I have many theories on Hudson's less than stellar sleeping and one of the newest ones involves breastfeeding. I dont know too many babies that are 100% breastfed but the ones I do know do not sleep very well. I know that babies digest breastmilk better/easier than formula and many doctors believe that they will need to eat more often because of this. Well, if this is true, and formula fed babies are more likely to pass out, sleep longer and (my theory) learn better sleeping habits, then maybe I should have considered formula earlier.
I am not second guessing my decision to breastfeed (not yet anyways) but I do want to know if anyone has a baby that sleeps that is breastfed only. [By the way, I think 'sleep' in baby-world means 5 or more hours according to my pediatrician and a book I read on healthy sleeping.] So, anyone out there? Anyone at all that has a baby, had a baby, or knows a baby that was NOT on formula that slept well before he/she was a year old or so? I know that every baby is different and I am also not expecting to get enormous amounts of sleep but I was just wondering if there might be a connection. In the meantime, we are not going anywhere because he tends to get really thrown off and sleeps even worse when we leave -- i.e he was doing really well before Hawaii. So maybe it has nothing to do with breastmilk... I said I have a lot of theories and the breastmilk one is just one of them.
7 years ago
3 comments:
Both my son and daughter were breastfed with no formula exclusively until they were 6 months old. After that time, they got basic baby foods and breastmilk exclusively until they were 10 months old. They both were able to sleep for about 8 to 10 hours straight without a feeding starting around 8 months, but I had to train them into it. Up until that time, they were still waking to nurse 2 or 3 times a night. I recommend two books: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Weissbluth. And Jodi Mindell's, PhD. book. Basically, you have to put him on a sleep training program which involves him learning to fall asleep on his own. As soon as he can do this, then you can start weaning him at night and he will learn to put himself back to sleep when he wakes up. Before my children weaned themselves (each at 10 months), they were sleeping through the night on MY terms (8 hours or more) not the doc's 5 hours. But I sleep trained them to do so. It is possible. Hang in there. Here's my email if you want to trade info. dnforlano@hotmail.com (friend of Karen's)
Tracy E and Colin were breastfed and slept all night or else I would slap them until they cried themselves to sleep. That kind of training is not considered OK anymore so please don't try this at home. I think Hud is the third cutest baby I have ever seen. Why don't you bring him to SF and he can keep us up for a couple of nights. You guys could stay at the condo and get some sleep. I love you. Uncle T
you know, i didn't breastfeed my son and he slept through the night a week after we brought him home from the hospital and that was that! he is a healthy boy and 12 now. so, i am thinking that it is okay to not breastfeed, but who knows!~
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