Feeding Baby a Little Cereal

I also have the same question.my son is almost 6 weeks and also wakes up frequently at night. I am looking forward to viewing the responses. My mother advised me to consult my pediatrician b/c giving a baby cereal to early can develop allergies. I am going to my ped. On sept 3rd, I will let you know what he says. Good luck.

S. - first time Mom to a gorgeous baby boy!

ask the pediatrician.
I was told a resounding NO when I've asked. The little baby's digestive system is not ready for the introduction of food.
I've been told that it just doesn't help.
Some babies just wake up more often. their stomachs are not big enough to keep them full as long as we'd like
good luck.

Oh J., i am so sorry. My daughter did the same thing until about 4 months. Ate all the time. Try to stick it out. It does get better. Don't give her ceral yet. 5 weeks is way too early. His stomach isn't big enough.

i know you got tons of info but whatever you do, DO NOT GIVE CEREAL. solids of any kind should not be given until 6 months but even if you dont care about what studies and recommendations say, you should never ever give a baby solids before 4 months. i know you are tired but some babies eat every 2 hours. im not sure who you are talking to about the 3 week thing but shame on those people giving you such horrible advice. you are a new mom, and tired, and they shouldnt be giving you such clearly harmful information. furthermore, feeding formula does not make a baby sleep longer. the idea is that when you fully formula feed, your baby eats every 3-4 hours while breastfeeding eats every 2-3 hours, so in essence, you would still be feeding an average of every 3 hours(some less, some more).

have you tried alternating who feeds, i just was saying how its much better to have just one parent up. there is no reason both get up in the middle of the night and this is something that you def see when you have a second baby.

think about it like this, if there was some magic "pill" of feed formula before bed, or feed cereal, or sing jingle bells, and these things guaranteed a nights sleep, we would all do it. it would be in all the baby books. but there is nothing or something like sleeping on your stomach might work, but the risks outweigh the benefits so you dont do it. some babies are great sleepers, some not. some babies eat all the time, while others eat less times but eat longer at each feeding. there is no way to control this, but remember, it will get better. you have a lot of adjusting as a mom, and the baby has a lot of adjusting to everything. its only been a month, so give yourself and the baby some more time. he probaly wont be sleeping thru the night till like 8 months or so anyway. remember to do eat play sleep during the day, then the last night feeding eat sleep.

i would suggest though you try swaddling and white noise. also, even if you are going back to work for the time you are home, you might want to contact a lactation consultant. you may still get him to latch on at this point, and could breastfeed him when at home. its possible the formula itself could be upsetting to his stomach.

just remember, anything sounding questionable, is probaly not good advice. im sorry to say, you wont be getting much sleep for awhile, but at the same time, the statement "it goes by so fast" is 100% true. good luck and takes lots of naps.

5 weeks can be a little young for cereal...i have 5 children and started cereal at 8 weeks...they finally slept for at least 4 or 5 hours straight when they were able to drink 4 0r 5 ozs of formula....it seemed to be if they drank 3 oz they slept 3 hours....4oz-4 hours of sleep...spoon feeding baby cereal rather than putting the cereal in the bottle was easier on their little tummys....good luck and congrads on your new blessing..

1.By all means discuss this with your pediatrician! According to the experts: babies cannot properly digest food much before six months. 2.Get some help! Parents, friends, someone who can give you a chance to take a nap. ALL new parents are sleep deprived! Newborns do not normally sleep all that much, whether nursed or bottle fed. 3.Why wasn't he latching on? Did no one at your hospital help you, or your peds office, or LaLeche League? There is help out there for you. 4.Newborns stomachs empty very quickly, and they take more at some feedings than at others. signed,Mom of five

He really is too little to have solid food, even cereal. I also don't think that cereal is the answer to getting a baby to sleep through. My second slept through at 8 weeks (which is very early - I think I was just very lucky) and my first at 11 weeks, and both were fully breastfed at that stage. Also it has nothing to do with weight - my second was tiny only 5 lb 9 at birth and she slept through when she weighed 7lb. The main things are to only feed them when they are really yelling for food and never lift them when they are just grumbling a little, as they may well settle back to sleep themselves. I also think they are better in a room on their own, though I know not everyone has space for this and also some of the infant safety advice says to share a room for much longer (personally I wanted them out of our bedroom!)
Also make sure that you act different with them at nighttime feedings compared to day e.g. don't fuss over them, chat to them or cuddle or put bright lights on (just use a nightlight or a dimmer switch turned right down) - just feed and put them down again as soon as they have finished. Save all your fun and cuddles for the daytime!
Also try a pacifier and only feed when they are making it clear that they are really hungry and not just wanting to suck.
I know how you feel - that exhaustion is just terrible. But it will end soon

I have heard of people feeding their babies solids at such an early age, but their digestive system is not entirely developed yet and it can lead to problems such as allergies, or even obesity and it may not solve the sleeping problem anyway. I have a 3 mo. old baby daughter who was up every hour and a half when we first brought her home, so I can relate! It took a little patience on our part to find out what she needed. She liked to be swaddled and did not want to sleep anywhere but next to her mommy. We put her in a portable bed that is made specifically for babies to be able to sleep in their parent's bed safely(they sell them at Target and Walmart), but it separated Mom and Dad and took up half the bed, so was only good as a temporary solution. I discovered that she simply did not like sleeping on her back and as soon as I defied today's prevailing wisdom and put her on her tummy in a bassinet by my bedside, she was fine. I would suggest that you figure out what position your baby prefers to sleep in and whether they like to be tightly swaddled or not and hang in there for awhile longer before you add solids to her diet.

I know this is hard, but you'll be lucky if he sleeps through the night at 5 months. :(

Giving cereal this early gives a higher risk for food allergies. You don't want a sickly baby, so talk to your pediatrician first.

Hang in there - the early months are hard!

