Please share your nursing routine on 2 naps

[newkidontheblock]

I need help! My DD was sleeping 7-7 with only a DF for months now. She was ill a week ago and lost her appetite. As she got better, we got NWs -- not every day but almost every alternate day, either at 8.30/ 9 or 3/3.30. When this first started happening, I figured she was making up for lost calories and it was normal. However, I now think this is due to the 3-2 nap shift. She IS definitely feeding weirdly -- not hungry in the entire morning A, even when I waiting for 30 mins to offer. Then she eats well for the rest of the day until the evening feeds where yet again she is disinterested. I really have to work to make her eat.  This morning I even pumped after she ate and offered her the bottle but she refused. And yet again she woke up at 9 to eat. Right now I am trying to offer twice every A time -- one full feed and then offering half an hour before the nap for a top up.

Can someone please share their feeding routine on a 2 nap routine? I don't want this to become a habit!

[jessmum46]

What makes you think she isn't interested in her feeds?  DS is now taking a full feed in less than 5 mins sometimes, it might appear like she is disinterested if she has become quite a lot more efficient maybe?  The 9pm feed....do you think she's just OT going to bed so waking for that reason, but then happy to take a feed?  If you've been pushing A times or skipping the CN that would be quite common to get wakings at that time.  Have you tried resettling without feeding?

Are her naps affected if you don't bother with the top-up feeds?

In case it helps, when DD was that age she fed at WU, after nap 1, after nap 2 and at BT so roughly 6.30am, 11am, 3/3.30pm and 6pm ish.  She also had one night feed (no DF) until 7 months.  DS isn't quite on 2 naps yet but headed in that direction, he tends to feed mid-way through his first A time at 7.30/8ish (not usually hungry at first WU due to night feeds) then at 10.30/11am, 2/2.30pm and then BT (6pm ish) - sometimes with a 'snack' at 5pm if feeds have fallen earlier during the day.

[newkidontheblock]

Well mainly because i have to work so hard top get her latched on. She simply turns away sometimes! I did previously think these wakings were OT but yesterday we had a day of good naps and if anything she was a bit UT at bedtime and yet she woke. Also the times aren't consistent. On some days when i know she has eaten well we can resettle but on others it is impossible without a feed. We now are offering only 1 oz then to keep her to Df.

Since she sleeps through the night, I usually feed from one side in the morning, which is always enough for her, and then I pump. From the side that she has eaten from, I usually get 1 oz.... Now I'm getting more than 3. The feeds are too short to be efficient. they just feel off.

Yes her naps are affected. Day before, she wouldn't eat properly in the first A time, then woke up 30 minutes into her nap.. tried to resettle for ages.. She wouldn't even sleep on me. Then offered to nurse and she fed so well.

Just four feeds would be enough? I know they are coming on 6 months but bf is still supposed to be the primary food, right?

[jessmum46]

Have you tried nursing in a dark quiet room?  Distraction can be a big thing at this age.  Teething?  Or she may well just not be hungry when you are offering I guess  . I'm terms of efficiency, well DS was done a whole feed in 4 mins this morning, you really can't judge on the basis of just how long they nurse for, but I guess you know if it was a 'good' feed or not.  I'd personally ditch the top-ups and go back to spacing feeds at a reasonable length in the day and see if that helps. 

At six months DD had four day feeds and a night feed.  DS at nearly six months has four/five day feeds and one/two night feeds.  You're right that milk should be the main source of nutrition at this age but that can be achieved in five/six feeds per 24h if your LO is taking plenty at each feed.  I'm assuming growth/pees/poops etc aren't an issue?

I know you are also having routine help elsewhere, but I'll just say that 30 min WUs from naps are usually OT, not often because of hunger at this age.  After you'd tried to resettle a good while she probably used a lot of energy and was happy to take a feed again so I wouldn't necessarily read anything into that. 

[newkidontheblock]

Katherine, we have only been nursing in a dark quiet room since 4 months. Thank you for your patience and advice. I have just been thrown for a loop. I knew that sleeping 7 -7 wouldn't last but I foolishly assumed that wakings would be hunger or developmental disturbances or even discomfort. I will go back to spacing the feeds at 4 hour intervals. I thought a feed followed by a top up close to nap time would be fine but maybe I am encouraging snacking?
Again, thank you *hug*

[jessmum46]

Hugs back, it is awful when a good thing feels like it has gone wrong.  I think it's easy to believe the bad bits are 'just a phase' but it's annoying when the good bits turn out to be a phase too!  I can tell you though from having been through it with DD already that a good sleeper will come good again, and random NW phases will come and go.  Sometimes there's a good reason, sometimes not.  I am often woken to retrieve a lost giraffe

[*Ali*]

DS1 was on 4 BFs in the day around 8, 1, 5.30 and 8 with one NF. He had a 3hr A time and did 2 long naps of 2hrs and 1.5hrs more or less. We didn't move to 2 naps until 7mo though as he is HSN. He ate a biggish bowl of cereal for breakfast and was more than happy to go 5hrs between his first and second feed of the day.
DS2 was on 4 or 5 day feeds but his NF was mostly 5am so he often skipped the morning WU feed around 6.30-7am. Then he fed about 10am before his nap and around 2.30pm a bit before the next nap and then at 7pm BT. Sometimes I topped him up after the second nap as well around 4pm. He ate very little solid food for the first couple months (6-8mo) especially in the morning which is why I think he couldn't wait until after his morning nap. He always slept 45 mins if I tried to get him to nap before that second feed whereas I was waking him after 1.5hrs if he had fed before the nap.

[newkidontheblock]

Was googling for something else and this post of mine turned up.  Ali, I remember reading your response and I think I meant to reply later but spaced on it. Sorry for saying it so late but thank you for sharing & helping

[*Ali*]

Lol no worries

[arabesque]

No advice sorry (see my thread lol, you wouldn't want my advice!) but following