How do I get him to drop that last 3AM feeding? Ped said he doesn't need it...

My DS is 15 weeks old and he is still waking up once a night, at 3AM, and has a 6.5 ounce bottle. The pediatrician said that he's right on the cusp of not really needing to eat at night (she said by 4 months they don't need it). So, how do I get him to drop this last bottle and STTN?

She said that he probably doesn't know how to soothe himself to sleep and that's why he cries. I used to put him in his cradle awake and he would fall asleep on his own but lately he has been falling asleep in my arms after the 8 PM bottle (we hold him 20 minutes bc of reflux).

I don't know what to do. I've tried changing his bedtime routine to try to keep him awake until the end (its been the same since about 6 weeks old) and he's getting really upset and crying at bedtime.

I don't want to feel like I'm starving my little guy. I watch him on the monitor and he wakes up, looks around for 2-3 minutes, and then starts crying. What do I do?

TIA!

Re: How do I get him to drop that last 3AM feeding? Ped said he doesn't need it...

My ped. said many babies do still need it, and take longer to drop it. I did the night feed through 5.5 months when he dropped it himself--IMO, if he's drinking all of it, he needs it.

Re: How do I get him to drop that last 3AM feeding? Ped said he doesn't need it...

I don't know how I did it and my dr. said it was fine because she was eating such a large amount throughout the day at a young age, but I was able to wean her off of night feedings by 3 months old. I could also tell that she wasn't starving because I would go in there when she woke up crying and when I would pick her up she would stop I would rock her till she went back to bed and each night it seemed to get later and later until she wasn't waking up anymore. I was also trying to stretch her out because I was going back to work and had to get her on a schedule. But each baby is different.

Message edited 1/19/2010 2:32:17 PM.

Re: How do I get him to drop that last 3AM feeding? Ped said he doesn't need it...

Re: How do I get him to drop that last 3AM feeding? Ped said he doesn't need it...

maybe feed him a little bit more during the day....

can u give him another bottle at 11 pm? or does he sleep soundly til 3am? i remember i
would feed my DS at 8PM and let him sleep in his carrier or rocker in liv rm til 11 pm than give him bottle, hed sleep til 8am..... i think after 5 months he didnt need that late bottle any longer.... it worked for me b/c we got to sleep from midnite til 8 am

Re: How do I get him to drop that last 3AM feeding? Ped said he doesn't need it...

Posted by nov04libride

My ped. said many babies do still need it, and take longer to drop it. I did the night feed through 5.5 months when he dropped it himself--IMO, if he's drinking all of it, he needs it.

Re: How do I get him to drop that last 3AM feeding? Ped said he doesn't need it...

My DD kept that feeding until 6 months when I felt it was ok to try CIO. She had one rough night and after that she slept straight through. IMO your DC is too young for CIO. I think that if he still wants the middle of the night feeding at that age he should get it - he may not be ready to STTN....

Re: How do I get him to drop that last 3AM feeding? Ped said he doesn't need it...

My son dropped the night feeding on his own at 4.5 months. So it could be soon for you too.

He was eating 8 oz. in the middle of the night - draining the bottle. IMO, if he wasn't hungry, he wouldn't eat that much.

Even though it wasn't fun getting up in the middle of the night to feed him, I secretly loved that time with him. It was an extra hour I got to spend with him, and all his smiles he gave were solely for me to see.

Re: How do I get him to drop that last 3AM feeding? Ped said he doesn't need it...

I disagree that a baby that age does not need to eat. That is still an infant and I would give it at least til 6 months...You could try a dream feed though I could never fathom waking my kids

Re: How do I get him to drop that last 3AM feeding? Ped said he doesn't need it...

When you say he wakes up and starts to cry, are you SURE its a hungry cry? My girls wake up sometimes crying and just need a rub on the back to get a gas bubble out, or a pacifier and a quick cuddle before going right back to sleep, yet if I fed them, they would most likely take it.

Here's what I learned ( well besides the fact that all Ped's say something different) from my Ped , Dr.'s and books.

Most babies ( "most") ...can STTN by the time they are 11/12 lbs and/or 4 mnths old.

The key word is "can"...doesn't mean they WANT to do it. I think that's where some differing in opinion and controversy comes in. As a parent , you have to decide if your gonna give in and feed them , or not, knowing they can make it without.

I think the tough part comes w/ deciding when they can go w/o it.

For me...once my kids sleep through the night at LEAST a few times ( 8+ hours)...then I know they can and I avoid feeding them during any late night wake-ups. ( but I use my judgement )

If they were still consistently waking every 3-5 hours, I would keep feeding b/c it's a sign to me they aren't ready to give up a feeding.

Hope that makes sense??