BTDT parents, I have some baby questions!

[jcemom]

She hasn't lost weight, just stopped gaining much. She's still growing about an inch taller per month. So, clothes that were getting snug around the middle in May are now fitting again. She's always been on the "short" side, so the length isn't a problem even though she's still getting taller. (She's doomed, lots of short people in both mine and DH's families!)

I'm not overly concerned about her size mainly because my oldest DS was about her size at the same age. (He's still on the small side at 10, but quickly catching up due to a growth spurt over the past year.) He didn't hit 20 lbs until about 16 months. I would like to check it out month-by-month though if bsnyder, or anyone else, knows where to find one of those charts.

She eats --a lot-- but no baby food or cereal! I just posted a question not too long ago about that one! LOL She's also starting to walk and be VERY active...so I suppose she's burning up calories.

 

[dcgrumpy]

My DD will also be 3mo on Tuesday. She has been sleeping through the night since she was 2 weeks old. She sleeps about 11 hours usually. Unfortunately though she hardly naps at all during the day and has to eat very frequently. I would try to wake him after a 2 hour nap and feed him around 10 or 11.

 

[janette]

jcemom - thanks, just sounded like she might be losing. My older DD quit gaining too and didn't start again for quite awhile. She's 11 now, still doesn't weigh much but eats all the time.

They are all different that's for sure.

 

[ChefBilly]

We JUST went through this! Exactly like you're describing.

But... We are through it.
(Sorry if this is long, but this all sounds soooo familiar.)

Let me tell you what we did so you can avoid our mistakes.
First - our daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was 8 months old! Your description was our life for EIGHT MONTHS!!
(It's a good thing she's cute! )

We were really coming to our wits end, and a woman at work lent us a book that completely saved us. I'm telling you it absolutely worked when nothing else did.

The book (it's right here next to me) is called "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems" by Dr. Richard Ferber. And that's not to say your child has sleep problems - it's just what the book is called.
A lot of people say Ferber is too strict, but within two nights things were markedly improved. By the fourth night, she was sleeping all the way through. We haven't had a problem since. (She's 11 months now.)

Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...102-3773580-1388116?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Very basically, it works like this:
Night 1
* Put the baby down and walk away. Let him cry for five minutes, and then return to soothe him (without picking him up) for two minutes. Then walk away.
* Now let him cry for 10 minutes. Return and soothe for two minutes.
* Now let him cry for 15 minutes. Return and soothe for two minutes.
Continue for no more than 15 minutes.

Night 2
* Put the baby down and let him cry for 10 minutes. Return and soothe for two minutes.
* Now let him cry for 15 minutes.... Etc.
Continue for no longer than 20 minute periods.

And it builds each night.
Not sure if that's clear at all, but the book does a MUCH better job explaining it (it has a chart you can follow.)
Plus it gives you the reasoning behind it all. A lot of it deals with real problems, which we - and I'm sure you - didn't need or will never use. But it did have a lot of great info.

Let me tell you, those minutes where you have to wait can seem like an eternity. But it works like magic after a couple of nights.

Just our two cents. Good luck, and you have a very cute baby!

P.S. - I just realized I don't know what BTDT is and it may totally negate everything I've said.

Here's our sleeping champ. (Just because I'll take any opportunity to post a picture of her. )

 

[JesseBlue]

Yes, wake the baby up after two hours during the day. I would just gently rub his tummy and coo softly. They are so sweet when they just wake up!

My oldest son was 12 lbs at 3 months too. Way back then we were told to feed them cereal. At his last feeding of the day, around 10pm, he'd have about 1/4 cup runny rice cereal (non iron fortified) mixed with formula. He always slept at least 8 hours. All my babies slept through the night, one of them at 3 weeks old! I used white noise in their rooms and I believe this helped. A sound machine or a fan works well. They did wake up a few times and fidget a little, but if I waited several minutes they usually went back to sleep.
Our sleep problems didn't start until they were 3 or 4 years old. I swear each one slept on a sleeping bag in our room for at least a year, year and a half. Monsters are scary.

