OK i have to ask those EBF moms whose DC STTN so early!!

i am amazed by the answers on CaMachos thread about EBF babies who sttn. it gives me hope since DS is not there yet. but i find that even if he gives me a rare 6hr stretch he always wakes again by early early AM with a lot of gas issues. his legs need bicycled to get it out etc.. i find that with him lying there all night, the gas builds up in him. once i help him he's out again.
so my questions are:
1. do you/did you swaddle?
2. doesn't your DC wake with gas issues ever?
3. do you use a pacifier?

Thanks!!

Re: OK i have to ask those EBF moms whose DC STTN so early!!

We swaddled for a few days and gave up because he kept breaking out.

He never had gas issues

Never took a pacifier, even though we tried.

We are very lucky!

Re: OK i have to ask those EBF moms whose DC STTN so early!!

Re: OK i have to ask those EBF moms whose DC STTN so early!!

Honestly, I think it's just that every baby is different. And I don't think it has anything to do with BF vs FF...I think it's just the baby. DD is a great sleeper, has been since day 1. She was swaddled until she was about 8wks, no gas issues, no pacifier. Although - I did use the pacifier to push her feedings in the middle of the night. She woke up one night and I was just so exhausted that I gave her the pacifier just to give me a few more minutes - and she fell back asleep for another hour and a half! At that point, I knew that she didn't "need" to eat, she was just waking and I was assuming that it was to eat. So I started doing this EVERY night. She would sleep about 5-6hrs, then wake to eat. I would give her the pacifier to push her feedings. And eventually she just started pushing them on her own 6hrs became 7, then 8 and so on. I know a lot of people that have done this and it seems to work. It's worth a shot!

Re: OK i have to ask those EBF moms whose DC STTN so early!!

At 6 weeks, DD slept from 9-6. She was not swaddled. She never has had gas issues. She hated sleeping on her back so she slept upright in the bouncy seat for the first 3 months. Maybe sleeping semi upright prevented gas build up? She did not take a pacifier.

Now, she is 4 months. I transitioned her to the crib at 3 months. She now sleeps swaddled and sometimes takes the pacifier to fall sleep. She now sleeps from 8-7.

Re: OK i have to ask those EBF moms whose DC STTN so early!!

There really is no rhymn or reason to a child, FF or BF, STTN.

They just decide on their own. Every child is different. There aren't any special techniques or magic potions. What works for some will backfire for others

I was EBFing DD and one night at 6 months she decided to all on her own and has continued to do so. I never expected her to STTN so early.

I think there's a big expectation to when and how...but really...it's up to the baby


And as for us:
1. do you/did you swaddle? Yes, until about 4.5 months

2. doesn't your DC wake with gas issues ever? She had ridiculous gas issues (could never get it out)

3. do you use a pacifier? She never took a paci or a bottle

Message edited 9/16/2009 9:58:37 AM.

Re: OK i have to ask those EBF moms whose DC STTN so early!!

I really think there's no one-size-fits-all trick for getting an EBF baby to STTN. It really has most to do with the particular temperment and personality of the baby. I mean, I had two babies who were EBF - and I did ALL the same things with each. But, my first, Alex, didn't STTN until she was over a year old! Yael, on the other hand, started STTN at 5 weeks! And yes, they both had/have awful gas issues - just I think Alex was more sensitive than Yael. She's always been and still is a very sensitive child (she can't even wear socks because the seams bother her!)

But, to answer your question - yes, Yael has bad gas, but I make sure she's fully burped before I swaddle her and put her to sleep. Ever since I started using the miracle blanket, she's been sleeping 8+ hours a night. She does wake up in the morning and has to poop and/or has some gas, but it usually comes out while she's eating.

I've tried a million times to use a pacifier but she simply won't take it...

Re: OK i have to ask those EBF moms whose DC STTN so early!!

Both of my kids have been EBF. DD didn't sttn until she was 2. DS is 5 months & since 3 months, he will either wake once or he'll sttn. Every baby is different.

To answer your questions, we do not swaddle DS, he does not seem to have gas issues, & some nights he takes a pacifier, but not always.

Re: OK i have to ask those EBF moms whose DC STTN so early!!

DS started to sleep through the night at about 5 months old (was sleeping about 5 1/2 hours). At this time, I was doing a dream feed around 11 PM so that I didn't have to wake up during the night. He started to STTN at about 6 months old. We never swaddled or used a pacifier. I tried both but he refused them. DS had some gas issues when he was a newborn but that worked itself out within a few weeks.

Re: OK i have to ask those EBF moms whose DC STTN so early!!

dd is 3.5 months. she was sleeping 10-12 hour nights starting around 7 weeks.
We swaddled from day one. She's been breaking out of it the past month or so but we still use it b/c it helps her to fall asleep.
she had bad gas early on. its gotten better, sometimes I will here a cry in her sleep but shes usually still sleeping. sometimes I give her mylicon if its bad.
we always use a pacifier, she loves it.