Night Time Feedings Part Two

Now that my baby is 3 months old, one of the first question people ask me (after "How old is she?" and "Isn't she just the cutest baby ever??") is "Is she sleeping through the night?"

Yes. She is.

It's one of the big perks about formula--I mentioned in my last post that formula-fed babies typically sleep through the night at an earlier age than breastfed babies. Case and point--my 5 month old breastfed nephew isn't sleeping through the night, my 3 month old daughter is.

Some people will tell you, breastfed or bottle fed, that a great way to get your baby to sleep through the night is to fed her cereal. This is a great idea--once your baby is about 4 months old, and then ONLY with a bowl and spoon. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend feeding a baby of any age cereal through a bottle. This presents a potential choking hazard AND this way of feeding can increase the amount of food your baby is getting which an lead to excessive weight gain. Until your baby is ready to eat from a spoon, stick to formula or breast milk.

Once your baby is physically able to eat from a spoon, feeding her cereal around the time you eat dinner or a little later will help him or her feel fuller and, thus, sleep longer--maybe even through the night :)