Cereal to get Baby to sleep.

October 28, 2003

Jodi, I know this is going to be a touchy subject, but I wouldn't

give your baby cereal in her bottle. I would however maybe buy a can

of formula and give her like a 1/4 formula 3/4 breast milk. The

formula will sit longer in her belly. Cereal is suppose to be a

development process and I would really wait to give it to your baby

on a SPOON when she is ready and not in the bottle, but that's just

me. Good luck I know how important sleep is especially when you are

working.

Tammy

> Hi there. My baby girl is 7 weeks old today. At this point she is

> only sleeping in 2 hour increments at night. I went back to work

> last week, and the lack of sleep is really wearing on me. My mom

> swears that she fed all 3 of us kids a little bit of cereal mixed

> with our formula before bed, to get us to sleep, when we were only

a

> few weeks old. I am breastfeeding, and because I'm back to work,

> I've been pumping and she's been taking a bottle when I'm at work.

> I've started giving her a bottle right before bed as well, in order

> to make sure that her little belly is full. I'm also giving her a

> warm bath around bedtime, with the sleepy time bath products and

> lotions. But it hasn't seemed to make any difference. I am

begining

> to wonder if I should try adding a little bit of cereal to her

> breatmilk at night. Has anyone else tried this? Has it worked?

Do

> you have any other suggestions, that might help her and I get a

> little bit more sleep?

>

> Jodi

October 28, 2003

Jodi, I know this is going to be a touchy subject, but I wouldn't

give your baby cereal in her bottle. I would however maybe buy a can

of formula and give her like a 1/4 formula 3/4 breast milk. The

formula will sit longer in her belly. Cereal is suppose to be a

development process and I would really wait to give it to your baby

on a SPOON when she is ready and not in the bottle, but that's just

me. Good luck I know how important sleep is especially when you are

working.

Tammy

> Hi there. My baby girl is 7 weeks old today. At this point she is

> only sleeping in 2 hour increments at night. I went back to work

> last week, and the lack of sleep is really wearing on me. My mom

> swears that she fed all 3 of us kids a little bit of cereal mixed

> with our formula before bed, to get us to sleep, when we were only

a

> few weeks old. I am breastfeeding, and because I'm back to work,

> I've been pumping and she's been taking a bottle when I'm at work.

> I've started giving her a bottle right before bed as well, in order

> to make sure that her little belly is full. I'm also giving her a

> warm bath around bedtime, with the sleepy time bath products and

> lotions. But it hasn't seemed to make any difference. I am

begining

> to wonder if I should try adding a little bit of cereal to her

> breatmilk at night. Has anyone else tried this? Has it worked?

Do

> you have any other suggestions, that might help her and I get a

> little bit more sleep?

>

> Jodi

October 28, 2003

Barbara just wondering why co-sleeping came into this. By the way,

you encourage co-sleeping? I have two friends who had their babies

die because their baby slept in their beds and died from SIDS or

probably just being suffocated from the blankets. I plan on putting

my baby next to me in her own space...her cradle. Just my thought.

I hope you feel better getting all of that off your chest. Have a

better day.

Tammy

>

> (May be harsh, so delete if you need to now!)

>

> Babies are animals... MEANT to awaken every couple of hours to

touch base

> with mama... to get the food that is perfect for them, made

specifically

> for them, dispensed cleanly only for them, digested easily and

quickly for

> them.

>

> Imagine we don't live in this century... or even the one before or

the

> hundreds before that. Imagine that you are a baby... in the desert

with

> your mom... or the jungle... or the plains. Your cry makes your

mother RUN

> to you... if she didn't you would be eaten by another animal a lot

bigger

> than you. The reason our babies' cries are so distressing

(according to

> birth anthropologists) is to SAVE them and keep them safe. Babies

who are

> carried the majority of the time actually cry LESS when put down

than

> babies left to " cry it out. " (Read anything by Sears, but

> especially Nighttime Parenting and The Fussy Baby).

>

> All that being said, your baby doesn't have a clue s/he was born

when mommy

> and daddy had to work in the morning and that s/he is " supposed " to

sleep

> in a crib in another room and for several hours at a time. Babies'

bodies

> and biology is still timed to eons ago.

>

> You are hardly the only nursing mother who has to work... my own

partner

> was in the Army when she had her baby and returned 6 weeks

> postpartum. Many working mothers are finding ways to get sleep AND

> continue nursing their babies... that is the great news! The odd

news is

> that you might find the next piece of information foreign or even

as

> controversial as giving cereal in a bottle.