For us, we tried everything except cereal. Two things helped us: one, time. 3 months seemed to be a magic mark for him -- suddenly went from 2-3 hours to 6-7 hours at a stretch. Second, we noticed that the longer he went between feedings during the day, the better he slept -- the Portable Pediatrician book (our baby Bible) says that the child is learning the difference between hunger and the need to suck. Still, 5 weeks is young (I hated hearing that at 5 weeks -- 5 weeks without real sleep is NOT COOL). What I want to tell you is that this won't last forever. Your child will sleep, and so will you, and life will be entirely different when that happens!

J.,
I also fed my daughter at 2-3 weeks of age. she slept thru the night (12 hrs.) at 10 days old. i added some of the formula and cereal in a dish and gave her what she would take. she did well and has an excellent appetite and chooses her food wisely. she is now 9 yrs. old and has never woken up after the young age of a few weeks, except for a few colds thru the years. she averages 11-12 hrs. of sleep each night. what a wonderful time we all had....sleeping thru the night....all three of us. good luck...and p.s my doctor told me to try it and if she is not ready, she wont take it. just alternate with cereals...dont want a constipated child by using rice all the time. alternate and youll be fine...enjoy your sleep.

Hi J....I see you have a huge number of responses, but I couldn't resist as I have a 5 week old myself...my son is doing what your child is doing and waking up every 1-2 hours to feed/be held. He's my third and each child has been different. My first (daughter) slept through the night (8 hours...wow!!) at just 4 weeks old. My middle child (son) didn't do that until he was about 5 months old. I would steer clear of the cereal though and just plow through the night and deal with being exhausted. THe key is to rest when your child rests udring the day, even if it's just a twenty minute catnap...

Best of luck. I totally see where you're coming from as I'm right there with you!

- K. :)

J.,
Differing studies, differing opinions - some say cereal gets them through the night, some say it doesn't, some say they'd rather your baby wake during the night, that too long a sleep may lead to SIDs. (been reading, would love to give you websites, but I don't have them. :(

At 5 weeks he may very likely just be going through a growth spurt - try lengthening his feedings during the day.

I wouldn't go the route of cereal - personally - after everything I've been reading - until 6 months or so, and I didn't. A lot of what I have been reading has been pointing to allergy prevention.

I'd say cereal at this point would be your decision - I have heard EVERYTHING (or at least it feels like it) TELLING me I can do this or that, and it won't harm the baby.

If you are sleep deprived like many others out there, perhaps you can arrange to have a friend help during the day so you may get more rest, and thereby allowing you to assist more at night.

Ultimately, get your pediatrician's opinion/OK/blessing before you decide on a course of action.

Just reread, and you might try teaching him how to latch, too. It isn't too late. There are lactation consultants out there who can help - not sure where you are but the hospital you gave birth in may offer help. I know mine did - I was VERY surprised - and called, too! Your son may be missing closeness in the night.

Good Luck,
M.

My experience (w/my 5 kids) is that giving them cereal doesn't make a bit of difference. I tried it as well. My advice would be to not feed him as often. I know that sounds crazy, but let me explain. My pediatrician told me that if you feed your baby more than every three hours they never really fill themselves up and it causes gas which can also mess w/his sleep. I know it's hard, but you really have to try. Just say to yourself that it will take a few days of torture to make it better in the long run. If you feed him at 12, do not feed him again until 3 hours after he finished. It will force him to drink more when he eats and will keep him satiated longer. Be strong. You can do it. Good luck. The 3 month mark is the magic # for sleep!!

i STRONGLY suggest that you do not feed a baby that young any solid foods. their intestional system is not developed enough to handle any solids no matter how much you water it down. most in the medical field say not until they are 6 months old - i started my son at 4 months b/c he was underweight - but only did so under his peditrition's care. do not do anything until you check with your child's doctor! most people are very good at giving advice but the are not medically trained at all and do not know your baby so don't follow their advice...stick to your doctor!!

on a second note. you are exhausted, that is to be expected and you will be until you figure out a schedule. it's par for the course! i suggest that you develop a nightime routine and stick to it every night no matter what. your baby needs to know from your clues that it's time to settle down & go to sleep. waking up in the night to feed is going to happen for a while but developing a nighttime ritual will teach your baby what is going to happen next & the difference between day & night. a morning ritual may help as well. children thrive on structure and establishing one now will only help your baby & you in gaining some structure to your day. it's a rocky road but you'll get there.

each night since my boy was only a few weeks old we have done the same thing and it has helped tremendously!! good luck!

Hi J.,

So sorry that you are tired!! It's a really hard to have a 5 week old and be sleep deprived.

Don't give your 5 week old cereal. His gut is no where near ready for this (and definitely speak to your pediatrician ASAP about this - he/she may have better suggestions for you). Always check with your doctor about EVERYTHING - you are the boss and that is what they are paid for!! And if they have a problem with that - find another doctor!

I hate to say it but a 5 week old is not supposed to be sleeping through the night or knowing what time it is and that he should be asleep (sucks but true). Unfortunately, it sounds like his sleeping patterns are reversed - but I promise, it will change. Seek out support from moms who had this issue in a second post (my baby slept fairly normally so I can't help you or offer suggestions).

You sound REALLY stressed. Can you get someone to come over for 2 hours a day (when the baby is up) so that you can sleep? Are you sleeping when the baby is asleep? Forget everything else and sleep when you can. You'll feel better. And can you wait another week or two to go back to work? That must have you stressed out, too (I work full time so I know how stressful it is to go back to work).

Hang in there - but wait to introduce cereal. It's just way too early (allergies, poor digestion, etc.).

5 week old babies are not supposed to sleep through the night. The ones that do are rare, and certainly the parents are very lucky. Babies that young do not have the digestive system to process cereal. You should not feed it to him yet. Maybe you are not eating enough calories, and so your milk is not rich enough for him. Reevaluate your own diet and maybe he will sleep for longer periods. Also, if he is taking good naps during the day do what you can to keep him awake for longer stretches.

Hi J.,
Since you said he has his days and nights mixed up, I'm assuming he is sleeping longer periods during the day. You may try waking him for feedings every 3 hours all day and let him "cluster feed" in the evening if he likes. This should encourage him to switch his schedule to match yours.

Skin to skin is calming for babies too and may help him get back to nursing. Is he getting plenty of milk and gaining weight? If so, I would never suggest formula or cereal for a baby so young. These have been linked to increased risk for developing allergies when given early.

