Rice Cereal?

My son is almost 4 months old (he will be in 5 days) and has been EBF since birth and we LOVE it. The only problem is that he is a TERRIBLE sleeper. I'm talking waking up every hour wanting to eat and being awake for about 15-20 minutes each time, and then he'll usually also be awake for 1-2 hours in the early morning, usually from about 4-6 (yay me!). Thank goodness I am a SAHM and don't have to get up and function at work all day after not sleeping all night. I know that since he is EBF that he shouldn't be expected to sleep through the night until at least 6 months, but waking up every hour?! I thought it was just a growth spurt, but this has been going on for over a month now. He also takes forever to settle down for the night at bedtime. He will go to sleep just fine, but then be up every 5-10 minutes after that for an hour or so.
We have tried literally everything I can think of- earlier bedtime, later bedtime, taking away naps during the day (he takes 3 naps usually 45 min each), putting him to bed awake, putting him down drowsy, putting him down asleep, cluster feeding, even monitoring the temperature of the room. Nothing changes. We have a set bedtime routine. He goes to bed two hours after he wakes up from his last nap, usually between 7 and 8pm. We take him upstairs, bath, PJs, story, nursing, rocking, bed.
Now to my original question. I want to delay solids until 6 months, but I'm starting to think that maybe he isn't getting enough to eat at night, and that's why he is waking up so often? Would giving him some rice cereal mixed with breastmilk help at all?

Unless your doctor gives the okay, I wouldnt. If you think hes not getting enough food then give him more BM. But thats just what I would do.

The cereal is NOT going to make him sleep longer. He wakes up because he needs to eat. Is it possible that you need to nurse him longer? As an EBF baby, does he seem a little "urpy". My daughter got up all the time wanting to "eat" when she was newborn. Turned out she had reflux. eating made her "feel better" so she was constantly on a boob.

You should ask his doctor. I gave my LO rice cereal at 4 months with her doctor's okay. She was eating all the time.

he is probably waking himself up, have you tried swaddling?

I personally wouldn't. I don't think it really benefits bf babies. I have it to my daughter a couple times when she was 7 months ( also ebf) and all it did was mess up her digestive system. Her poop got harder and hurt her belly. DD also went through that about 5 months and my mom tried to get me to I've get solids. I refused and pushed through and it got better. I think if you start playing in that realm do soon you might start losing supply. Your body needs to feel his triggers to make more milk or else it's just gonna plateau exude it won't know he needs more if he's getting full on solids.

Scratch that! I thought you said he would be 5 months.

I would make his last bottle of the night formula and pump. It worked for us. See if that helps.

I talked to her at his last appt (3 months) and she said she recommends solids between 4-6 months. I told her I wanted to delay until at least 6 months, and she said that's fine and that it's my choice. I didn't specifically ask about rice cereal though. But it's easier to digest than baby food, right?

My LO woke up every few hrs at night until he was 2 yrs old.... it's normal. Do you sleep through the night every single night? (before you had LO). It's normal for humans to wake up throughout the night. But even more normal for an infant. His body doesn't know to keep sleeping & his stomach is small, so he gets hungry quicker. Do not give him rice cereal this soon. Babies can (& should) survive off just breastmilk for their first year of life. Don't start bad eating habits this soon. Eventually he will sleep longer. What's your bedtime routine like??

Cereal is not going to make him sleep better or longer. It's empty calories, if he his hungry he needs more BM.

Quoting JeNnAs MoMoM:" I would make his last bottle of the night formula and pump. It worked for us. See if that helps."

Giving an EBF baby formula is a sure fire way to jack up their tummy!

Quoting melindapple:" he is probably waking himself up, have you tried swaddling?"

He's already rolling over both ways, so I don't swaddle him.

Quoting Because we fell in Love:" He's already rolling over both ways, so I don't swaddle him."

my daughter rolls both ways, and that is WHY we started swaddling. She was sleeping all through the night, waking up once. As soon as she started rolling, she started waking herself up. Now that we swaddle, she does not wake herself up. It's worth a try imo. We use a swaddle pod btw, she can get out of the recieving blankets when swaddled.

Quoting Not tellin:" Giving an EBF baby formula is a sure fire way to jack up their tummy!"

   
Same with cereal.