Author Topic: Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!  (Read 1927 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline arabesque

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 12
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 814
  • Location: Australia
Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!
« on: March 19, 2015, 00:26:30 am »
Hi friends!

Dd is 6 months old.

We fed on 3hr easy fine. Then we rapidly transitioned to 4 hrly but she started sleeping over the 4 hr mark and feeds were more like 4.5hrly.

So I topped her up before naps to keep her from waking in hunger and have now handily created a two hourly feeder. She on 3 small solids meals a day but is super keen to fb all.the.time.

We usually feed

Bf 7
Solids 8
Bf 9
Nap
Bf 11:30
Solids 12:30
Bf1:30
Nap
Bf 4
Solids 5
Bf 6:30
DF 10:30
NF between 4 and 5:30am

I'm exhausted and tired and exhausted. I know she doesn't need the night feed. But this week she's even been waking before the DF :,( and won't settle without a feed!

Please help. What should I do?
Thanks!! Xx
DS1 July 2007; DS2 April 2010; DD September 2014

Offline newkidontheblock

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 42
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 2649
  • Location:
    • The Genius
Re: Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2015, 03:26:38 am »
Hun, have you considered that it might be a growth spurt? There is a big one around 6 months. Has your LO previously been sleeping through the night? If not, then 1, even 2 NFs are still quite normal at this time. After nursing does she go right back to sleep? TBH, especially in the MOTN, I would feed if she went straight off to sleep. You could then work on spacing out day feeds.

 At that time, I also fed twice in every A time for exactly the same reason as you - I thought she was waking in hunger from her naps. And she wanted it too -- she wouldn't go down for the pm nap without a top up sometime before. It worked fine for a while until BT feed started becoming a problem as she wasn't hungry enough. By then solids had also become better established, so I was able to space feeds out more. To my surprise, she took to it very well. Our routine (at 7 months) became
7 - BF
8 - porridge with breastmilk (2 oz at least) various fruits & dry fruits
after nap 1 - BF
immediately after - lunch
3/3.30 - BF
6/6.30 - BF
Between 10 & 11 - DF - which we have just weaned

I also started getting milk into her through the solids too, so with porridge, milk shakes, bread pudding etc. I simply use breast milk to cook for her.






Offline arabesque

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 12
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 814
  • Location: Australia
Re: Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2015, 03:48:18 am »
Thanks for your thoughts :)

It could be a growth spurt. She's unsettled a lot (I could cry writing this, I'm so down). In the night she settles after a feed but not easily/well f the feed is around 5 or onwards. And I've fallen into the trap of patting to sleep, but even that doesbt work then.

I'll ride it out a few more days and see. She doesn't get a lot of day sleep (have I mentioned how much I hate school run) and I thought it was all nap related, but maybe it's growth spurt. Thanks. Just needed a kind face today and that's you! Xx
DS1 July 2007; DS2 April 2010; DD September 2014

Offline newkidontheblock

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 42
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 2649
  • Location:
    • The Genius
Re: Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2015, 04:17:25 am »
{{{hugs}}} I know you have been having a hard time. It can't be easy with 2. Have you started with solids? Do you think she is in any discomfort due to them? I remember she had some tummy issues previously. I was also wondering whether day sleep is another factor to take into consideration. I see you have another thread going about that, so hopefully you get some resolution.






Offline arabesque

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 12
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 814
  • Location: Australia
Re: Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2015, 04:23:13 am »
Thanks Hun. I feel like my older boys suffer because I'm so tired and that makes me cranky. It's hard not being the mum you want to be!

Thanks for your advice xx
DS1 July 2007; DS2 April 2010; DD September 2014

Offline arabesque

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 12
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 814
  • Location: Australia
Re: Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2015, 07:34:04 am »
Would you mind sharing your 6 month routine? It might help me :) thanks xx
DS1 July 2007; DS2 April 2010; DD September 2014

Offline newkidontheblock

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 42
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 2649
  • Location:
    • The Genius
Re: Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2015, 09:53:42 am »
Not a problem. WU & BT was the same but timings are different due to nap timings Our routine was

7- WU + nurse
9/9.15 - nurse
10.15 -11.30 - nap 1
nurse on WU from nap
2.30 - nurse
2.45 - 4 -- nap 2
4/4.30 - nurse (if she woke by 5, then straight to BT feed)
playtime
bath/massage
6.15 - BT nursies
7 - sleep
Between 10 & 11 -- DF

As you can see, I was nursing an awful lot but I have always been hell bent on maintaining my supply & her eating a lot since her birth weight was low. However, soon after BT feed became a bit difficult & she was reluctant to feed at some other times, so we transitioned to our current routine.






Offline arabesque

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 12
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 814
  • Location: Australia
Re: Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2015, 09:58:32 am »
Thanks so much. You're a gem x
DS1 July 2007; DS2 April 2010; DD September 2014

Offline *Ali*

  • Breast Feeding & Pregnancy/Childbirth
  • Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 373
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 22302
  • Caught in the act!
  • Location: London uk
Re: Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2015, 21:34:02 pm »
How is she falling asleep for the naps? On the Breast or are you patting her, or what?

I'd maybe consider BFing her as a top up after the solid food rather than right before the nap to break the association with BFing and sleep.

You could also consider not feeding her again in wake up if she has fed right before a nap but instead delay the feed for an hour say so she doesn't require a top up that A time.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2015, 21:35:47 pm by *Ali* »
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline arabesque

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 12
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 814
  • Location: Australia
Re: Help me drop some feeds? Especially in the night?!
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2015, 21:53:12 pm »
Thanks :) good plan re: later feed after nap. I don't feed to sleep (except bed time feed as she's so tired from long afternoon that she falls asleep feeding. Other times I pat to sleep. Am trying to gently remove myself... Less oat, more stroke or hand on. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't!
DS1 July 2007; DS2 April 2010; DD September 2014