Bed sharing is controversial, but done safely, it can help your little one sleep better. A great book is by Dr. Harvey Karp, "Happiest Baby on the Block."

Breastfeeding.com is a great resource, too.

Good luck! PS. Sleep during the day!

Billie M.

Talk to your pediatrician! Everything I've said says that it is way too soon to start feeding your baby cereal. Your baby's stomach is getting larger and will take in more breastmilk/formula soon and that will help him sleep more than two hours at a time. I just lived through it!

J.,

you might want to try increasing his feedings during the day. This sometimes helps space the night feedings a bit more. You could also try giving him an extra 1/2 - 1 oz. of formula in his night feeds. He is approaching the 6 week growth spurt and will need the extra fuel. I found (with my 3 kids) that at the 6 week mark they seemed to go through such a change with longer stretches of awake time and longer sleeps too! It sounds like aside from sleep deprivation you are doing very well. I applaud you for persisting at pumping and bottle feeding to give your son breast milk - what a great mom you are! Keep up the good work!

If your baby sleeps during the day, he then definitely has day and night reversed

- try all you can to keep him awake during the day.
- Following a strict and consistent routine - a strict feeding schedule (every 3 hours or so), a nap and play in between (you rest while he does).
- The way to sleep well (in terms of feeding) is to be well fed during the day. Then the nighttime feedings will wean. -
- If you know he is fed, burped, has a clean diaper, try a soothing massage (keep the environment quiet and dark at night so he associates night and dark with rest - no activity) and rocking chair or some squats or knee bends.

As for myself, I laid down to feed (as I didn't trust myself to stay awake) and we would both fall asleep while nursing, I would shortly then wake up and scoot down so that my head was at her belly height and I wouldn't risk rolling over her. Then at around 5 months, my father (a physician) told me she should no longer be eating during the night and that to wean her from night feedings, I should dilute the milk with water (gradually increasing the water % , until she was just drinking water in the middle of the night. But it was key to keep her well fed during the day. This all worked like magic for me.

I wish you the best of luck, and hope you get a lot of good advice.
M.

I would ask the pediatrician before feeding a 5 week old cereal. I have an almost 6 week old and I couldnt imagine feeding her cereal. I switched from breastfeeding to formula at 4 weeks and that seems to help. She will sleep 5
-6 hours now. Is your baby finishing his bottles? He may just need an extra ounce or two. Mine is up to 5 ounces a feeding now.

Good Luck.

Hi J.
God bless you and congrats on your new baby
Thanks for writing.
This is the deal. Doesn't really have to do with age or size, it has to do with how much they are consuming in the 24 hour period. If a baby drinks 32 oz then it is time for food. Now call your MD and see if that is so now. Yes, Ask for MD's recommendations for your baby. Why? Because then you can call him with the problems that arise and say you said to_______and now I am dealing with ______. Does that make sense?

Also find a way to get some sleep.

Since I am old enough to be your mom I most always write talk to your mom. She will love sharing with you, and don't forget your mother in law either.

God bless you
K. SAHM married 38 years ----4 adults- 37,32, & twins 18. They both started college yesterday. Became grandparents in July.

I am having same issues with my 8-week old....HELP!

Hi J.,
From what I have read, babies can't really digest solids until they are at least 4 mths. Of course, I think our parents generation started super early and we survived, so who knows. Unfortunately, all the night waking is pretty normal for such a little one, especially breast fed babies b/c they digest it about every two hours or so, and they are growing at that age like crazy! And, every baby is different. I hear you on the lack of sleep thing though, it is torture! My son is 6 mths old and on solids, and I hate to tell you this but he still doesn't sleep through the night, so i just do not have much faith in the cereal story line. Also, i think that around six weeks your little ones intestines are still developing and they tend to go through a real fussy peak (six weeks-eight weeks) so cereal could do the opposite by constipating your baby and making the waking thing worse. But I am no pediatrician, so I would definately consult yours before you decide to give it a go. It will get better though, I promise!!

Hi J.. First let me say I am sorry that you are so tired. It reallllllllllllllllllly is hard to function during these first months. You are doing a great job just being able to add emailing to you list of "to dos".... On the cereal front or rather on the sleeping through the night front, your child will find that "sweet spot" that falls between tiredness and being full and nod off for that magical night when you say to your husband "did you feed the baby"? It will come. I have to say that this comes later. Five weeks is really young and unless you meant five months I would strive to find a way to continue with the feedings around the clock, get some help so you both can rest, and around 12 pounds or so they seem to be able to make it through the night (again just a guesstimate all babies different). This is a gross generalization. We added cereal to the bottle at 3 months (due to acid reflux)so they could keep the formula down. And I had the girls (I have a year and a half old twins) on to a schedule (loosely at this age) since birth. (See On Becoming Baby Wise - use only what you gut tells you works - alot of people don't agree with this book or Contented Happy Baby Book - take what you like and toss the rest...) and I was back to work at three months with two sleeping babies. Still gave one last bottle after 11 pm and then it dropped off and now they sleep from 7 to 7. In summary, it will happen, you can't totally push it and need to find ways to take care of yourselves. I suggest some outside support keep in mind we had to find the money for this. We had one night when someone can over and did the round the clock feeding while we slept! Worth every penny. All the best to you.
Me - FTWM of incredible twin girls that are 18 months old this month.

This is something you really should speak to your baby's doctor about. My kids ( I have four) didn't sleep through the night until they were almost a year old. Most babies don't sleep through the night at 5 weeks of age. I would never have given them cereal that young since their digestive tracks are not ready to handle it yet. A friend of mine did it with all of her kids thinking they would sleep better and now all 3 of them have severe food allergies. The doctor blames the fact they started the kids on solid food too early. They are finding this more often too. The food is not made the same as our parent's generation. I would seriously ask your doctor before starting your baby on solids. No matter how mashed down it is, it is still not breast milk or formula which are the only things recommended for babies before 4 months. Now they are actually saying to wait until 6 months, which is what I did with my last two. Good luck to you and congratulations on the birth of your baby.

