Making this House a Home

Advice welcomed.....

I am a new mother and welcome any advice from experience mothers here.  My son does not sleep for long periods at night.  I am not sure what is causing this.  I breasfeed him and he just recently started eating rice cereal.  I am not sure what the best way to get the baby to sleep comfortably through the night or at least for several hours. There is so much information out there from letting the baby cry to not letting the baby cry etc.  So I was hoping that I could seek advice from all of you.  Any advice on should I put the baby on a routine verses demand feeding...how to get the baby to sleep better at night......how often should the baby be napping during the day at 5 months.......... Any infromation you are willing to share would be helpful.

Thank you all!

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{ 09:17, Tuesday, January 29, 2008 } { Posted by gabbie427 }

All babies are different. Mine started sleeping through the night at about 2 1/2 months, but others like my girlfriend's still won't sleep through the night at age 1. So don't feel like you are doing something wrong ok???

Some things that worked for me though are starting a bedtime routine. Bathtime is always nice (if it a soothing time for baby and she loves it, then it calms her readying her for bedtime, if she screams, then she will be wore out and hpoefully sleep better. LOL), perhpas a story time too. I loved using Lavendar scented baby lotion (calming) on ours, and singing to them.

We started also "training" our little one to go to bed by himself without having to be rocked all the way to sleep. We started sitting in a darkened room, singing or gently talking to him, reminding him that bedtime was coming but put him in his crib while only half asleep. This taught him how to put himself to sleep and thus when he would wake up in the middle of the night, he didnt' instantly need mommy, mommy's milk, or to be soothed and rocked. This was the best thing we could have ever did. He is now almost 2 and still sleeping all night long. He wakes up sometimes, cries for one minute (must have been a bad dream) and instead of me having to go pat his back and soothe him, he puts himself back to sleep!!!

We also started some "sign language" if you want to call it that. Noah has known for a long time that putting him to bed, and patting his back three times means go to sleep for the night. I don't do this for his nap times, because it is a shorter sleep time. He has figured out the difference as well.

As for nap times, babies are different in this as well. Noah normally took 2 naps of an hour to two hours each when he was younger. Then as he became a toddler, he only needed one. Now that he is almost 2 years old, he thinks he doesn't need a nap, but I insist he at least be in his crib for 1 1/2 to 2 hours daily. He sometimes rests and sleeps, and other times sings and talks to his stuffed animals we put him to nap with.

Hope this helps out some. Not trying to tell you I am a perfect mom, because I am not. But these are the things that worked for us. You will have to find what works for you and your little one.

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo

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{ 10:13, Tuesday, January 29, 2008 } { Posted by homesteadmama4 }

My children were nursed and none of them slept very long through the night. I had everyone telling me to bottle feed and they would sleep better. My SIL bottle fed and babies slept through the night @ 2 weeks. But there was NO WAY I was going to bottle feed. Breast milk is digested faster so they get hungry more often. It's live active good food for them. I remember getting 4 hours of sleep and thinking how great it was. It's hard to put a breast fed baby on a schedule. You can't tell for sure how much they are getting at each feeding so they may truly be hungry a 1/2 hour or hour after a feeding. This time passes so quickly. You will get sleep. Enjoy nursing and as far as the cereal goes. I tried that to see if they would sleep better (more full) didn't work for us. Hang in there. These times seem hard but they are so precious.

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{ 11:16, Tuesday, January 29, 2008 } { Posted by southernbelle }

We had success when we'd feed them cereal and give a warm bath close to bed time. We stuck to a routine so that they learned quickly when bed time was. I hope you and baby get some restful nights.

Babies...

{ 01:13, Tuesday, January 29, 2008 } { Posted by wstoller }

All 3 were different. I tried to use a flexible schedule. Basically When they awaken from nap -they were fed, then wake time, then nap time... Then at night - a bedtime routine. My oldest slept through the night at about 4 months of age, my second daughter was 18 months old before she slept through (and believe me I tried everything including many many nights of letting her cry for periods of time), and our son slept through the night at 10 months of age - when I weaned him and put him on formula (due to a full mouth of teeth that wouldn't stop biting). I agree with what was said early -don't rock or nurse them to sleep, they will get used to it and then can no longer fall back to sleep on their own. Some other factors could be reflux that's waking them - both my youngest were like that and slept much better on their tummy (gasp... don't tell anyone). On the advice of my mother and friend I finally flipped them onto their stomachs (very aprehensively at first). My son would start with the reflux and it would wake him up from a sound sleep. So I had to, just so they would sleep more than an hour at a time. I would say that a schedule of some sort (even flexible like ours) is best, because babies can come to know and expect what's to come (such as the bedtime routines listed above) and they find security in knowing what's coming next and they are more relaxed. But there is no one set pattern that all babies can be made to fit into - otherwise there wouldn't be so many different books with different ideas! Love them while they are small... they grow up and no longer need held and cuddled! have fun!!! :0)

Edited by wstoller on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 12:15

Hi

{ 01:38, Tuesday, January 29, 2008 } { Posted by TheGoodLife }

My advise is relax, enjoy this time (even tho going thru it is soo hard) but it goes soo quick - grab a nap during the day when you can.

I wasn;'t a good breeder & my babies were not sleepers so I feel I can't give you any tibs. All except try and enjoy this stage as it really does go so quick.

But Oh I do remember being very tired. ((hugs))

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{ 03:17, Tuesday, January 29, 2008 } { Posted by Charity }

Just wanted to say all babies are different. My 5 month old sleeps through the night but all my children did not do that. My five month old is my fifth child. I think most of them didn't really sleep as good as he does through the night. This stage shall past, I am sure you are doing a fine job. Try and catch a nap when you can :)

Baby tips

{ 10:59, Friday, February 1, 2008 } { Posted by countryheart }

First I want to tell you to enjoy this.It goes so fast. After saying that I know you need sleep Too. I breast fed all three of mine and tried to get into a routine especially at bed time. First of all I gave a bath and got them all cozy. At 6 weeks I started them out on rice cereal after their bathtime.I put them in their little seat and fed them on the kitchen table with a spoon.Not cereal through a bottle like some do.It was a little thick not too runny. After they ate their cereal I nursed them in the rocker. They usually fell asleep while nursing and I layed them down. A very important rule that I always tried to follow was after they were about 6 or 7 months, I would try to lay them down for their naps at around 1:00 and not let them sleep past 3:00. This way, by bedtime they were already getting tired. I tried to limit a nap to 1 a day after they passed the stage of sleeping all the time during the day. One good nap during the day is good for momma instead of a bunch of little ones. It lets you get more stuff done around the house or rest for yourself. I hope this helps. My children are 18, 17, &9. Oh How I wish I could do it all over agian!There is nothing greater than being a mommy. Love, Tina

Relax - this too shall pass

{ 11:10, Friday, February 1, 2008 } { Posted by fcusick }

Yes, all babies are different. I only had 3 but all were different. I breast fed and some slept and some didn't. The secret to get my babies to sleep longer? They liked to sleep on their bellies. I know what all the experts say but they are all still tummy sleepers as well as myselF!

Sleeping babies

{ 12:30, Sunday, February 17, 2008 } { Posted by seventhheaven }

I think all the advice so far is very good. I am a mother of 5 and have experienced sleepers as well as non-sleepers. The one thing i have not noticed anyone saying is swaddling your baby. My Noah was a swaddler. He would only sleep if he was very tightly wrapped in blankets and he would sleep long stretches like this. As everyone has said, all babies are different so trial and error believe it or not is the best thing to do!!!!