>

> Co-sleeping... something that has been done since the dawn of time

and

> continues to be THE way most people around the earth sleep... is

the only

> way most moms find (and loads of dads, too!) the balance of nursing

and

> working. Co-sleeping is having your baby sleeping in or next to

your bed

> (in a co-sleeper or in the crib with the side rail off) and you

nurse and

> sleep at the same time. This acquired skill is the first thing I

teach

> moms before leaving their homes 3 or so hours after their

homebirths; they

> are infinitely grateful! Myself, I nursed several kidlets by

sleeping with

> them... moving them into their own beds easily around the time they

weaned

> (2.5 years).

>

> The arguments abound on both sides of this issue... and we could

probably

> go on for WEEKS about this topic (and I can easily see it being a

total

> flame war), but I just encourage everyone to RESEARCH Co-sleeping,

> attachment parenting, marsupial mothering, Mothering Magazine, and

> breastfeeding and obesity (exclusively nursing for MONTHS, with NO

solids,

> is being proven over and over to prevent the very reason we all had

WLS...

> morbid obesity/diabetes/eating disorders).

>

> was right on as she explained the physiologic reasons not

to

> introduce solids early... and I will add that babies TELL you when

they are

> ready: 1) the get teeth 2) they sit up by themselves 3) they no

longer

> tongue thrust (remember all those babies we fed that pushed their

food out

> of their mouths and we would scrape it off their faces and push it

back

> in? THEY WEREN'T READY YET!) 4) they reach out for food off your

> plate. Babies NEVER have to have cereal, baby food, bottles,

pacifiers, or

> formula... even working moms (I help moms learn how to AP all the

> time). Babies can eat off your plate (no pureeing needed,

either... just

> make it mooshy for them), drink out of a cup and still develop

fabulously.

>

> Interesting topic... and right ON-TOPIC as far as keeping our kids

from

> getting so fat they qualify for WLS, too.

>

> One last note... when we have kids, our needs are pushed aside in

many MANY

> ways for YEARS... it is just the nature of the beast. Finding

balance can

> be a challenge... is important, too, but our children are HELPLESS

to

> change anything in their environment... we aren't. Changing how we

> PERCEIVE the situation can go miles towards our relaxing and

knowing that

> this isn't a permanent experience... VERY transient. My baby was

JUST

> nursing... I swear... and he turned 21 on October 20... it happens

> *snapping fingers* THAT FAST!

>

> Barbara E. Herrera, Midwife

> San Diego, CA

> Open RNY April 5, 2001

> Starting Weight 350/BMI-64

> Now 200/Alive and Healthy!

> (Lowest Post-op Weight 160)

> www.AmaMama.com

>

> Transformation

> Pics:

> http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?

p=999&gid=1006909&uid=631889&members=1

>

October 28, 2003

Barbara just wondering why co-sleeping came into this. By the way,

you encourage co-sleeping? I have two friends who had their babies

die because their baby slept in their beds and died from SIDS or

probably just being suffocated from the blankets. I plan on putting

my baby next to me in her own space...her cradle. Just my thought.

I hope you feel better getting all of that off your chest. Have a

better day.

Tammy

>

> (May be harsh, so delete if you need to now!)

>

> Babies are animals... MEANT to awaken every couple of hours to

touch base

> with mama... to get the food that is perfect for them, made

specifically

> for them, dispensed cleanly only for them, digested easily and

quickly for

> them.

>

> Imagine we don't live in this century... or even the one before or

the

> hundreds before that. Imagine that you are a baby... in the desert

with

> your mom... or the jungle... or the plains. Your cry makes your

mother RUN

> to you... if she didn't you would be eaten by another animal a lot

bigger

> than you. The reason our babies' cries are so distressing

(according to

> birth anthropologists) is to SAVE them and keep them safe. Babies

who are

> carried the majority of the time actually cry LESS when put down

than

> babies left to " cry it out. " (Read anything by Sears, but

> especially Nighttime Parenting and The Fussy Baby).

>

> All that being said, your baby doesn't have a clue s/he was born

when mommy

> and daddy had to work in the morning and that s/he is " supposed " to

sleep

> in a crib in another room and for several hours at a time. Babies'

bodies

> and biology is still timed to eons ago.

>

> You are hardly the only nursing mother who has to work... my own

partner

> was in the Army when she had her baby and returned 6 weeks

> postpartum. Many working mothers are finding ways to get sleep AND

> continue nursing their babies... that is the great news! The odd

news is

> that you might find the next piece of information foreign or even

as

> controversial as giving cereal in a bottle.

