BabyWhispererForums.com
SLEEP => Night Wakings => Topic started by: SGooch on August 01, 2013, 09:09:39 am
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My 9wo has recently been waking up approximately the same time every morning (between 4.30 and 5am). She goes back to sleep with a dummy and then sometimes wakes again/several times going back to sleep with a dummy until 7am when I wake her for her feed.
I know she isn't hungry because she has taken a dream feed of approx 4.5 a 5oz at 11.30/12pm. When I have offered her a feed thinking she's hungry she's only taken a couple of ounces and wants to go back to sleep.
She doesn't demonstrate this behaviour at any other time of the night and sleeps soundly from her 6.30pm feed until waking for her dream feed.
Is this habitual waking? If so has anyone else experienced this and used Tracy's technique of wake to sleep? Does it work? Or have I interpreted it wrong and it's something else?
Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance, Sarah x
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At this age a couple of ounces I would think still indicates hunger. She's so young I would think maybe she might still need that little feed (one feed in 12 hours might be not enough for her). Can you post your routine too? Thanjks.
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Would agree with Violet's mom. Most babies this age are needing 2 or 3 night feeds.
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Thanks for your replys. I did initially think this but then when I try to feed her at 7/7.30/8.00 she's not really interested and again only takes a couple of ozs?
An average easy looks like this:
E 7.00
A 7.45
S 8.15 (aim for 1.5 hrs, sometimes only sleeps 45 mins, sometimes will sleep 1.5 hrs but wakes up and has to be resettled which may take up to 30mins)
E 11.00
A 11.45
S 12.00 (aim for 2.5 hrs again this is what I aim for)
E 3.00
A 3.45
S 4.15
A 5.00
S 5.45
A 6.15
E 6.30
S 7.15
E 11.30/12 (depending on how much milk taken at 7.15)
I try and stick with the above every day but may vary by 30mins I.e. first feed in morning 7.30 (again this depends on how much she has eaten In the night). The routine becomes a little varied day to day after the 4.15 sleep due to juggling a toddler and preparing an evening meal so I have to hope that lo will fall asleep in her bouncy chair so I can watch her whilst in the kitchen.
Hope this gives you enough info to help me out, thanks.
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Hmmm.. She's young to be on a 4 hr easy. Most 2 mo olds are on a 3 hr routine and the Switch to a 4 hr routine occurs between 3.5 to 5 months depending on the bub. I'm wondering if she was eating every 3 hrs during the day, she might do better at night.
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She was initially on a 3 hour easy but I switched to a 4 hour as I found that she would take more milk on each feed, so wasn't hungry enough after 3 hours. Even now I can count on one hand the number of times she has cried for her milk and it's usually on her bedtime feed.
After reading some info on dream feeding I wondered if I was giving hers too late (11.30/12pm) and as Tracy says disturbing her sleep? What do you think?
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Is her last feeding at 6:30 or 7:15? Yeah I seem to remember the BW saying dream feeds should occur between 10 and 11. For my LO, it didn't matter whether I dreamfed or not, she still woke for the 4 am feeding. But I am really surprised (like paulsmom) that she's already on a 4 hr EASY but as long as she is gaining appropriately and has 6-8 wet/dirty diapers I think that's alright.
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The dream feed is a bit late. Is she waking at that time or are you giving the bottle while she is sleeping? If she's waking on her own or is waking up when you are feeding her then it could be disturbing her sleep. Might be worth a try to do the df around 10:30 (or just before you go to bed).
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Hi Violetsmum, her last feed generally starts somewhere between 6.30 and 7.00 depending upon what time she wakes from her catnap. Her weight is fine although I was worried about her not gaining enough. However she gets weighed every week and as well as gaining between 6-8oz stays on the same percentile line. My health visitor is really happy with her weight gain :)
On the dream feed sometimes she wakes but falls back asleep whilst feeding.
Tried the dream feed at 11pm last night. She took 4.5 oz after her bedtime feed at 6.45pm of 6oz. She then woke at 3am coughing (currently just recovering from a viral infection,cough and cold). I gave her a dummy and she went back to sleep, then woke at 5.30 and went back to sleep with a dummy, before feeding her at 7.00am and took 6oz.
Shall I continue with dream feed at 11? BTW she's also swaddled in a woombie - don't know if this makes any difference?
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I'd move the df forward if possible. It's hard to tell what's working or not when they are sick so continue with this for a while to see how she does. At this age, it's fine to keep her swaddled.
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Yeah, if her last feed was at 6:45, I would think 10:45 might be perfect (4 hrs after she last ate). Good luck!
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Thanks for your advice will try an earlier dream feed again tonight and see how I get on :)
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So tried a dream feed at 11pm last night she only took 3.5 oz and guessing its because she took 7oz at her 6.45pm bedtime feed and woke up again at 3am, same as the night before! Then took some time to settle back to sleep and woke again at 4.40 and 5.20. Where am I going wrong?
Should I forget the dream feed and just feed her when she wakes up naturally after her bedtime feed when I know she will be hungry?
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For the df, they will usually take less than a full feed. Honestly, at this age, I would just feed her especially if she is waking essentially every sleep cycle. Hunger would be a big reason to wake (she could be going through a gs), then discomfort (trapped gas, reflux, or illness). Is she full recovered from her cold?
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No, she still has her cold. After a DF She never crys for her milk through the night and even on her 7am feed she doesn't cry? So this is why I don't feed her when she wakes as she's never taken more than 2oz when I've tried in the past.
When I've let her wake me up after her bedtime feed (usually around 2am) if i remember correctly she's taken a good feed and then slept soundly until her breakfast. Should I try this instead?
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You could try that. The df doesn't work for all babies. My DS took it where as my dd didn't. I just fed her when she woke.
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My eldest DD didn't like the Df either so just ended feeding her at whatever time she woke up until she STTN at 16 wks. Think I will try that tonight, fingers crossed it works!
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Fx!
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I couldn't do df - violets best sleep was early in the night and she is such a light sleeper it really disrupted her! Good luck - hope it goes well for you!
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After deciding to feed her once she woke up naturally whilst I'm trying to catch up on sleep my DH did a dream feed at 11pm! She took 3.5oz after bedtime feed at 7pm of 7oz. Then as per the previous 2 nights stirred at 3am but managed to go back to sleep without any props I.e. her dummy. Has just woke me up at 6am hooray :))). I've given her a dummy to stretch her to 7am but really happy with this.
Did a couple of things different
A) put an extra layer of clothing on her - maybe she had been too cold?
B) slept on the other side of the bed so either didn't hear her stirring (as too tired) and she put herself back without my intervention so or she didn't stir(other than the 3am one) ?
Still don't understand why she wakes at 3am when she can sleep through her feed cycle through the day if I let her? Babies are so complex lol!
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Wow, that's great. Yes, babies keep us our toes!