Should I be night weaning?

[ENMS]

I don't have any fantastic advice for you since I'm in the same situation, except we just keep being thrown off by reflux flare ups, colds, shots, etc, so that I end up giving him back a full bottle in the end.

How have the last couple of nights been going with the 5 oz bottles? I think it really depends. If, when you reduce the NF, he takes more in the day to compensate, he's going in the right direction and would continue. But, if it's not going well as it is maybe I'd keep it at 5 oz for a little while and then try a little later?

[*Kara*]

I agree with Elise - how is he doing during the day? 

If he is steady during the day, i would go ahead and reduce to 4 ozs and add an ounce to his daytime bottle (generally the first of the day)... give him a couple of days to adjust...

[Samjheywood]

The daytimes have been okish. The last few days look like this -

Saturday - 8oz, 8oz, 8oz, 8oz, plus 5oz at 0240am

Sunday - 8oz, 6.5oz, 5.5oz, 8oz, plus 5oz at 0315am (just wouldnt take anymore at the earlier feeds, maybe teething related)

Monday - 6oz, 8oz, 8oz, 8oz, plus 5oz at 0130am (the 6oz first bottle didnt want anymore, not sure why, had a NF 3hr45 earlier, but first tooth cut through gum this morning too)

Tuesday - 8oz, 8oz, 8oz, 8oz, 5oz at 0120am, then woke for another feed at 0500am and took 6oz (would of took 8oz but i stopped him) - never fed twice in a long time!

I am confused as what to do next, havent been brave enough to reduce to 4oz yet! I did read a sticky note on here about keeping the 8oz bottles at night but increase the water and reduce the formula, what do you think of that idea, is it worth a try?

I just cant understand him when he used to sleep really well and ever since 16wks he has woke pretty much every night. Should i increase the day bottles even more than 8oz do you think looking at the last few days?

thanks in advance

[ENMS]

I did read a sticky note on here about keeping the 8oz bottles at night but increase the water and reduce the formula, what do you think of that idea, is it worth a try?

I did that and it was going great, until he had a cold and we had to stop. I would definitely try that to be honest, because he doesn't realize right away that there's less milk, yk? So he doesn't get frustrated at night then hopefully he just ads more oz to his day.

I would also increase his day bottles to 9 oz if he drains the 8 oz.

FWIW, DS STTN from 3 to 4 months, then he had the 4 month GS and it all went away, it's like since the GS, he just can't get the calories he needs during the day, no matter how well he feeds. I'm hopeful that once he is well established on solids it will go better. Is your DS a big baby?

Also, about the night with 2 feeds, it could be a GS, is that's the case then you need to stop what you're doing, feed him as much as he needs, and once the GS is over you can start again. I know it's a pain but TBH I don't think you have a choice when it's a GS.

[Samjheywood]

My DS also STTN from 3-4months and as soon as he had his 16wk injections it all went away. He has done it a handful of times since then.

He was last weighed at 22wks and was 15lb 12oz (he is now 25wks) but is in 25th centile so probably a bit on the lower side the HV keeps telling me. He is also a refluxer so is sick a little after feeds, is on meds for this.

Yes, didnt think of a growth spurt. I'll up his night bottles back to 8oz then for a few days and try and up the day bottles. I have Dr Brown bottles and they dont go up to 9oz only 8oz!

Sounds like our LO's are very similar.

[ENMS]

I have Dr Brown bottles and they dont go up to 9oz only 8oz!

Yeah I have them too but I fit 9 oz in them sometimes and they haven't spilled so I think you should try it and see if it works for you?

My LO is a refluxer too!

Good luck

[Samjheywood]

Quick update - I just tried him on a 9oz bottle for BT, didn't leave a drop!

From tomorrow his day ones will be 9oz and we'll see how we go. Update you again in a few days. Thanks!

[ENMS]

Great news!

[*Kara*]

Re: the watering down method.  I am not a fan.. most babies are quite sleepy for night feeds and they settle with that nice full feeling in their belly... the watered down bottle will cause the same effect and can lead to no change in NF habits... especially if baby really isn't needing that feed.  Given how much your wee man is taking in the day, I would be tempted to max his day bottles and go down to 4 ozs at night (after you try full bottles at NW in case it is a GS).

[Samjheywood]

Just done tonight's NF and he only took 6oz of an 8oz bottle so because he wasn't interested in the rest should I go to 9oz in the day and 4oz at night from tomorrow?