Hi,
I have a 7 month old daughter who also had a tough time sleeping during those early weeks. She had colic symptoms and my husband and I were also up many times through the night as I was breastfeeding (still am). Sometimes she would not go to sleep until about 4 am and we were both so exhausted:( We did not try any cereal until last month. Unfortunately baby stomachs are so small and you can';t really fill them up for too long. They empty as quick as they fill up it seems! The only advice I could give is to try and get through the first 8 weeks or so and it will get better. We ended up buying a vibrating baby chair made by Boppy and she slept in that for a period of about 4-5 hours so that we could get sleep. We also have had her in her own room since day one and not sleeping in our room. My husband works full time and I am a stay at home Mom so I bear the brunt of night time care taking. I know of some babies who have had cereal very early but we never tried that.

I can sympathize with your sleep deprivation and i am so sorry. I remember that things definitely got better after the first couple months. I don't think that your sleeplessness will last much longer. Try your best to have baby in his own room or area and play soothing music or try the vibrating chair. My husband and I swear by it!! We bought it at Target for about $24.00. Best of luck to you!

A.

p.s. My baby is 7 months old and sleeps pretty much through the night with the exception of a few nights she is up due to teething.

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!! This is bad advice. There are lots of old wives tales floating around about this. Not only will it not make your baby sleep longer at night (nothing really will at this age anyway), it will mess up his digestive system. A 5 week-old is not old enough to properly digest anything but breast milk. Your pediatrician will agree with me. You should also not give up on trying to breastfeed. 5 weeks is not enough time for you or your baby to learn proper technique. It can take at least 2 months before everything is going well. I had a lot of difficulty in the beginning too and it took us about 3 months before it was going well. I used a nipple shield at first and gradually weaned him off it. Ask your pediatrician to recommend a lactation consultant if you decide to try the nipple shield because there can be problems with them if you are not supervised. As far as getting him to sleep longer at night, I hate to tell you this but, welcome to motherhood. You are just going to have to wait it out. But some things that may help are to make sure he is is bright sunlight in the mornings- take him out for a walk or open the curtains and don't let him sleep longer than 4 hours straight during the day. Wake him up and keep him stimulated as much as is possible in a newborn. Also make sure that you keep lights off as much as possible during night feedings. This will help him to set his biological clock.

I also just noticed another person giving advice to not change his diaper at night- don't listen to that. If you don't change the baby's diaper frequently, especially at this age when they often poop around the clock, he will get a rash, which is not fun for either of you.

HI J.! You sound so tired! My heart goes out to you! I didn't feed my daughter cereal until 6 months. I have some friends who did it at four months under their pediatrician's recommendation, but I've never heard of anyone doing it younger than that. I would definitely ask your doctor before trying it. I'm not sure if their little tummies are ready for solids yet, but I could be wrong! I breastfed my daughter and she would always get up every 2-3 hours at night for the first several months...not to discourage you! I just want you to know that I think it's pretty normal. My daughter was six weeks old the first time she slept for a 4-5 hour stint. He'll find his rhythm and so will you! Have you tried those swaddle blankets with the velcro? The swaddle me or the miracle blanket really helped her sleep...just a thought! Good luck!

Dear J.,

I am a mom of a twenty three year old boy and a nineteen year old girl. My daughter was content with just formula, however my son was eating every two hours. I still remember his first monthly checkup he went from eight pounds one ounce to twelve lbs eight ounces in one month. Sometimes doctors will not allow food until six months of age. I say tell them to stay up all night with a hungry baby!!! I did cereal on my own in the morning and in the evening and boy did it help. He began sleeping from eleven to six and then eventually he sleep from seven to seven. Sometimes as moms we have to do what is best for our child and not what the book says. Lets face it we are all different as adults and that is the same for babies. By the way my son is not overweight and never has been due to me feeding him early. In order to be a functioning mom we need to get some sleep. Broken sleep over time will wear you down. So I say try it. If the baby gets gas or it does not aggree with him right now try a different cereal. I started with rice. The worst thing that may happen is a little gas or perhaps some constipation. And that can usually be corrected with a different cereal. Try it and get some rest. Good luck

HI J..
I myself never did that, and I read lots of times that it's not true that at this age giving cereal would fill him up and he'd sleep through the night. It may even cause the constipation. At 5 weeks a baby's tummy's just getting used to milk, so if his stomach would reject - you'll be up again. So, my advice would be to talk to your doctor and not only about feeding, because if he wakes up every hour or two and you feed him every time he wakes up, it looks like the hunger is not the only reason he doesn't sleep for longer periods. Also watch him closely and think why it could be: he wants to be hugged, he's cold or hot, wet, etc.?...
Good luck to you. I hope you and both of your men will get their calm sleep very soon.

Hi J.

Im sorry to hear about your sleeplessness but i don't think you should give your 5 week old any cereal before contacting your pediatrician because his stomach may not be able to handle it. If you do attempt to do this i would suggest putting a little in his formula. Hope you take my advice.

T.

I think that the reccomended time is 4 months, but I began my daughter on it at 2 months old. However, my reasons were about my baby's GERD. Most parents felt it was fine and no one really gave me any clear warnings as to why not. BUT, after the fact I came across some research that stated that babies who consume any cereal before 4 months of age are so much more likely to get juvenile diabetes. That info would've definitely influenced my decision seeing as to how I got gestational diabetes with her AND both types of diabetes run in my family. AND given that it's such a growing epidemic in the US.

But if 2 months old was really chancing it, 5 weeks is even more so. I know it's really rough (Both things, him not nursing, you pumping and him not sleeping through more than 2 hours) but try to hang in there. And really take people up on their offers to help out. Let some love crazed grandparent or auntie sleep on the couch and be on a watch or two- it will make you feel like a million bucks the 1st time you get a "whole" 6 hours. This stuff now is relatively short term, but to put your baby at risk for digestive problems or diabetes later on will for certain be worse for you as his mom.

