dilema

[eli's mum]

My lovely 9 month old baby girl still likes to wake up at 10pm for her breast feed. I wouldn't mind giving this up. For the last few nights she has slept through but has woken up at 2:30am for a feed then sleeps through until 6am. I don't mind the 6am but the 2:30am is a killer.

Should i just keep waking her at 10pm to feed her or just hope that one day she sleeps through until 6ish.

By the way, when i do feed her at 10pm she only lasts until 4:30-5ish. I don't think it is because she is hungry. She eats three meals a day plus snacks and dessert and gobbles up every bit. I have tried giving her water but then was told that she would be expecting something when she wakes up so to give that up.

Any advice would be appreciated. :)

[poshBecks]

One of the health nurses once told me to give ds a "bromage" drink to make him feel full so he would sleep right through. I found that he wasn't into it much but other mums i know of think it's great.

I think this is the recipe, but if it's not can someone pls correct me :o . ( Maybe you could ask your Grandma or someone older - they swear by it!)

Boil 1 cup of full cream milk add 1 teaspoon of corn flour & 1 teaspoon of sugar, stir until liquid thickens a bit (Not too much though other wise bub can't suck it out of bottle :p LOL I KNOW!!!). Let it cool before giving to bub!

I hope this helps!

Becky
_____________
Mum of ....
Connor 18 mths
Bump, due in Dec

[JanetF]

Is your baby near your bed? If you don't have to get out of bed to feed her, you'll barely notice the feeds. If she's waking for a feed, then she obviously needs one but perhaps you need to set things up to meet her need for sustenance and your need for sleep. My son often feeds to that schedule but because he's in my bed, I barely even remember feeding him.
Feeding a child a mix of cow's milk, sugar and corn flour is really scarily unhealthy. She'd end up with sugar on her teeth all night. Not to mention potential problems from that much dairy at her age.

[cobysmummy]

i also feed my son blancmange but i put it in the fridge and let it set and give it to him mixed with fruit for lunch... the milk is fine for the bub as it is boiled... i wasnt aware it filled them up... i just gave it to him for something different... i give my son plenty of dairy.. advised by the nurse... he has either blancmange or yoghurt for lunch and cottage cheese added with his vegies for dinner... and he is 6 months and seems fine with all that diary...






Mummy: Helen
Bubby: Coby James (21 March 2005)
Almost 7 months!

[rynosmum]

Is your baby near your bed? If you don't have to get out of bed to feed her, you'll barely notice the feeds. If she's waking for a feed, then she obviously needs one but perhaps you need to set things up to meet her need for sustenance and your need for sleep. My son often feeds to that schedule but because he's in my bed, I barely even remember feeding him.
Feeding a child a mix of cow's milk, sugar and corn flour is really scarily unhealthy. She'd end up with sugar on her teeth all night. Not to mention potential problems from that much dairy at her age.

I agree with Janet on the sugar issue, it may be a bit concerning when the little teeth are still developing. I'm not 100% convinced on the cosleeping idea though (just my opinion). Two girlfriends of mine did this and their bub's continued napping and snacking until they were two and the seperation issues when they had to teach a 2 year old to sleep in their own bed after always having the comfort of Mummy was extreme. Although, I find nothing quite as beautiful as napping with my son on the occasional afternoon - it is a wonderful feeling.

Eli's mum, do you think she's waking because she's hungry or do you think that perhaps she's still just doesn't know how to put herself back to sleep when she does wake during the night and it is more habitual ?

[ToTeenyTots]

Hi Eli's Mum
Tashie is nearly 10 months old and has gone through about 25 different sleep patterns since birth the only 1 she hasnt tried yet is slleping through!
With alot of struggle I got her to 10pm feed then 12pm feed then 2 then 4 then 5 awake. I shudder at the thought now but believe me I was happy with that as it was a great improvement! Then about a month ago I had to start to wean her due to teeth and her making me bleed each feed.
It took about an hour or so to settle her at 10 each night for about 4 nights then she gave up and now sleeps through to about 4 ish She still wakes up again at 530 to start the day but we will work on that when I have finished weaning her. To settle her I would pat then rock then whatever else I could think of. I know that my CHN would say I was just swapping one habit for another which is true but it is easier to pat etc for slightly less each time then BF less each time. Sometimes Tash will wake a bit earlier one night then it starts going downhill fast after that. I find once she has made a time ie slept till 11pm even if she wakes at 1030 I try to settle till after 11 and so on each half an hour counts. I would not continue to wake her at 10 I would try to stretch the 230 feed out to three then three thirty etc is what I am basically trying to say amidst the waffle.
Good Luck

[mimi]

... i give my son plenty of dairy.. advised by the nurse... he has either blancmange or yoghurt for lunch and cottage cheese added with his vegies for dinner... and he is 6 months and seems fine with all that diary...
Yet another example of incorrect information being passed on by a trusted health professional!! :(

Our Australian guidelines for infant feeding - NHMRC revised 2002-3 - states that dairy [custards/yoghurts/cheese etc] should not be introduced until at least 9 months and then only in small amounts [and of course no cow's milk to drink until after 12 months].

To quote from the document, ONE of the reasons...

• Early introduction of cow’s milk may be associated with increased rates of subsequent adult disease such as type 2 diabetes
I also agree that the mixture suggested is quite 'scarily unhealthy'.

Babies do what babies do because they are babies - and it is normal!! ... I wish more midwives and doctors would inform new mums of the NORMAL patterns of babies and sleep ... rather than 'messing with nature' and offering ways to interrupt or change the norm. :confused:

:)

[JanetF]

Thanks Mimi. Great info! :D