Thanks

[*Kara*]

I would stay at 8 ozs in the day for a bit hun... 9 ozs is a monster bottle and his reflux might not appreciate it

[Samjheywood]

A bit of an update in the hope you can advise further, things dont seem to be improving!

Since Wednesday the NW's look like this -

Wednesday - 0145am 6oz
Thursday - 0030am 8oz
Friday - 1115pm 6oz, then again at 0500am 5oz
Saturday - 0100am 6oz

A couple of the NW's he is confusing me as isnt crying just wakes up and looks round the cot all quiet. For instance last night he woke at 1230am, no crying just lay there awake (i have a video monitor), i left him until 0100am and he didnt fall back asleep so i fed him 6oz, he went back to sleep straight away, he then woke up again at 0500am, i left him again as wasnt crying and he stayed awake looking around until i went in at 0625am and fed him again a full 8oz bottle, he went back to sleep straight away for all of 10m!

Do you have any ideas what is going on, i was worried about leaving him too long as didnt want him to get OT by being up half the night! Plus yesterday daytime was a nightmare for naps, he had a 2hr12 in the AM but refused his PM nap and ended up being up until BT which i brought forward to 6pm - never refused a nap before either!

i am totally confused!

I am giving him 8.5oz bottles as thought the 9oz was too much but because he is having so many feeds at night the last few days he is taking anywhere from 5-8.5oz in his day bottles, i am worried he is starting to get his calories at night rather than all in the day.

whats your thoughts?

[ENMS]

My first thought would be UT? When they wake at night and just lay there. Could that be?

I also noticed that when my DS is OS, he does something like that. We went to the IL last week-end and he would stay awake forever after his NF, just chatty and all, and I really think it was OS because he was definitely not UT then...

[*Kara*]

I agree with Elise - could well be OS hun... unable to turn his wee brain off.

Or it could be that teeting/reflux is acting up enough to wake him but not causing a lot of pain, maybe???  Being up in the night that long though, I wouldn't feed him unless he hollers for you as you could perpetuate a habitual waking... it's certainly not going to help with night weaning.  If he isn't calling for you, leave him be.

What is his current EASY?  How long are his A times... given that he is now just 6 months old, he should be around 2.5hrs or a touch higher depending on his personality type.

[Samjheywood]

I'll write the last 3 days of his EASY as these three nights are when he has been waking at night playing!

NF 0030 8oz

Friday -

UP 0610
E 0700 8.5oz
A 2hr26
S 0836-0907 (31m)
E 1030 8.5oz
A 2hr14m
S 1121-1330 (2hr9)
E 1515 6.5oz
A 2hr33
S 1603-1635 (32m)
E 1815 8.5oz
BT 1910

NF 1110pm
NF 0500am

Saturday -

UP 0730
E 0815 7oz
A 2hr 23m
S 0953 - 1205 (2hr12)
E 1215 5.5oz
A 2hr31
S 1436 - 1445 (9m!) Couldnt get him back to sleep. Tried again at 1600pm, wouldnt nap.
E 1530 7oz
E 1810 8.5oz
BT 1830

NF 0100am 6oz (Woke at 0000am left until 0100 as not crying)
NF 0625am 8.5oz (Woke again at 0508am left until 0625 as not crying. Fell asleep from 0640-0653)

Sunday -

UP 0653
A 1hr57 (thought would be tired from night before)
S 0850-1053 (2hr3)
E 1115 7oz
A 2hr26
S 1319-1533 (2hr14)
E 1545 8oz
E 1830 8oz
BT 1910

NF - 0000am 6oz
NW 0230, left as not crying, fell asleep at 0300
NW 0425, left as not crying, fell asleep 0500

UP 0655

I have to say i am not sure whether he is UT or not, surely he cant be yesterday as didnt nap in the afternoon! One thing i've noticed is the last week or so he is harder to settle for naps. He usually falls asleep independantly in 5-10m but is now taking 15-20m sometimes. Also, his first tooth cut through the gum 7 days ago and is bothering him slightly as i can tell during the day. I am giving him calpol at BT for this too.

He has been at 2hr15-30 A time for the last 10 days or so from advice on this board so not sure if i should increase that? He is mostly a textbook baby but has never been great at napping, its like he doesnt want to miss out on anything.

what do you think looking at my EASY?