That's my advice- do what you think best. -N

Although your son is still quite young to start cereal (I didn't actually start until about 10-12 weeks old), I found that Gerber Baby Cereal worked great, it does give them a little bit of constipation at first, (but all babies are different) my children adjusted to it and were back on track relatively quickly. I would just put a teaspoon in at 1st and then gradual give more as the baby got older. I breastfed all 3 of my children and although I didn't have a lot of sleeping issues, I did have the feeding issues especially with my second son - who according to the doctor was eating ample amounts during each breastfeeding, however they were almost every 1/2 hour, which is why I began supplementing with Cereal. I also used distilled water between feedings too, just to keep them hydrated - bottled from Gerber as well (another idea that might help) I hope this helps.

Deffinitley talk to your doctor - Mine had some great advice when my son had is days/nights mixed up. Turn on lots of bright lights in the morning and really get up and get moving. In the evenings, dim lights, soft music, he'll get the picture plus it has something to do with Melatonin which you get naturally from sunshine, lights, etc. I'm sure there is more I don't remember but as the other ladies said, this will pass. For now, sleep when baby sleeps. With my first I had to go back to work at 6 weeks. We had great success co-sleeping although now I understand that's not recommended. It worked great for us since I am a light sleeper and it made it easy to feed baby and go right back to sleep.
Good luck and congratulations

Hi J.! first, congrats on your baby! He is only 5 weeks old and should not be expected to sleep through the night yet. some babies take months to sleep through the night. Theh best advice I can give is to sleep when he sleeps during the day. try waking him and feeding him every three hours during the day and then hopefuly he'll give you a ittle longer at night. try keeping him up more during the day. give a bath around 6 ish to wake him and play and then feed a bottle. I'm not sure about cereal, I know lots of moms do it.
You just have to hang in there!!! good luck!

Hi J.,
You should always check with your pediatrician before changing your baby's diet, especially giving cereal at that young an age. I know it is hard to be sleep deprived, but my daughter, who is now 7 months didn't sleep through the night until she was three months old (we didn't start cereal until 6 months). Now she sleeps great and it has nothing to do with cereal. Many pediatricians say to wait until 6 months to introduce any type of solid food, some say four months. You should check with your pediatrician to see what they recommend. Good luck and hang in there - it will get better.

Hi J., You all babies are so different and what works for one may not work for another. I always found it was trial and error when my children were babies. My first baby was eating almost 8 ounces of formula a week after I came home from the hospital and never seemed satisfied. Her dr said to try cereal. I tried on the spoon but it was very distressing to her and to me too...lol. He then said to put it in her bottle. It cut down the amount of ounces of formula she was getting but it did seem to satisify her longer. I think to start I put 2 tsp in a 4 ounce bottle and went from there. After she was about a month I started to give her a little more cereal and formula but I only did the cereal three times a day like a breakfast, lunch and dinner type idea but the dinner feeding that I figured was given the last feeding at night. She didn't sleep through the night but she slept a good 5 to 6 hours there elievating the every two hours. Then she did start going through the night at about two months. The night time sleep loss is so hard. Maybe sometimes you may have to let your son cry a little if he's been fed and changed. Sometimes they just need to learn to soothe themselves to sleep. They need to learn that we don't eat at night and that they can survive. My Mother's Dr told her when she brought us home from the hospital that after midnight you don't pick your baby up at all for feedings. She didn't do that but her sister-in-law did it and her babies slept through the night sooner. I could never do that to my babies either but there is something interesting to that idea. I know it's hard to let new babies cry but if everything is okay...just try rubbing his back or a pacifier. (Pacifiers can be a pain too but they can help a crying baby go back to sleep) Some babies just like to suck. You can always talk to your peditrician what he/she thinks. Each one will tell you something different and like I said in the beginning it's what works for you and your baby that's important. Good luck, I hope this helped. D.

Hi J., Most 5 week olds are up every two hours. Do you and your husband alternate so one can get some sleep? In my day we did put a little cereal in the bottle, Try it, I don't think it will hurt. Only a little cereal and make the hole in the nipple bigger. Maybe you can let him sleep beside you as if he were nursing and he will stay asleep longer. My good wishes, Grandma Mary

HI J., I pumped also for my little girl. It was very hard b/c you're essentially double feeding. Pumping every two hours and feeding every 2. At 5 weeks old that is basically what you get. No sleep. I would not recommend adding anything to the bottle and formula doesn't really fill their stomachs that much more. Babies are supposed to sleep very little and eat often. Try reading Dr. Sears' Baby Book. It tells you all about babies natural sleep cycles and why they need to eat every 2-3 hours. You can't force it. It will come. My 3 month old sleeps 7-9 hours a night and started sleeping through the night at exactly 2 months and 1 day. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

I gave all three of my babies cereal at young ages my daughter was three weeks my two sons were four weeks. start with barley its easiest for them to digest and it will definitely help them sleep if they have a full tummy!

I really don't think your sons digestive system is ready for cereal yet, and in my experience and from what I've read, cereal really does not help them sleep through the night. My pediatrician said 4 months for formula-fed babies and 6-months for breast-fed babies for introducing cereal. I caved at 3 months b/c everyone kept telling me it would help my son sleep better- it had literally no effect at all. Around 5 months he finally did start sleeping through the night. One thing that did help us to get a little help was a "dream feeding" (from Tracy Hodge, the baby whispere). Before you or your husband goes to bed, you just pick your son up and feed him a bottle while he's sleeping. It helps teach them to sleep longer and ensures that your son won't wake up hungry 15 mins. after you go to bed (which used to happen to me- as soon as I fell asleep, my son was up!!). You can also do this t/o the night and try and get in there before your son wakes up, so that he gets used to sleeping longer. We never did this, b/c our sons feedings just gradually got later and later until he slept through the night. Hope this helps!

