Many times when you bring a baby home from the hospital, you and the baby wake up in the middle of the night because of the new surroundings. However, this will not always be the case and you can get your baby to sleep through the night if you know what to do. It should be understood that most newborn babies do not sleep through the night for at least the first few weeks. After that though, she can help a baby sleep through the night if she uses a few well-kept mommy secrets.
The first thing to realize is that babies only wake up when they are hungry, wet, dirty or sick. The easiest way to determine this is to start at the top and work your way down. If you don’t have a fever or haven’t vomited, then you’re not sick, so you can reasonably cross it off your list. The next thing to do is to check if they are wet or dirty. All moms know how to check this, but I wouldn’t stick my finger in the leg of the diaper to check. You should have a light somewhere near the bassinet or crib so you can check. The only thing left is hunger.
Many babies wake up hungry and because they are used to being fed at the hospital every four hours. Once you bring your baby home, you can continue this way or let the baby sleep as long as you can without waking him up for a feeding. If you feed them as much as they want just before bedtime, their bellies will be full and they are more likely to start sleeping through the night. Most doctors tell you not to give them solid foods like cereal or baby food until they are at least six months old. How would you feel if you could only drink for six months? Chances are you won’t like it and you won’t be able to sleep more than a few hours without your stomach needing food.
Moms who understand babies know that for a baby to sleep through the night you have to satisfy their tummies. Baby food manufacturers make a box of cereal that can be mixed with formula. Old mothers call this trouble. Many times this can be used in your formula as a filler. If you mix a tablespoon of the powdered cereal with two ounces of formula, it’s enough to give them something solid to digest, as well as fill their bellies and make the formula last. Once they start a regimen of this, your baby will sleep through the night. This is every mom’s best kept secret for helping a baby sleep through the night. If you try this for a few nights and then walk away from the problem, your baby should sleep well through the night.
