When they’re 13 lbs…
(Sleeping Liv!)
When Liv was itty bitty, and we were praying for the sleep unicorn to make an appearance, Tom was talking to one of his friends at work about it. His friend was an exchange pilot from France, and since he had 4 kids of his own, he always seemed to have awesome tips and tidbits.
“Just wait until she’s 13 lbs. She’ll sleep through the night.”
Sure enough, the second she hit 13 lbs, she was sleeping through the night… and it was GLORIOUS. We used the strategies in The Baby Whisperer to set up a routine- I can’t recommend this book enough- and after her dream feed between 10 and 11, she’d go until 7 am. Suddenly, I felt like a human again. 😉
Miss P was born closer to the 13-lb mark at just under 11 lbs. She lost some weight initially with the reflux and the doc’s suspected milk protein allergy, but thankfully, the scale started creeping up. I was thrilled because she was finally gaining weight appropriately -it’s scary to see your little one losing weight- and I couldn’t help but wonder if the pilot’s tip would prove to be true again. When she hit that 13 lb. mark, she gave us the greatest gift of all: SLEEP! I was amazed that once again, he was right. I know this isn’t the case with all babies, and every baby is different and will sleep when they’re ready, but I found it very interesting that it was true with both of our little ones.
(P already seems so big compared to that pic!)
I wanted to ask my fellow mamas if they’ve heard of any similar tips or old wive’s tales that proved to be true. It’s always fun to hear random tidbits like this! Is there anything you found particularly helpful, or advice that helped you, in the early days? Any magic remedies for teething? haha.
xoxo
Gina
42 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I have no kids but I was 4lbs 12oz at birth and my parents always say I was the good sleeper and my brother who was twice my weight at birth was the worst sleeper. And it’s still true. I sleep great and he has chronic insomnia.
that is so interesting!
This is so interesting… My baby is just a few ounces away from 13 lbs and gave us our first 5.5 hour stretch last night. It was glorious! This gives me hope that we will continue to increase those increments!
Congrats on getting some Zzzzzs, mama!
My doctor told me that my daughter could go through the night once she hit 11 pounds. She stopped eating at night two months ago but still talks to herself for what seems like hours at night. I hope she decides to sleep soon! We bought Munchkin Fresh Food feeders for our daughter now that she is teething. I fill them with bananas or avocados but you could use whatever fruit/veggie. I freeze them and then she sucks on them like mad! They are small enough that no chunks get through, its all juice or puree and I think it makes her gums feel much better.
I have a 5 month old baby girl. My pediatrician told me the magic weight for sleep was 12lbs, so close to what you mentioned! I would say this is just about right. This is about when our little one started getting some really good sleep.
When I have kids I’ll be rooting for the 13 pound mark! haha
hahah! that’s how i felt! i was like YESSSSSS
I can’t believe you posted about this now! We’re just starting the sleep training machine. I will be reading all of the commnets people leave! 🙂
i’ve found that with the baby whisperer, you don’t really have to “train” them which is awesome. i know different things work for different people, but i like that with her method there’s very minimal crying and they still learn how to go to sleep on their own
I think The No-Cry Sleep Solution is similar. We used tidbits from both books.
P was just under 11 lbs when she was born?? How did you manage that one, mama? Lol, i thought my youngest was big at 9 lbs, but I guess not! Neither of my boys slept through the night till they were a year, and they each had to be sleep trained a few different times. But at 6 mos, they only got up one time a night to nurse. Not bad.
she was 10 lbs 13 oz. it wasn’t without some ill effects though since i have to have repair surgery, but it was worth it 😉
that’s not bad at all!
Hylands teething tablets worked great for both of my kids. And, I loved the amber teething necklace. I’m not sure what it does exactly, but it has some sort of magic teething powers and looks super cute 😉
I’ve never heard of 13 being the magic number, but I’m pretty sure my LO was that size when she started sleeping through the night. That’s nice to know!
Huh, that’s so funny! I guess my baby did start sleeping around the 13 lbs mark
If only this were true for us! I have been following your blog closely since my due date was about a week after yours… I also was past due and stole your old wives takes for getting induced (they all failed and we ended up getting medically induced) anyhow little one is 17 pounds and eats 4 times between 7 and 7.., I have tried formula for the dream feed… Swaddle no swaddle… Pacifiers…anything for more sleep. So nope not true for us enjoy your sleep!
are you still breastfeeding for the most part? i think formula has a lot to do with it. liv had formula and b-milk for the first 6 months, and p only had breastmilk for 8 weeks and is all formula
i’m sending you lots of good sleep vibes!!
Thank you! Yes he is like 95% breast milk…We tried formula at the dream feed starting a few days ago just hoping for a few more hours of shuteye, but doesnt seem to make a difference…thanks for the sleep vibes! But agreed I have heard the same about breastfed vs formula fed babies in general 🙂
yeah that’s what i’ve heard too, but haven’t really been able to compare since our girls have been fed so similarly! if it makes you feel better, i’d love to be able to exclusively breastfeed p. you’re doing an awesome job, mama. hope you are rewarded by the sleep fairy SOON! xoxo
I’m right there with you! My daughter is just a little older than P and at 14.5 lbs at her 4 month check up two weeks ago, STILL isn’t sleeping through the night. The past few nights she’s had gas so bad that it takes 45 mins to get her back to sleep after a feeding.
So interesting! I will have to see if that is true with this next baby. I can’t remember their weights, but Hunter was around 6-8 weeks only when he started sleeping through the night and Zoe probably closer to 14-16 weeks old, so for sure different weights. I’m totally going to pay attention to it now!