From what I remember - the infants digestive systems aren't mature enough for cereal. So, like someone else said - your Ped will probably just say no! Hang in there - it will pass. I remember thinking this will never end and before you know it - you are out of it. My dgtr slept 2-3 hours (formula fed) from 1:30/2-4/5 am - the rest was an hour here, hour and half there... until 3-4 wks old and she started with a longer stretch and I was up 2 times in the night - 1a and 4a usually. By about 8 wks she was sleeping through the night well enough. You will get through it - he'll get onto a better schedule - hang in there - but cereal - likely out! Try the music changes and real differences from am to pm like someone else said. I got into a strict routine with my dgtr of a particular song before nap and sleep (b/c she wouldn't fall asleep on her own until 8-9 mos and was a TERRIBLE napper!). Try to get into a routine before laying down for the night (whatever time the longest stretch is) and try to keep it up as it stretches out and carry it over into naps once he has a bit of a napping schedule - it may help.

Hi J.,

My son was the same way. Nothing worked for him--he was just a big kid who needed to eat every 2 hours. From everything I've read lately, cereal is a bad idea. It may make him more uncomfortable (and worse) at night because his digestive system isn't ready for the larger proteins. There are also some studies that indicate the longer you hold off on solids, the less chance there is of allergies. Formula did nothing for my son, so we went back to all breast milk since it has all he needs and nothing he doesn't. He outgrew this eventually and your son will too. Whatever you do, check with your pediatrician first (and make sure that what s/he says makes sense to you, since doctors have all different opinions too). Good luck....you will sleep again!

my firstborn was always hungry, at 11 days the pediatrician told me to add cereal to her bottle, of course you have to enlarge the nipple a ittle to let the cereal thru. On the other hand, my 2nd was not alowed cereal till she was 1 month old. I believe all docs just go with the flow.

Hi J.:

I think your 5 week old is doing exactly what he should be, even though it is hard to beleive. At this age, they can eat every 2 hours (my youngest did). I wouldn't advise cereal at such a young age, his little system isn't ready for that yet.

Good luch and hang in there, this is only temporary and trust me it does end and you will finally get some sleep!

K. - mom to 3 children ages 5, 3 & 1

My doctor said that it's an old wives tail that cereal makes babies sleep longer. Many people do it, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily a good idea! Babies aren't ready for solids at 5 weeks!

My advice is to wait it out. (I know- that's not what you were hoping to hear!) It's completely normal for a 5 week old baby to wake up every 1-2 hours to nurse, even though it's so exhausting for you and your husband. Breastmilk does get digested more quickly than formula, but it's so much better for him at this stage! Formula is fine, when necessary. But it's harder to digest for little ones, and it sounds like you're doing a great job with pumping...

I would really just keep up those night feedings. In another month, he'll know night from day. And after that he'll slowly taper off some of those feedings. But it is completely normal for him to wake up this often right now!

Hi J.- Let me first start by saying congrats on a healthy baby boy. My son is 3 months old and I know how exhausted you must be. My son still doesn't sleep through the night and he won't until he is ready. I think you may have unrealistic expectations of your baby. A 5 week old should NOT be sleeping through the night. Weaking up every 2 hours is what the early months of parenthood are all about.

I would suggest you cut out all housework, and sleep when the baby sleeps. I understand your tired but right now is not about you its about your son. And remember this time will pass soon.

Please read this article about the damage cereal can do if you feed it to your baby too soon. http://www.drgreene.com/21_861.html

Good Luck

Hello~

I'm not sure if your baby has the swallowing mechanism to handle cereal at this age, but you can certainly mix a teaspoon or so of baby rice cereal into his milk or formula. This is something babies can handle at any age, hospitals even use this method with preemies. It will bulk up the food which could help him sleep longer (it is commonly used for babies who have reflux because it weighs down the food, thereby helping them keep it down). Worth a try!

I'd check with your pediatrician... I know that in my parent's generation they started cereal younger without ill-effects, but the current American Accademy of Pediatrics reccomendation is to wait until 4 months for their little digestive systems to be better able to handle the "solid" food.
Congratulations on your baby!! The initial adjustment can be rough, but life as a mom just gets better and better!! :)

First let me say that I really feel for you because I went through the same thing, and with a nearly 6 month old daughter I am still sleep deprived. Did anyone tell you straight up that the first 10-12 weeks are sheer hell? They are. But your 5 week old is normal - it is the exception not the rule that a newborn sleeps through the night. You can't really get around it. Try to sleep when he sleeps - that's the only way to survive it.

Five weeks is way too young for them to swallow and digest cereal and food does not affect how they sleep anyway (unless your baby is awake because he has acid reflux - food then does help in this case because it keeps the milk from coming up and irritating him).

A great book to read about sleep is Marc Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Good luck!!

Hi J.,

As a mom and an SLP, I would highly recommend that you discuss your options/questions with your pediatrician. Somethings to think about before you consider cereal are allergic reactions to the formula and even reflux... both of which can be very uncomfortable for your little one but with a few changes and perhaps some medication, it should subside...
Giving a baby cereal too early is not recommended as his body may not be able to properly digest it...which will lead to more problems.

Regards,
N.

J.,
i am way older 43 and i have a 23 year old son and a 15 year old son , i have done daycare professionally and trained for ever. nys lie. and military trained for the past 12 years. seen just about it all. i truly love the babies. remember they need you even at the time s you feel like your going to cry yourself. go to the dr. and ask away and talk of your frustration. i am so happy you asked your question. please go to the doctor, something may be bothering your angel. you may have to give formula or not. as long as it is all better for the baby. and the good of the family, right your family:) .
remeber everyone has advice but we have doctors for a reson, and also i trust that you were told that when you need time from the baby to ask for help, that helps everyone,:)and when they cry they are always trying to communicate to you, they are sweet . i wish i was there to help you. i have my grand son all the time and he is the best thing, his mom and dad are so young, and they get just like you, gee my son can't even chnge his diaper till this day, he dry heaves, so i taught my grandson who is now 17 months so say so cool like and with a slow drawl " groooosss" when changing him and yes we are working on the toilet traning. commander cody he is the best and he is enrolled in nana's daycare.:)
best wishes, let me know how your family is. and take naps when the little angel does.
Miss L.

I think your baby is five weeks old and you need to give it more time. Your baby sounds normal, it is your expectations that you need to manage.

