Phasing Out DF Before We Go Away? Quick question!

[sunnysmile]

My LO is 7 months & 1 week and we are due to go away for a week at this time next month (29th Jul).

I want to start phasing out the DF as she is on 3 solid meals now (and has been on protein for 1 week) and was planning to do it by bringing it forward by 15 mins every few eveinings.

It's currently a really long feed (40 mins) so I can't go cold turkey - think I need to be quite subtle about it. I was also not going to encourage her to feed for longer as I have sometimes done by stroking her hair or clearing my throat (!).

But is 4 weeks long enough to get it well & truly eliminated as I'm thinking she might get disturbed during the evening in the accommodation or her routine/feeding/naps might go awry and we'll have to start over.

Then I'm also thinking if I leave it til we return she'll be getting on for 9 months!

What would you do, please?

[Mum of 3 + 2 stepkids]

Hi, Our two are almost the same age when was your lo born? Zane's b'day is 20th nov.

I think what you are going to do is the best way to do it as she is still having a long feed, what time do you do the df? If its 10 and you reduce that by 15 mins every 2-3 days, that takes you to 9pm 8-12 days. When you get to that you can start to reduce the time at the breast every 2 days so say 35min, 30mins, 25mins etc...... thats another 14 days. So it looks like your'll be fine.

Is this what you was thinking for doing?

Kate x

[sunnysmile]

Hi Kate!

Elise was born 23 Nov so we're only 3 days behind Zane (lovely name btw - my elder boy is also 7yrs & called 'Xan'!).

No, DF was 11pm so I'm gonna be close to the deadline.

Thanks for reminding me to cut the time down, too. This will be trickiest as she might wake up if I stop the feed!

I've been thinking....it's not the end of the world if we don't manage it -I'll just carry it over through the hols and when we get back I should be virtually down to nothing.

I just want to get it eliminted before it becomes habitual, now I know if I get the balance right she's capable of doing without it.

Does Zane still have DF or are you cutting back?

What's your routine like just out of interest - I'm finding it tough doing a 2 nap day when I have the school run at 3 - I end up having her sleep 1.30 - 3pm then a catnap at 5.30 then she's up till 7.30/8pm!!!

PS I'm in Manchester!

Elaine x




J

[Mum of 3 + 2 stepkids]

Hi Elaine,
There is a way that i've heard on the boards of finishing a feed so as not to Disturbe but im sorry not sure what it is, i will ask one of the others if they know.

Im in Essex, Canvey Island

I don't do DF, well i didn't to start then added it at about 5mths for weight gain reasons then about a month ago i went out and he haddn't woke for it and went through the night so i just thought it was a good time to stop it again as his weight was fine. Just very lucky i guess.

My routine is:

E 6am BF
A 6.30
S 8 (only 40mins til i go to school as he wakes up as i go out)
E 10 BF
followed by breakfast
A 11
S 12 (about 1.5hrs)
E 2 BF
followed by lunch
A 3 Up to school
E 4.30 BF
S most of the time just doesn't happen 
E 6.30 EBM 7oz
Bed 7.30 -8

As you can see it still needs a little tweek but it seems to work well, how does your day go?

Its always good to bounce off each other isn't it 

Kate x

[sunnysmile]

Yes, it is good to share ideas! 

This is a typical day for us...

6-7 am Stir, but I pop in the dummy & she'll go back for a while
7.30 am We're always up by now, BF
8am Solids (we set off for school at 8.40)
9.00 Back from sch if we ididn't have time for solids bfore leaving I do it now!!)
9.30 Nap 1.5 hrs (hate to wake her but she won't fit in a full hr before 3 on her 2nd nap otherwise)
11am BF
12.00 Solids
1.15 Sneaky BF here as she'll take more when she's drowsy & not so distracted & lively!!
1.30 Nap 1.5 hrs
3pm Wake her again (Grrrr I hate disturbing her!!) time for school run
5pm BF (again I can get more milk down her when she's less active & she doesn't fall asleep on the breast now either)
5.30 Catnap 30 mins (in car or on walk - I now feel bad for Xan as he has to accompany me!)
6pm Solids
6.45 Bath
7.15 Last BF
7.30 bed

DF btn 10 & 11.