>

> Co-sleeping... something that has been done since the dawn of time

and

> continues to be THE way most people around the earth sleep... is

the only

> way most moms find (and loads of dads, too!) the balance of nursing

and

> working. Co-sleeping is having your baby sleeping in or next to

your bed

> (in a co-sleeper or in the crib with the side rail off) and you

nurse and

> sleep at the same time. This acquired skill is the first thing I

teach

> moms before leaving their homes 3 or so hours after their

homebirths; they

> are infinitely grateful! Myself, I nursed several kidlets by

sleeping with

> them... moving them into their own beds easily around the time they

weaned

> (2.5 years).

>

> The arguments abound on both sides of this issue... and we could

probably

> go on for WEEKS about this topic (and I can easily see it being a

total

> flame war), but I just encourage everyone to RESEARCH Co-sleeping,

> attachment parenting, marsupial mothering, Mothering Magazine, and

> breastfeeding and obesity (exclusively nursing for MONTHS, with NO

solids,

> is being proven over and over to prevent the very reason we all had

WLS...

> morbid obesity/diabetes/eating disorders).

>

> was right on as she explained the physiologic reasons not

to

> introduce solids early... and I will add that babies TELL you when

they are

> ready: 1) the get teeth 2) they sit up by themselves 3) they no

longer

> tongue thrust (remember all those babies we fed that pushed their

food out

> of their mouths and we would scrape it off their faces and push it

back

> in? THEY WEREN'T READY YET!) 4) they reach out for food off your

> plate. Babies NEVER have to have cereal, baby food, bottles,

pacifiers, or

> formula... even working moms (I help moms learn how to AP all the

> time). Babies can eat off your plate (no pureeing needed,

either... just

> make it mooshy for them), drink out of a cup and still develop

fabulously.

>

> Interesting topic... and right ON-TOPIC as far as keeping our kids

from

> getting so fat they qualify for WLS, too.

>

> One last note... when we have kids, our needs are pushed aside in

many MANY

> ways for YEARS... it is just the nature of the beast. Finding

balance can

> be a challenge... is important, too, but our children are HELPLESS

to

> change anything in their environment... we aren't. Changing how we

> PERCEIVE the situation can go miles towards our relaxing and

knowing that

> this isn't a permanent experience... VERY transient. My baby was

JUST

> nursing... I swear... and he turned 21 on October 20... it happens

> *snapping fingers* THAT FAST!

>

> Barbara E. Herrera, Midwife

> San Diego, CA

> Open RNY April 5, 2001

> Starting Weight 350/BMI-64

> Now 200/Alive and Healthy!

> (Lowest Post-op Weight 160)

> www.AmaMama.com

>

> Transformation

> Pics:

> http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?

p=999&gid=1006909&uid=631889&members=1

>

October 28, 2003

get back to me when they are a mouthy eye-rolling 8 year old like

mine. *wink* (or, heaven forbid, a *gulp* teenager!)

LOL

My oldest just turned 9 and I can swear that he was NEVER a newborn!

I think he was born backtalking!! lol

I breastfed and did the co-sleep thing with him. I had a heck of a

time getting him out of my bed at age 6 when I remarried too!

Infancy was much easier with him in bed with me. He found the nipple,

nursed and rolled back over. I got up the next morning for a 12 hr

shift in the ER never knowing I had been sucked on all night long! lol

This baby I vowed I was going to do it all differently.... and boy

did I!!!

lol

Take me back to 10/24/02 and let me do it all overrrrrrrrrrrr

October 28, 2003

get back to me when they are a mouthy eye-rolling 8 year old like

mine. *wink* (or, heaven forbid, a *gulp* teenager!)

LOL

My oldest just turned 9 and I can swear that he was NEVER a newborn!

I think he was born backtalking!! lol

I breastfed and did the co-sleep thing with him. I had a heck of a

time getting him out of my bed at age 6 when I remarried too!

Infancy was much easier with him in bed with me. He found the nipple,

nursed and rolled back over. I got up the next morning for a 12 hr

shift in the ER never knowing I had been sucked on all night long! lol

This baby I vowed I was going to do it all differently.... and boy

did I!!!

lol

Take me back to 10/24/02 and let me do it all overrrrrrrrrrrr

October 28, 2003

" Barbara just wondering why co-sleeping came into this. By the way,

you encourage co-sleeping? "

I'm not Barbara, but I think the co-sleeping came into the picture

b/c it is a way for Mom to feed baby at night and snooze during

feedings without ever having to get up, go to the crib, turn on a

nightlight, go to the kitchen, get a bottle, go back, get baby out to

the rocking chair, wait 20 minutues til fed, change diaper, then put

baby back to sleep then go crawl back into your own bed.