I began giving both of my sons (now three and one) cereal in their bottles at about 4-6 weeks of age as advised by my pediatrician. It helped both of them sleep and they both slept through the night by the time they were 9-10 weeks old. We added two small teaspoons (start with very little to see how your son reacts to it) of rice cereal to their bottles. When you do this you need to use faster flowing nipples so that the cereal can get through. This worked very well for us, but I strongly recommend discussing this with your pediatrician before proceeding--I always like to run new things by the doctor first so that they can tell you any pros and cons.

Best of luck--it does get better, the first few weeks are the toughest in terms of lack of sleep (-:

Hi J.. First off I will say that my opinion is that it's way too early for a 5 week old to sleep through the night. First off, most references consider 'through the night' to be 6 hours, so that's not that long. But more importantly, at 5 weeks, they need the food more frequently, and at that point my doctor said I should still be waking her to feed her every 3 to 4 hours if she wasn't waking on her own. Unfortunately, I'm guessing it's sleep deprivation for a while to come, even with going back to work.

I had to give my baby rice cereal that early on because of reflux. I added a tsp per oz in her bottle. I also exclusively pumped because of latching issues, and am still pumping at 5 months. I found that it made absolutely no difference in how long she slept. I've read studies that say it's an old wives tale and there's no evidence it makes any difference, and then I've spoken to my sister who swears when she started cereal her babies slept longer and ate less frequently at night. I think the sleeping through the night thing is partially their body weight, and partially the individual baby.

Hi J.,
I don't even plan to give my 5 month old cereal. Please wait!!! There are too many food allergies possible, and breastmilk (and formula, since he's already taking it) is all he needs right now! I know it's tiring, but he'll only be tiny for a little longer!! Hang in there!

J.,
I have never heard of giving a 5 week old baby cereal. Their tummies are not ready for it. I would ask your ped first before trying this method. I'm pretty sure that your not supposed to give your baby any solids until at least 4 months. I know its hard having to get up every two hours to feed (almost all the mommies on the board has had to in the beginning) My little guy who is now almost 7 months didn't sleep through the night until he was 4 months old. I know it might seem like there is no end in site, but there will come a night, where he won't wake for a feeding and it will be great!! BTW, i breast fed for the first 5 weeks, then switched to formula and found that I got longer stretches of sleep in the evening. Best of luck to you and your little guy!!

Point blank,if u ask ya ped..doc they gonna tell u no..this
i know from experience.however i had the same problem and what i gave all of my children were rice cereal which is babies first stage.Not too much but enough to full them up for the night.i gave one cereal bottle n the am and one n the pm/..good luck

Waking every 2 hours is TOTALLY normal for a baby this age. Especially since he is breastfed. You have to remember his stomach is only the size of his fist so how much can he hold. Breasfed babies digest the milk faster as it is designed for them. Adding cereal is not going to do anything, but possible help introduce food allergies. I fed both my kids cereal 3 times a day from the time they were 6 mos old and neither of them slept through the night until 7 and 9 mos. And I had to push them to do it. You are asking way to much of a 5 wk old to expect sleeping through the night yet. This is what it's all about, sorry to burst your bubble. My daughter is 1 and still doesn't sleep through most nights. She may wake and only want a binky, but she doesn't sleep through.

Hi J.,

I just wanted to say that my daughter was the same way at that age. She was also a very big baby and the doctor, who was from the "old school" way of thinking, suggested that I do two things: 1. put two teaspoons of rice cereal in her bottle with her formula (you many need to enlarge the holes in the nipple to prevent clogging) and 2. swaddle the baby. Let me tell you, it worked. I went from being woke up every 45 minutes (talking about sleep deprived) to getting 4+ hours of sleep at a time. I hope this helps and best of luck with your little one.

T.
www.motherearthandbaby.com

It helps if he sleeps next to you and you don't change his diaper at night. Have you spoken to a lactation consultant about his latching issues? Getting up every 2 hours is brutal but breastfeeding makes it a little easier. Don't worry, it will pass. Just sleep when you can and don't stress. I agree, don't give him anything but formula or breastmilk.

Hi J.,
First of all congratulations on your little one! Secondly, it is perfectly normal for a 5 week old not to sleep through the night at that age. In fact it is expected. I was in the same predicament as you are( I pumped due to non-latching and I bottle fed). My son started sleeping through the night at exactly 11 weeks. My drs said usually around 2-3 months they give up their night feeding as it is "nutritionally not necessary anymore. My personal opinion about the mashed potatoes is I would not give a newborn anything except milk. There is a good reason for this- there immature little stomaches can not handle those types of food at that age. Most people disagree( the older generations like my grandma) but I tend to follow the advice of all my drs and things worked out great. Consult your ped. I am sure he/she will not advise on any sort of food at this age. Hang in there, he will sleep through the night- just keep to a routine, babies love that.
Please let me know how is turns out!
PS- I know how it is being sleep deprived. its awful and you feel like there is no end in sight. But it really does get better.

M. M

I'm sorry but doctors go to school for a long time for a reason. Do no feed you child solids until they reccomend it. It will make your child at risk for being over weight and develop allergies.Mother nature knows what she is doing and you just need to hang in there (one of my children slept great at night and screamed all day and my other child was great during the day but wouldn't sleep more than an hour at a time at night) I;ll be honest and tell you that with my second child, it took a very long time for him to finally sleep. At this point, and every point in parenting, you have to look at the long term well being of your child. not the quick fix. Usually if it is the easier choice for right now it is not the right choice. Hang in there and I promise thatit will improve!

HI J.,

It is very normal for your 5 week old to NOT sleep through the night. The longest stretch at night should be 3 hours right now because he needs to eat to fuel that growing body.

I know its tough because I have been there too, but it does get easier and eventually your son will sleep through the night (but not just yet)--just be patient. Make sure you are getting rest during the day and the more your son eats during the day, the better to help fill his "tank" for the night time hours.

How about you and your husband take turns with the night time feedings since you are pumping? At least this way you can get a few more consecutive hours of sleep.

As far as what you are feeding him, you can do a few things. #1 NO cereal-- it is way too early for that. #2 you can retry latching and offering the breast instead of pumping (pumping can be a pain, I know!) to help save you time. Check out www.kellymom.com for breastfeeding resources.

