waking for cluster feed? + df question

[jank]

I have a 10 week old that is on a 3 hour schedule.  I generally feed at 7, 10, 1, 3:30, 6, 8, and df at 11.  I have been finding that by 8pm (after bath at around 6:30-7pm), she is asleep and I have to wake her up to do that cluster feed.  Most of the time, she is very groggy and will take very little on the breast.  Df is given by bottle and she takes only 2-2.5 oz.  Because of this, she has been getting up around 1-2am lately starving.  She was sleeping until 4-4:30am before when she happened to be up to get a full feed at 8pm.  My question is, should I still try to wake her up at 8 for the cluster feed or just wait until the next feed (~9 pm) and try the dream feed again?  Or should I drop the df completely since she doesn't take much anyways and just stick to the 3 hour routine until 9pm (assuming she will wake up then if cluster feed is dropped).

She may be so tired at 8pm because I have been having problems getting her to take her naps during the day.  Making her room dark and turing on the fan seems to be working so far (1st day trying).

[erinsmum36]

Hi jank! I have a 9 week old, and am also on 3 hour easy, so hope I can help a bit. The 'your questions answered' Baby Whisperer book suggests that you drop the second cluster feed and have one between say 6 and 7. I think that you LO could be too tired to be having another 'day' feed at 8pm, and then 2 hours later a dream feed. I do a feed at 5pm, bath at 6pm and then a top up at 6:30. then its bed by 7pm and no dream feed. This was my choice as I preferred to have a whole evening off and didnt want to disturb her deep sleep. I am also lucky in that she has progressed from 12:30am wake up in the first weeks to only one a night (anywhere between 4 and 5am) so for me I dont think there is a benefit in having a dream feed - my health visitor also said that at this age a baby fed around 10 will still wake around 4 for the next feed, as this is when their sleep is getting lighter and they become aware that they are hungry.
I would suggest introducing a 5:00 feed, then bath at 6:00 and a top up at 6:30 ( I find the bath is enough stimultion that she is peckish again for the top up). I think 8pm might be a bit late for bed from what you say re the sleepiness - try bringing it forward to 7pm and see how you go. It might be an idea to not wake her for the df and see how long she goes without it - you might be surprised! From reading your schedule it seems that maybe she isnt getting a long enough window before midnight to get into a good deep sleep.
Final thought.. I am going to get my LO onto 3.5 hour easy as I notice at some feeds she is not hungry enough and she 'nibbles' a lot. This makes feeds anything up to an hour long just to ensure she has a full feed, so I will try lengthening the gap and see what happens. Does your LO eat well at every other feed than the 8pm one?

[jank]

Hard to say if she gets enough.  She is only on the breast for about 5-10 minutes at best. I've tried to keep her on longer but she won't take the breast after that time and will start crying if I persist.  Went to the breastfeeding clinic and they did the weigh in before and after and said she took in 3 oz.  By bottle (I introduced it every other feed just in case I wasn't producing enough milk) she only takes about 2.5-3 oz.  Using my schedule, how do I do a 5 pm feed when her last one is at 4pm using the 7,10, 1, 4 schedule?  Instead, do I do 7, 10, 1, 4, 6, bath at 6:30 and feed at 7pm for the night?  Do I still give the df at 10-11pm? 

[debo620]

This is my 12 week old ds feeding schedule----usually sleeps through the night with df from 7:30pm-6:00 or 6:30am.

bf 6:30-give or take 15min either way
bf btwn 9:30-10:00
bf btwn 12:30-1:00pm
bf btwn 3:30-4:00pm
bath first, bf at 6:45 and then bed btwn 7 and 7:30.
df at 10:45pm
I have never done a cluster feed