I'd love to get onto 2 naps then she could sleep longer but the 3pm school run interferes with this - If Xan is at a friends hse or an after school activity till after 4pm I can do that but I'm iffy about flitting from 3 naps to 2 then back.

Yes, you were lucky with the DF - I wish we could just ditch it cold turkey but I'm not optimistic it would work. She'd wake for it i'm sure.....probably every hour!!!

Is that way to finish a feed early called 'gentle removal'?

You do a fantastic job with your family (and still time to express even?!! - My Avent pump went binwards when number 2 arrived - I'm too pulled out to even THINK about that!!!)

Zane does really well to last out til bedtime - I bet your other children keep him amused though?!

Does Zane bf okay during the day fter a nap or does he get easily dosctracted like Elise - ow doyou keep him still or is he just good like that?

TBH I'm dreading having to do the DF at 9pm - Elise's cot is still in our room and I'd dread disturbing her when we come to bed (then again it's an excuse for an early night!!).

Also, I'm at a 40th dinner in 10 days - I'll be due to DF at about 9.30/10 by then - will I have to leave early or risk her waking? I'd normally be ok as I do it at 11pm but I'm not sure if she'd last till 11 if I've been bringing it forward.

How would you do it if you had to do away with it cold turkey/fastrack or is this not an option for me as it's such a big feed?

[Mum of 3 + 2 stepkids]

Hi sorry not much time tonight but if you can wait till morning i will have more time

Kate x

[Mum of 3 + 2 stepkids]

'gental removal' yes

The pumping is getting on my nerves now as i can't pump as much in one sitting as i used to, so very disheartening.

The daytime feeds are good to start but towards the end gets very distracted, sometimes i let him sit up for 5 mins then try again to make sure he gets a full feed. Its very hard sometimes though

Zanes cot is also in our room. Are you worried about doing the df earlier that you will wake her when you go to bed? I find that although he doesn't sleep well in the day, but at night sleeps like a log. I could hoover round mine at night

I think if your bringing the df forward you should keep to your scheduel or your work will be undone, you don't want to confuse her.

Every lo is so different that only you can tell if she's ready for cold turkey. there's no harm in trying and if id doesn't work then go back to doing it slow. the df feed can in some cases cause MORE nwing's (like all mine) so in that case its better to do without. Don't know if you told me but are you double or singal side feeding? If double then just offer one side until she pops off.

Oh i tried giving Zane breakfast at 7.30 this morning in the hope he might get into a deeper sleep but no chance the normal 40 mins. but i have been getting him to have another 30mins when we get back from school so EAEASAS now that is a funny EASY if ever i've seen one 

Kate x (not so nice today is it?)

[sunnysmile]

The Weather? No but was sunny here this afternoon - you'll get better weather than us in Manchester!!!! You're almost in France, to us ooop North!!

Well for the past 2 nights I've brought her feed forward by 15 mins to 10.40pm and not encouraged her to take more by rousing her and the result?

She woke 4 times Mon night & 5 times last night between 00:30 & 07:00..... I'm so tempted to
cold turkey her cos It can't get worse than this?? Then at least it's over & done with after a few bad nights. She took more milk today as a result, though.

I'm really wary of AP & Props though (especially at this age) cos ilness/holidays/any type of routine change can bring on it's own problems in the way you deal.

It never occurred to me to feed Elise during this bout of NW's as I've not done it since she was 5 months old. Instead I dummy-popped to get her back - now THAT'S not good either!!!

Perhaps Zane is so used to a 40 min nap at that time, his body clock may take a while to come round - if his 1.5 hour nap at noon is unassisted he can obviously transition okay then.

Would you cold-turkey in view of all the NW's I'm having at the moment anyway, Kate?

[sunnysmile]

BTW - I feed both sides (blimey I'd not get 40/50 mins worth of feeding out of one boob!!)

As for your expressing I know what you mean. I got nothing with Xan once he was on solids - the supply/demand thing is too powerful and well established by then.

Do you express while you feed? This was the only way for me once we began weaning and he was taking 3 meals, though I had to keep brushing his little hands off the pump to stop him fiddling with it!!!