My sister was putting a little cereal in my nieces bottle by the time she was 2 months (SHHHHH...don't tell anyone)

My son, even at 13 now, rarely sleeps more than 4-6 hours straight. LOL This summer, he is sleeping late, though.

You have normal quesitons and I am sure you are doing a great job at being "MOM". I agree to put 7 ounces in and I still would burp Sam often. That helped my DS with the spit up.

 

[bsnyder]

At that weight, for a three month old, I wouldn't worry about overfeeding. According to the chart, he's in about the 60th percentile for weight, at this point.

I'd try increasing the amount of formula you're giving him, and let him have as much as he wants of the bottle. Also, try pushing back that last feeding to a little later in the evening.

If that doesn't do the trick, I'd talk to the doctor about starting him on a little watered down cereal.

And I don't think you're paranoid....first time motherhood is a bewildering time. Each baby is so different that there's not an "instruction manual" that fits them all! Just go with your instincts!

 

[Sharby]

Originally posted by Sonya
......During the day he divides the time he is awake and asleep about even, for example 2 hours awake and a 2 hour nap. Then he eats. Some days he doesn't sleep as long but will take a 4 hour afternoon nap......He's not on a scheduel, so he doesn't have a set bedtime, we usually put him down after his last evening feeding, maybe between 8:00 or 10:00..........

This is not my advice.....but my late mother's (and she was the mother of 9) advice to me.

It worked like a charm and being a single working parent since day 1 with my son (he's now 22) - I appreciated it.

No napping pretty much 3 to 4 hours before bedtime (ie - he should've been awake for a good 3 to 4 hours by the time bedtime rolls around). Try and time it so that he's had a good meal just before bedtime.

His bedtime - is your bedtime. Go to bed at the same time he does. Feed him if he wakes. Go back to bed. You should be able to get 8 hours (2 4-hour shifts) of sleep (give or take an hour).

 

[Sonya]

Thanks for the replies. I woke him up from another 4 hour nap, still not sure I should let him sleep that long, and I gave him 7 oz and he took it all! It makes me feel bad that I might have been holding out on him. But he never cried for more so I thought he was full. Now I will try and keep him awake until his next bottle and then maybe he will sleep longer for us tonight!

 

[bsnyder]

Originally posted by Sonya
Thanks for the replies. I woke him up from another 4 hour nap, still not sure I should let him sleep that long, and I gave him 7 oz and he took it all! It makes me feel bad that I might have been holding out on him. But he never cried for more so I thought he was full. Now I will try and keep him awake until his next bottle and then maybe he will sleep longer for us tonight!

Sonya, don't feel bad! You sound like a wonderful, caring mommy!

Samuel is adorable!!!

 

[Sonya]

Thanks, we think he's pretty cute too!

Oh, forgot to add, he did take cereal for awhile but it constipated him so we can't do that anymore until he's on fruits and veggies.

 

[Mskanga]

Sonya, I was fortunate enough to not have that problem since my kids both slept through the night since they were 6 weeks old but I did mix some cereal on their last meal of the day, before bedtime, it worked fine for me, my kids were having cereal by the time they were 2.5 months old.
Don't hesitate to ask for advice when you have any questions, my pediatrician got so many calls from me when I didn't know what to do , he used to tell me babies don't come with instructions.
Remember, most of us have been there at some point.
But I would increase the formula intake if he will take it, maybe that is his problem.

 

[Michelle]

OH, glad he took all of his bottle, that's a good sign, maybe he just needed a little more.

As for cereal, our pediatrician was adament about not starting solids until Sammy was nearly 6 months old. She said that babies who start solids early are more likely to develop food allergies, plus young babies are usually not as adept at the physical mechanics of eating.

Hope you get some sleep tonight!

 

[BWVDenise]

My ds spit up A LOT! Almost every time he ate, but he was a real porker, too. Slept through the night around 6 months. My dd was so hungry in the middle of the night, I remember when she was 5-6 months old I could hear her stomach growling from the hallway!!
Sammy's still very young and may need some more time before he can make it through the night without that bottle.
Best wishes!

 

[clutter]

If the cereal's constipating him (and baby, am I a BTDT mommy there!), try using iron-free formula for mixing it.

 

[jfulcer]

I agree with all the advice you've been given:

1) Wake him for a late feeding, like 10-11. Eventually you may start to move that forward to be when he actually goes to bed.

2) Have a full bottle - more than he takes. His tummy is growing too!

3) It still may be early for him. Mine didn't sleep through till 6 months. The first few times DD#1 slept through the night, DW had to keep getting up to make sure she was still ok.

4) Cereal may help, but we never did with our kids, so it isnt the only way kids can get to sleep through the night.

Good luck!

 

[bsnyder]

Originally posted by jfulcer
The first few times DD#1 slept through the night, DW had to keep getting up to make sure she was still ok.

I was going to mention this. The first time he sleeps through the night, you probably won't....you'll wake up with a kind of a GASP and think "OMG, is the baby alright?"

 

[jcemom]

They are definitely all different! Both of my DS's didn't sleep more than 4-5 hours straight until they were in school!!!

DD, on the other hand, was sleeping 7 hours by 3 months, and now, at 9 1/2 months sleeps 11 hours at night! (What a relief...I'm getting too old to be up all night long! LOL)

You sound like a great Mommy -- otherwise you wouldn't be worried, right?

bsnyder, where did you get the percentile info on weight? DD was 12lbs 13oz at 3 months--exactly the same as your DS, Sonya!-- which seemed kind of big at the time. Now, at almost 10 months, she's only a little over 16lbs (I don't know the exact ounces as she doesn't go back to the Dr. for a couple of weeks.) She's actually gone backwards in clothing sizes. (Guess I'm getting my money's worth, huh? LOL) I'd like to check her height and weight but don't know where to look to see what's "normal."

 

[janette]

jcemom - I'd be concerned if a child that age lost weight. Have you considered giving the Dr a call?

My oldest at about that age quit gaining weight and got taller but she was already about 20lbs then. Still grew out of her clothes because of the length The drs usually take other measurements too to make sure they are growing like they should.