Six Month Old Baby Boy Will Not Sleep

Hi D.. My 3 month old also has to be on Allimentum formula, at first I thought it was not working either...since he would cry uncontrolably every time he ate and for about 20 minutes after. I talked to my ped, and she sent me for a swallow test..it came back normal. I pleaded with her saying this was not the problem and that I could not afford the formula. She told me I had to keep him on it because he was having blood in his stool when he was on "normal" formula. So she sent me home with some sample "ready to feed" Alimentum. Let me tell you, it was like MAGIC! My son did great. No crying nothing. Well when I ran out of the ready to feed, I went back to the powder. BIG MISTAKE. It started all over. So I came to realize it was the powdered formula to blame! I have since only been buying the "ready to feed". He is doing sooo much better. Maybe the powder is the problem for you too?? Sorry so long!

Has your doctor talked to you about the possibility of a hiatal hernia? It took five different doctors before anyone was able to help my youngest son. Once we had a diagnosis, the fix was easy. I simply added baby cereal to his food. Not only did it stop the hours upon hours of crying, but put an end to the projectile vomitting as well. While your son may not have the exact same symptoms, you may find that the added cereal helps weight down the food enough that it eliminates the issues with acid reflux. Infinite Blessings!

My son also had acid really bad when he was a baby, he was put in the hospital for several days, put on alimentum and had many scopes done! One thing that worked for me at night time, was to put him on his tummy to sleep! Once I realized that, that helped with him sleeping and his acid, he has slept wonderfully ever since! Another thing to help hold the forumula down, I was to put 1tbsp. of rice cereal per oz of formula, that was the doctors orders, but it really does help hold in his tummy! Good luck!

www.pollywogbaby.com this website has some good information about acid reflux and some tips also like raising the head of his crib.does your son sleep on his back cause it says babies are more likely to reflux when sleeping on their backs.hope this helps and hope you both get some sleep soon!!

When my 2 year old twins were infants, one was put on the infant formula ,Neocate, when the alimentum did not work. It is very expensive and sold only at specialty pharmacies. It did the trick though and her fussiness went down tremendously.

We also put some rice cereal in the bottle at bedtime to help her keep it down. Or you may want to try spoon feeding rice cereal a little before bed time. We used to put them to bed right at 7 pm and they would magically sleep until 7am. Any later bedtime and we would regret it.

Good Luck and hang in there!

D. -

My daughter had the exact same problem...until I discovered that she would sleep thru the night in her car seat. I think the reflux was bothering her when she was laying down so being elevated in the car seat really helped.

Good luck & hang in there.

My oldest had the same problem - colic and acid reflux. She basically slept in her carseat or swing until it was over. I wish I had known with her, but a little Chamomile tea (non-caffinated) mixed with water in a bottle was a huge help with my second daughter. Also, a chair or swing that vibrates with help soothe.

I completely understand, that is one reason why my babies always slept with me.
I recommend the homeopathic Hylands Colic tablets, available at Target (sometimes) and other stores,maybe, natural food stores, most definately.

Hi D.-
My son had GERD as well. I breastfed him at that time, so although I am farmiliar with Alimentum, I can't give any advice as far as formulas are concerned, but, before my son used Zantac, my doctor reccomended I give him a SMALL dose of Maalox. And it worked! Almost instantly at that. I would ask your doctor about the possibility of trying Maalox once in a while. Although it cannot be used for long term, it can help you until you find something that does. Good luck!

Our son had reflux also and the only thing that worked was Prevacid. They tried him on Zantac but that is by weight and must be maintenanced a lot. Prevacid worked great and it actually helps treat the problem. Also elevating the head of his bed helped a lot too. Best of luck.

You're best resource is your pediatrician- they should have some suggestions- maybe your son needs to be on some meds for awhile. I have heard that elevating their head helps- in the swing or carseat, or the head of the crib if he doesn't move all over the crib at night.

You're definitely not a failure, although I think all of us have felt that way at some point. You're doing the work of two people if you are working full time, and with no sleep, it's no wonder you are exhausted. Maybe you could have your husband get up with him one or two nights a week- maybe on Wednesday and Friday or Saturday to space it out? Otherwise, please, please ask your friends or family to help you out or hire a babysitter- even if it is just to get out of the house for a date night with your hubby. There are nanny services that do overnight care as well-pricy, but if you consider your sanity and wellbeing, it would be worth it. I think your first stop should be at the pediatrician's office, though. I know of plenty of babies with reflux that needed to be on meds, and once they were, they were completely different babies. We'd be upset and not be able to sleep if we had that burning sensation in our throat and chest all night, too. Good luck- and I hope you get some much needed rest very soon.

Is the only thing your doctor did is put him on the special formula? There is a baby form of pepcid. That is what my son was on and he was a completely different child afterwards. Check with your doctor and if they are reluctant, I would consider changing doctors.

I have a 6 month old as well. Is he on solid foods yet? If not, you may want to start. If he is only doing 1 meal a day you may want to increase it to two meals.

My first child never slept through the night until I let her cry it out the entire night when she was 7 months. It's very hard. I went in every now and then and spoke softly to her telling her that everything is o.k. and that I'm hear and she is safe. I did not pick her up though. After that night she slept great and is still a great sleeper.

Sorry about the sleep deprivation. You are not a failure. If you are reaching a breaking point (which we all do) maybe have your husband do a Friday or Saturday night so you can get some much needed sleep. If you have family in town try and start a date night or hire a babysitter for every other Friday and go to dinner and a movie.

Hope you get some sleep soon!

Hello D.!

Are you open to a healthy product that will benefit your entire household? If so, please go to my website and take a look at an amazinging botanical that will help you, your little ones as well as your hardworking husband!

http://hdgilbert.natureswellnesssecret.com

D.