newg
09-13-2006, 02:54 PM
Has anyone ever heard of giving baby water at night to help them learn to sleep through the night? Someone told me about it when DS#1 was a baby but he was a great sleeper. Now with DS#2 he is going on 4 1/2 months and sleeping is getting worse it seems like. Last night he was awake at 3 but not crying just "yelling" It doesn't seem like he was hungry. He ate 1 oz and then was back to sleep. I would hate to deprive him if he needs the feeding at night but I don't think he's really waking up hungry. Any opinions/comments?
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Ratatosk
09-13-2006, 03:46 PM
You're not supposed to give newborns, infants water. It can screw up their electrolytes. Was something on the news earlier this summer about parents mistakenly giving the infants water when it's really really hot. Your baby is probably hungry. We fed DS about every 4 hours for the first few months of life. And until he was almost a year old he still got up at least once during the night for a feeding.
debating
09-14-2006, 11:04 AM
Becoming wakeful at this age is normal. They are becoming so interested in their environment, and are on the cusp of major developmental milestones, that sleeping and eating are becoming less of a priority to them. Gone are the days when all your baby wanted to do was nurse. Now he wants to watch the world around him, play with his feet, learn to roll over, play with toys, etc.
Because of this, day time feedings may reduce, but not because he doesn't need them. It's because he doesn't have time for them. And then what happens is, at night time, when it's quiet and dark, and there are no distractions, THAT'S when he wants to cuddle and eat. Try to reduce the cycle be encouraging him to eat more during the day. I've blacked out Ava's room so we can go in there to nurse and snuggle, otherwise she'd be up all night making up for lost time.
Their nutritional needs are not diminishing, so don't take away from caloric content by feeding water. This is counter productive, and dangerous in little babies. Too much water can lead to sodium and electrolyte imbalances.
There isn't anything we can do to "teach" a baby to sleep through the night. All you can do is head off the distractions and the reasons for the wakefulness and take it one day at a time.
I wish I could say it gets better, but we're having our own issues. ;) Ava is 6 months old and has recently learned to say "mama". She has also mastered how to sit up on her own, and is very close to crawling. When it's bed time all she wants to do is say "mama mama mama mama" while trying her darnedest to crawl around the bed. She's simply too busy to eat or sleep at this point. LOL.
Because of this, day time feedings may reduce, but not because he doesn't need them. It's because he doesn't have time for them. And then what happens is, at night time, when it's quiet and dark, and there are no distractions, THAT'S when he wants to cuddle and eat. Try to reduce the cycle be encouraging him to eat more during the day. I've blacked out Ava's room so we can go in there to nurse and snuggle, otherwise she'd be up all night making up for lost time.
Their nutritional needs are not diminishing, so don't take away from caloric content by feeding water. This is counter productive, and dangerous in little babies. Too much water can lead to sodium and electrolyte imbalances.
There isn't anything we can do to "teach" a baby to sleep through the night. All you can do is head off the distractions and the reasons for the wakefulness and take it one day at a time.
I wish I could say it gets better, but we're having our own issues. ;) Ava is 6 months old and has recently learned to say "mama". She has also mastered how to sit up on her own, and is very close to crawling. When it's bed time all she wants to do is say "mama mama mama mama" while trying her darnedest to crawl around the bed. She's simply too busy to eat or sleep at this point. LOL.