When I co-slept, my baby, his food and diapers were all within arms

reach. He rolled over to me, nuzzled when he wanted fed, I barely

awakened long enough to pull my breast to his eager mouth, then I

went back to sleep. When he was done he fell asleep at the breast or

rolled back away from me. Most nights I didn't even need to change

him.

Co-sleeping would be easier on working Moms. The Mom was talking

about getting her baby to sleep longer at night and how could she get

more rest b/c it was hard on her while working.

That's how should one add rice cereal to the bottle came into the

picture.

heila

October 28, 2003

" Barbara just wondering why co-sleeping came into this. By the way,

you encourage co-sleeping? "

I'm not Barbara, but I think the co-sleeping came into the picture

b/c it is a way for Mom to feed baby at night and snooze during

feedings without ever having to get up, go to the crib, turn on a

nightlight, go to the kitchen, get a bottle, go back, get baby out to

the rocking chair, wait 20 minutues til fed, change diaper, then put

baby back to sleep then go crawl back into your own bed.

When I co-slept, my baby, his food and diapers were all within arms

reach. He rolled over to me, nuzzled when he wanted fed, I barely

awakened long enough to pull my breast to his eager mouth, then I

went back to sleep. When he was done he fell asleep at the breast or

rolled back away from me. Most nights I didn't even need to change

him.

Co-sleeping would be easier on working Moms. The Mom was talking

about getting her baby to sleep longer at night and how could she get

more rest b/c it was hard on her while working.

That's how should one add rice cereal to the bottle came into the

picture.

heila

October 28, 2003

SIGH...oh if only that could have been me....my little boy just got on and

fell asleep and used me for a binky! So, the bottle it was. I definitely

started the cereal a little earlier than usual, can't remember exactly when,

but it didn't hurt him one bit. He was a big boy anyway!

Re: Cereal to get Baby to sleep.

" Barbara just wondering why co-sleeping came into this. By the way,

you encourage co-sleeping? "

I'm not Barbara, but I think the co-sleeping came into the picture

b/c it is a way for Mom to feed baby at night and snooze during

feedings without ever having to get up, go to the crib, turn on a

nightlight, go to the kitchen, get a bottle, go back, get baby out to

the rocking chair, wait 20 minutues til fed, change diaper, then put

baby back to sleep then go crawl back into your own bed.

When I co-slept, my baby, his food and diapers were all within arms

reach. He rolled over to me, nuzzled when he wanted fed, I barely

awakened long enough to pull my breast to his eager mouth, then I

went back to sleep. When he was done he fell asleep at the breast or

rolled back away from me. Most nights I didn't even need to change

him.

Co-sleeping would be easier on working Moms. The Mom was talking

about getting her baby to sleep longer at night and how could she get

more rest b/c it was hard on her while working.

That's how should one add rice cereal to the bottle came into the

picture.

heila

October 28, 2003

SIGH...oh if only that could have been me....my little boy just got on and

fell asleep and used me for a binky! So, the bottle it was. I definitely

started the cereal a little earlier than usual, can't remember exactly when,

but it didn't hurt him one bit. He was a big boy anyway!

Re: Cereal to get Baby to sleep.

" Barbara just wondering why co-sleeping came into this. By the way,

you encourage co-sleeping? "

I'm not Barbara, but I think the co-sleeping came into the picture

b/c it is a way for Mom to feed baby at night and snooze during

feedings without ever having to get up, go to the crib, turn on a

nightlight, go to the kitchen, get a bottle, go back, get baby out to

the rocking chair, wait 20 minutues til fed, change diaper, then put

baby back to sleep then go crawl back into your own bed.

When I co-slept, my baby, his food and diapers were all within arms

reach. He rolled over to me, nuzzled when he wanted fed, I barely

awakened long enough to pull my breast to his eager mouth, then I

went back to sleep. When he was done he fell asleep at the breast or

rolled back away from me. Most nights I didn't even need to change

him.

Co-sleeping would be easier on working Moms. The Mom was talking

about getting her baby to sleep longer at night and how could she get

more rest b/c it was hard on her while working.

That's how should one add rice cereal to the bottle came into the

picture.

heila

October 28, 2003

> after reading the 2 posts by the midwives, I must add that my son was

> awake every 1.5 to 2 hrs (still is usually can stretch to 3 hrs

> though). I could not physically care for (not would I want the

> responsibility) a mother and her fetus on night after night of

> broken, interrupted REM sleep.

I don't have babies every night... and when my own children were nursing, I was

a doula... doing maybe 2 births a month... no clinical care or clinical

judgement needed there... just love and support.

Since WLS, I sleep FAR less than I ever did pre-op... even with several nursing

kidlets... energy abounds!