Good luck & Yes, I promise you, you will be able to sleep soon. Just be patient. :-)

Hi J.! What you are experiencing is very normal, even though it is hard not to have your sleep. Each decision is your own, but, I would contact the pediatrician before giving cereal. It is generally advised not to give cereal or any solids until around 6 months of age. Many people do give cereal in hopes of getting baby to sleep through the night, but there is no evidence to support that it does.

Formula, on the other hand, may help him sleep longer since it takes longer to digest than breastmilk. Personally, I would not give cereal. I would try formula. It gets better as time goes on. The time will fly and before you know it he'll sleep longer. Just hang in there and try to enjoy each and every minute, they go by quickly. Check out kellymom.com for more information about breastfeeding and such. It's an evidence based website, not just someone's feelings on the subject. Hope this helps. :)

5 week old babies aren't supposed to be sleeping thru the night. Breastfed babies or babies who get breastmilk via the bottle will wake up every 2-3 hours. Usually the earliest a baby will sleep thru the night is 3-4 months of age. Formula at night is a little more filling and lasts a little longer. He is WAY too young for cereal. Don't even bother asking your doctor because he will tell you no. Sorry to break it to you honey but your gonna be sleep deprived a little longer. My youngest (son) is 4 months old and usually sleeps thru the night but has his off nights still because he started teething. Like last night he was up alot. You just have to wait it out, you also may need to up his feedings during the day. Good luck and you'll get some sleep eventually.

It is very tiring when you have to get up every couple of hours. Does your baby sleep in another room than your bedroom? If so, have you considered bed sharing or co-sleeping? Our son sleeps in the bed with us, which is not for everyone, I know. An alternative is to get a co-sleeping side-car to attach to your bed. Or even a bassinet or crib in your bedroom might be better. Babies sleep better when they are near their parents. They spend 9 months growing inside of you, then all of the sudden they are off by themselves for a majority of their time (naps and sleeping in a crib by themselves). Hearing your sleeping sounds and feeling your presence is soothing. At this early age, you can't expect the baby to sleep through the night(and in fact, I think that is a myth -- nobody, even adults, sleep through the night), but it is a lot easier for you to care for your baby when he is in the room with you.

Also, have you worked with a lactation consultant? Most nursing problems can be solved, but sometimes you have to work hard at it. It's worth it, though! La Leche League is a good source for informaton and support, but one on one consultations might give you better results.

When your baby sleeps, do you sleep? Very important! I know there is the urge to run around and do chores, email friends, watch t.v., read, shower, eat, etc., but do take some naps while your baby sleeps. Also, napping together on the bed is really nice.

If you get the latch problems worked out and are able to breastfeed, try the side-nursing position. It really changed my life for the better! You each lie on your sides and face each other. The baby latches on and sucks. He can such while he sleeps and so can you! This is great during naptime, but it is really great in the middle of the night. Now even when my son wakes up in the middle of the night, we quickly attach and he sucks and I go back to sleep. I think it's a bit tricky when they are so young, but really worth getting the hang of.

Whatever happens, keep pumping your milk. Breast milk is so important!

Good luck!

No solids until 5 months or later! Little babies eat a lot and don't tend to sleep. Some never do sleep well. Get used to the idea and sleep during the day while the baby naps. You could do formula, many babies don't eat as often on formula.

He's a newborn....he's supposed to eat every 2 to 3 hrs. He's far too young for cereal, but if you are seriously considering it, ask your pediatrician first.

Your baby is so young, my daughter and son did not sleep through the night until 4-5 MONTHS. The night feedings sounds exactly right on. Your son is way too young for cereal, his stomach is too small.Good luck, and remember it will end.

My little guy who is also bottle fed via my pumping did not sleep through the night at this point. Its too soon. It wasn't until 8 1/2 weeks that he started this. And yes we were up every 1 1/2 to 2 hours to feed him. My pediatrician (who is no longer my pediatrician) said to add cereal to his bottle which is a big NO NO - read any book - it is too soon for cereal and you may only add to the problem by creating digestive issues due to the fact that your little one is not ready for cereal.

Unfortunately, time is going to have to pass and your little one growing and gaining weight. I had people tell me to give my guy formula at night and that that would help him stay down longer. I tried it once or twice and it did not help and may have just caused digestive issues.

Stick with what you are doing - you are doing great and wait it out.

I hope you weren't expecting to both have a baby AND sleep! I would suggest you visit your local chapter of La Leche League and get to know what other Moms are doing. They have some great books about this too that are usually available at the meetings. No five week old is ready for formula or food. Breast is best and the only safe and natural food for a new baby. Why not just lay down with your baby and let him suckle while you sleep? It's a lot more relaxing and your husband doesn't need to get up.

Hi J.,
5 week old babies don't sleep through the night. If you expected that, your perceptions of an infant need readjustment. Your son is a newborn. Newborns nurse 8-12 times in 24 hours. Your son is doing what he should be. He does not have his nights and days confused. Newborns don't have nights and days, they eat around the clock and don't have a long sleep period at night.
Month old babies don't eat cereal. It's not recommended for them and doesnt guarantee they sleep through the night. Your son needs the nutrition of his milk at night, cereal doesn't offer a newborn nutrition. And he's not really capable of processing solid food. It doesnt' benefit him. At a month old, you really need to expect to be feeding your baby at night. The night waking is hard, but we all do it. Many of us went back to work in the first couple of months with babies who didn't sleep through the night.
Before introducing any food to your baby, you should consult the pediatrician. The American Academy of Pediatrics has specific recommendations about infant feeding. Good luck

I had the same problem with my first son. I asked for some advise and my mother in law suggested a table spoon of rice cereal in his milk. If he took it well, add another a week or so later. If he can take it, then give it to him. He will sleep a little longer. If he can't, you will know it and then you stop (you might need a little baby gas ex).

Definitely ask the pediatrician first. I hate to tell you this, but get used to the lack of sleep! Most babies don't sleep through the night until around 4 months old, if that! He's way too young to go all night without food still.
Lynsey