I always heard 12 lbs and the day my son was 12 lbs he slept through the night. Of course I panicked when I realized how long he had been asleep, but he was snoozing peacefully! It was so glorious to return to sleeping through most nights.
that’s so true! the first time p slept through the night i was like WHAT HAPPENED? WHERE AM I? and immediately checked to make sure she was ok
Hmm ok maybe you’re onto something here… My daughter was such a tiny thing for so long but looking back at her six month update I described how sleep had gotten amazing and she’d just hit 13 lbs!!! My son is already 10.5 lbs at one month old so maybe there is hope soon!!!!!!! 🙂
My son didn’t sleep longer than 3 hours at a time until he was 18 months old!
I had never heard that before! And now I cannot remember if this rings true for Charlotte. I guess it makes sense though since they don’t need as many calories at night once they get to 13 pounds?!
That is so awesome! I really hope when I have kids I remember this and see if it happens for me too!
Ugh I read about this when she was close to 13 lb but it was a no go for us. Womp womp. I’m still not convinced it’s different for breastfed and formula fed. Who knows 🙂 I would just like some solid sleep, hah! We also realized that Annabelle has reflux. Didn’t discover it until almost 4 months because it was silent and we confused it with a cold/cough/ear infection at the beginning of January. Currently working through meds and trying to find something that works for her! I know you know what that feels like, and poor P had it much worse! It’s heartbreaking not being able to help them when you know they’re in pain.
awww man. i hope she (and you!) find some relief soon. reflux is HARD. after going through such a great patch, p has majorly regressed so we’re trying to figure out the next steps
I’m sorry! Reflux stinks! How old is she? I was always told it peaks between 4-6 months. Hope she’s doing better soon.
My 4 month old is 19 lbs and wakes up 3+ times a night.. Usually to nurse… Wish that 13lbs rule was true
I have a great sleeper with my first. She gave us her first 11-6am stretch at 5 weeks and consistently 8-6:30 at 8 weeks! She did gain weight easily, and of course continued with some night wakings to feed for months beyond that, but my pediatrician told us as soon as we got that 6+ hr stretch to put her in her crib. I was reluctant because I loved her in the rock n play next to me, but we did and she has been a rockstar crib sleeper ever since. Some mornings she wants to hang out in there forever and tells me ‘no’ when i ask her if she wants to get up. I’m pregnant and expecting the opposite with #2. As for teething, my favorite product is an essential oil blend I found on Amazon called ‘Punkin Butt’. You need to only buy the smallest amount as a tiny dab works. I tried it on myself and its a pleasant mild numbing. Works great and my daughter loves it.
I think we were told 12lbs, which is pretty much the same thing. Piper was an amazing night sleeper until the dreaded 4 month sleep regression hit us. She never had days and nights confused, I had to wake her for feedings until our pediatrician said she was gaining properly and to just let her be and wake up for a feeding on her own. She was pretty consistent with 1-2 waking/feedings a night and then gave us 4 nights in a row of 8-8 and then WHAM the 4 month sleep regression. She was always a horrible napper, even though she got herself to sleep for naps and nights. We couldn’t recover after the 4 month sleep regression and I was suffering from horrible anxiety. When she was 6.5 months old we hired a pediatric sleep consultant (wee bee dreaming) and it was the BEST decision and money ever spent! She got us on 3 naps a day, took us through the 3-2 nap translation and got us sleeping through the night. She had also armed us with the tools to get us through the 2-1 nap transition, which is quickly approaching. I am forever grateful for Pam ad how much she helped us. All the sleep books made me anxious and I felt like a failure. I truly believe every baby is different and some are just good sleepers and it’s only through gentle guidance we can help them. and some are easier to guide than others.
I think M was smaller than that, but we still struggling with getting her down at night. Last night between 8:30 and 9:30 she got up, we rocked, and put down 3 X. But then at 9:30 she gave it up until 5:45am. She’s 23 weeks and we just transitioned her to the crib!
I’ve never heard of the “13 lb” before, but all 4 of my kids magically started to sleep through the night at 4 months. We were so happy to hit that point!! Congrats to you on finally getting sleep!
So funny, everyone told me when she gets to 10-11 pounds, and it was true for us! But maybe it’s also age-related? My daughter was closer to 8 pounds at birth, so by the time she was 10-11 pounds, she was two months old.
Yeah my 8 mo old is 15lbs and wakes 3-4 times a night It will happen some day :). My older daughter didn’t sleep through the night until she was 1 so 4 more months.. Hahaha.
Hahaha I wish. My baby is probably 19 lb now (she’ll be a year next month?!) and we don’t even come CLOSE to sleeping all night. You really lucked out on the sleep lottery- twice! Meanwhile, I’m losing big time for the second time (it’s been fun to read your blog because my first is a few months younger than liv and my second is a few months older than p!).
hmm, we’re over 20 pounds at 8.5 months and still not sleeping through the night consistently! It’s not so bad though because if I’m not up with the little man, I’m up out of habit, with one of the dogs, or my husband’s snoring…someday maybe possibly I’ll get a full, uninterrupted night’s sleep again!
i’m praying for the day i can really sleep in again! waking up when i want to sounds like a dream hahah
I have two girls. 3 and 16 months. Both slept through the night when they hit 13 lbs too! I had heard that rumor before I had children, so to see it work twice was pretty cool. I’m currently pregnant with #3 and I’m HOPING/PRAYING I didn’t push my luck and this one will also be a 13 lb great sleeper like my other two!
Lololol… yeah you’ve got some magic rare unicorn babies there! My daughter didn’t sleep through the night until she was 18 months. We exclusively breastfed, though, and I have heard that formula fed babies sleep through much earlier. Co-sleeping saved us; I don’t think I could have survived returning to work 12 weeks post-partum otherwise.