I would NEVER care for a woman sleep-deprived; it is part of why there are

always 2 midwives at a birth, to spell each other while one sleeps at long

births.

Barb Herrera

Midwife

October 28, 2003

> after reading the 2 posts by the midwives, I must add that my son was

> awake every 1.5 to 2 hrs (still is usually can stretch to 3 hrs

> though). I could not physically care for (not would I want the

> responsibility) a mother and her fetus on night after night of

> broken, interrupted REM sleep.

I don't have babies every night... and when my own children were nursing, I was

a doula... doing maybe 2 births a month... no clinical care or clinical

judgement needed there... just love and support.

Since WLS, I sleep FAR less than I ever did pre-op... even with several nursing

kidlets... energy abounds!

I would NEVER care for a woman sleep-deprived; it is part of why there are

always 2 midwives at a birth, to spell each other while one sleeps at long

births.

Barb Herrera

Midwife

October 28, 2003

I totally agree with the post.. I was told the same thing with my daughter..

that actually it can make them uncomfortable.. if you think about it, do you

like to go to sleep with a full belly?!?! Sometimes people have to take a

bowel movement after a big meal.. and that's uncomfortable too..

I was soo different about the 2am feedings.. I went back to work at 6 weeks

also, and I have to say I missed my little girl sooo badly that those 2am

feedings were blessings to me. I kept her in bed with us until she was 6

months old.. She use to get up every two hours, and I'd just roll over and

feed her.. (Best thing about breastfeeding is you don't have to get up to

get them a bottle).. This was MY time with her.. Even with her being my

second child, I still went to sleep when she did so that I got enough sleep

for work.. it's tough cause there are so many OTHER things I'd rather do

then sleep, but I knew that the time she was sleeping I wanted to sleep so

that when she woke up I could enjoy her... I was waking up around 5 months

soooo upset that she wasn't waking up... She started sleeping through the

night, and I missed those feedings.. that's when I made her transition from

the bed to her crib.. And she slept through the night.. So I was able to

increase MY bedtime.

I definately don't believe in giving cereal.. My daughters " witching hour "

was at 3am, and it would last til about 6am, all she wanted to do was eat

and she was always uncomfortable.. Everyone told me how HUNGRY she was etc..

and really I later found out that most newborns have witching hours.. and

that was hers.. I got use to it, and learned to rearrange MY schedule to

make her comfortable..

I hope you too can find enjoyment in these special few months.. You will

never have this bond with them again.. Also if you are supplementing at

night, or giving bottles, you are weakening your own milk supply.. Just want

to warn you on that, because I lost my milk supply at 6 months due to her no

more feeding in the night, and I had supplemented a little here and there..

Best of luck!

JenNY

Re: Cereal to get Baby to sleep.

> I am begining to wonder if I

> should try adding a little bit of cereal to her breatmilk

at night.

> Has anyone else tried this? Has it worked? Do you

have any other

> suggestions, that might help her and I get a little bit

more sleep?

>

You will hear this advice a lot from the previous

generation...and you can chalk it up to " old wives tales

that they used to believe was true but that we now know

isn't true " .

they used to recommend things like beginning cereal at

2 weeks, mixing in egg yolk with the cereal starting at 2-

4 weeks, beginning orange juice by 6 weeks....

Now we know that breastmilk (and if breastmilk isn't

available, formula) is all that a baby needs for the first 6

months of life. In fact, we also know that introducing

any solids before 4 months of age (regardless of baby's

size) can cause all sorts of problems in their digestive

tract (as well as allergies) and can actually keep them

FROM sleeping as their tummies get upset. The 4-

month-minimum thing isn't because of baby's size...but

because of baby's development...and until their body is

developmentally ready for solids, starting them too early

does more harm than good.

beyond that...think about WHY your parents are

suggesting it...

they are suggesting cereal to keep the baby full longer,

right? In other words...give baby something with almost

no nutritional value so that they don't eat as much of the

stuff with all of the nutrition that they need. Not really

healthy for them...

they need to eat...and they need to eat that often.

During the 2am feed...just keep telling yourself, " this

isn't going to last long...this won't last long... " and as

hard as this is to believe, you will probably look back on

your middle of the night feedings (and even the lack of

sleep) with a smile on your face when they are older. =)

Soderblom CCCE CD(DONA) CLD

Student Midwife - Mesa, AZ

CAPPA Board of Directors

Doula/CBE/Pregnancy/Birth Photography

Owner: Birth Story Diaries - real births, real photos

http://www.birthdiaries.com

Owner: SouthwestDoulas.com

October 28, 2003