STTN help please...

[jenbelle]

So I know that eventually they will sleep through the night (I hope before he's 18!), but Joshua is so hungry at night that we are having a hard time.  Disclaimer- DH will NOT let me CIO to see if he's not really hungry. and we kinda bedshare.
So, he will drink 3 4-6oz bottles throughout the night.  If he's desperate enough, he will try and nurse through my shirt which wakes me up enough to feed him.  We try and give him more solids during the day, and he IS doing better with that, but he's small and he just doesn't eat a ton.  and when he's done, he is done.
My question is, (besides any and all advice), is any thoughts on adding rice cereal to the bottles to see if that helps?  and how much do you put in?

Thanks, ladies!!!!!

[formerlyllizzyb]

It sounds like he has a suck/nurse to sleep association. That seems like a TON to be eating over night at this age.

We do CIO/Ferber, so I can't really offer any advice.

DS would nurse every time he woke up if I let him, but I only nurse him after 5 am.

Good luck. We don't STTN at our house even though we night weaned.

[charmediamsure]

I think some of the STTN stuff, or lack thereof, is complicated by developmental milestones as well. Or that's what I tell myself to make myself feel better. Jack slept through the night for like 2 months (from 6-8 months, I think) and then it stopped. I don't know if it is Wonder Weeks or teething or the fact that he was (then) standing/climbing/cruising and (now) walking. I nurse him to sleep and he sleeps in his crib 3-5ish hours and then wakes up. Just for my sanity and in the interest of sleep, I bring him in the bed with me at that wake up and he nurses back to sleep for the rest of the night.

I honestly don't know if rice in the bottles will make a difference. Jack doesn't take bottles, just sippy cups of milk at meals and snacks, so maybe I'm way off base, but he eats well during the day, and I think his night nursing is 99% comfort. I can't bring myself to even attempt CIO but I doubt it would work for us anyway.

I guess I don't have any helpful advice, but I completely empathize.

[imimahoney]

Rice won't help. Ari got rice in his bottles from 3 months to 9 months and he only STTN consistently after we night weaned at 9 months. We gave it to him for severe reflux and weight gaining issues.

If you want to try we did 1 teaspoon for every oz of liquid. Make sure the nipple is large enough for the thicker liquid to get through.

[Chelle]

So I don't know how old your little one is, but my nephew didn't sleep through the night until he was put in his own room. He woke up smelling milk when he was co-sleeping, and ate every 2-3 hours. Once he was away from my sister (his mom) he slept like a champ.

He was 5 months old at that point. It could just be that being to close to you is triggering his desire to eat at night rather than actual hunger.

[devonpow]

Have you tried watering down the bottles? We used this method with both kids to eliminate night feelings. We would gradually either lessen the amount in each bottle and/or gradually water it down, until eventually it was just 2 ounces, then just water.

We combined it with a very modified sleep training. When he woke up we would wait 5 minutes before getting him. Then if he didn't go back to sleep on his own  in that 5 minute time we would spend 15-20 minutes doing whatever we needed to soothe him without feeding him. If after the 30 minutes he was still awake/upset we would give the bottle.

Combining those two things was very effective for both kids and eliminated night feeding and wakings (early wakings....not so much). Caveat being they were both younger and we did not bed share. But, could be worth a try,

[thedahliharpa]

I was also going to suggest gradually reducing the bottles. Prior to my trip D was waking 4-6 times a night. For two nights in a row I soothed her, rocked her, etc. but did not nurse her the first wake up before midnight. She was MAD the first night and it took at least 2 hours to get her back down but it was easier the second night. She stopped waking before midnight. I went on my trip and instead of waking 3 times she slept 7:30-4:30 and then DH tried 2oz bottles and it worked. I came home and she went right back to 3 times. I keep telling DH I'm getting a nighttime apartment...

[UnicornDog]

Did you try giving him something heavy to eat right before bed, like oatmeal you made with your BM? Maybe peanut butter toast if you've tried PB a few times and know he will not react? It helped us a lot when we started giving her "second dinner."