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by ChefBilly

(It's a good thing she's cute! )

LOL

BTDT = Been There Done That, if I'm not mistaken

bsnyder, his daytime naps do seem a bit long to me, but seeing as how my boys didn't sleep for YEARS, I'm not sure I'm qualified to give advice on this topic! LOL

 

[cassie]

Sonya, you aren't saying hes's fussy going down to sleep....just that he wakes up a couple times to be fed? My babies were born in the sixties, with no restrictions on food, unless untolerated. DD had loose poops, so food was not allowed, special formula (Isomil) till poops were normal. She was the second child. At 2 months all was clear for a little cereal. With both babies, I gave them a little cereal by spoon around 10 at night with their bottle. Slept all night, they did. They were also Dr Spock babies. If they woke up during the night fussing after a month, a pacifer was given to them. That was all they needed....they would go back to sleep till 5 or 6. My Mom was horrified that I would use a pacifer (which she hated) instead of a bottle. Believe me, if the baby was hungry, another loud wail would get me up warming the bottle. If anything, the pacifer would get another hours sleep. It may be time to start working on a schedule. Babies are already forming their own habits at Sam's age. As someone else said, he may not be hungry, just wants company. A pacifer is very comforting to them. They do need to suck a lot, and I only used the darn things during bedtime. I honestly don't like to see a 2 yearold waking around with a binky in his mouth.

You are doing a fine job with Sam. He's your first, and unique. You will find your way. The one thing I was good at was having babies sleep thru the night at 2-3 months, and when they were toddlers, they went to bed at 7, and slept thru. Many working parents are afraid of the baby, meaning every cry must be attended to. Not so, baby should learn at a young age, crying shouldn't be an attention getter. Parents may feel guilty leaving baby at daycare, so they go all out to make it up to the baby when they are home. Then parents become slaves, and baby grows into a terror. You have to turn Sam into your lifestyle now. Don't put off doing things just because you have a baby, he will learn very quickly your style. Go about your regular things, and include him. He's ready to start being a family member now.

Sorry to ramble, but having babies in the house was the best experience of my life. Your doing great Sonya as a mother.

 

[Banshee]

My first ate like a charm slept thru the night at 2 months rarely spit up. My second DS constantly spit up was very gassy but he did sleep thru the night at about 31/2 months. I had to put cereal in his bottle fairly early to help keep his meals down we learned that he has a soy allergy so that takes out gerber cereals.He is also lactose intollerant We are now dealing with a constipation problem! He has to have a teaspoon of mineral oil a day Yuck! But he is such a good sweet baby! I cant wait till he gets a little older so hopefully he will out grow some of these problems!! He is 15 months yesterday!Have fun with your beautiful baby! Your his mom you know what is right for him!

 

[trip]

jcemom Here are some charts.....

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/growthcharts/boysbirth.html

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/growthcharts/girlsbirth.html

 

[bsnyder]

Sorry, jce, about not seeing your request for the charts until just now.

The ones trip posted are identical to those on the CDC, where I got them, so they are acurate. Hope it helps!

 

[Sonya]

Thanks for all your replies and good advice. ChefBilly, your little sleeper is cute!
Last night we fed him at 11pm, 7 oz again!! then he woke up at 3, just kind of fussy and not crying, normally I would have fed him but this time I gave him the passie and he went back to sleep! He slept until 6am! However he wouldn't go back to sleep after that so I'm still tired.
He doesn't cry when we put him down or when he wakes up and we want to sleep, he just gets fussy and squirmy. He sleeps in a bassinet in our room still so we hear him move. He will also give a short sharp cry ever so often to let us know he's still awake. But we are very lucky that he's not a crier!

 

[Michelle]

That's GREAT, Sonja! It sounds like he doesn't really need the middle of the night feeding and the late bottle is helping.

Our Sammy pretty much was up for a few hours when she woke at 5:00 or 6:00 after sleeping all night, but that was okay with me when I was working outside the home, it meant I got a little time with her before work.

You ARE very lucky that he is not a crier!

 

[tiggerlover]

My little guy was a breast fed baby and he didn't sleep through the night until he was 13 weeks old, then he started sleeping 12 hours a night. Prior to that he was waking every 1-1/2 to 3 hours to eat, I was like the walking dead. I tried for the longest time to get DS on a schedule, but wasn't successful until he was almost 5 months old, but at least he was sleeping through the night those last two months. I found if I woke him up during the day and didn't let him sleep as long that he eventually wanted to sleep at night.

 

[jcemom]

Thanks to trip, bsnyder, and Eiblis for the growth charts!

Sonya, I'm glad to hear your litte sweetie is sleeping better!