going off morning milk

[Bhappy]

Hi there! I'm a first time mum and I'm new to the boards - I posted this query in 'night waking' section earlier today but think it might be worth putting in here too as I see a couple of other people have had this issue! My little girl, Becky is now 11 weeks old. She was just under 9lb at birth and when last weighed was well on her way to 13lb so a good weight! B is a happy little soul most of the time and eats well on a 3-4 hour flexible EASY. (E at 7-7.30am/10-10.30am/1-2pm/4-5pm and another feed after her bath around 6.30pm. She's always more hungry between 4 and 7pm. She is formula fed now, was b/f for the first few weeks, then mixed, now just formula. We started a bedtime routine around the 6 week mark and she is now happily into it sleeping roughly 7pm until her dreamfeed at 10.30 - sometimes she wakes up for this, though whether awake or asleep hardly ever manages more than 3oz - and then from the d/f she sleeps until 2am ish (though this varies night to night.) She had reflux early on and her first few weeks she could never settle after a feed but now this is much better (combination of infant gaviscon and cranial osteopathy.) Generally we only have one night time feed now and most of the time she settles well until about 6.30 or 7am, unless there's a nappy issue! My query is this.... The last couple of weeks she has gone off her morning feed (around 7am) and will only have a couple of ounces, sometimes 3 when previously she was eating 4 or 5 oz. I'm wondering if her night time feed is putting her off? And if she's really needing the night time milk or if it's just habit? The last couple of nights I have tried offering some cooled boiled water before the milk to see if that will settle her but it hasn't yet and she still wants her milk in the night. Even if it's only 2 or 3oz. Generally she has about 25oz of formula between 7am and 11pm. This is as much as I can get in her! Her daytime sleep was very erratic but is getting better -so long we don't miss the window for sleep (otherwise she has a meltdown) sleeping c1-1.5hrs in the morning, 1-2hours at lunchtime (varies) and another half hour late afternoon. Has anyone else experienced this and any suggestions? I can't help thinking she's almost ready to skip this night time feed, just not sure how to teach her how

[* Paula *]

What time is she generally having her night time feed?  How close to the morning feed is it?

At 11 weeks I would say it is still very common t have at last 1 or two night feeds, so sounds like your lo is doing well.

Have you tried leaving your lo a few minutes after waking and offering the bottle a bit later?  I know my DD does not always have a fed first thing in the morning.  She usually plays for about 1/2 an hour and then feeds.

[Bhappy]

hello - thanks for your thoughts - she wakes most often around 2.30am but sometimes it's 2am sometimes 3am! She has gone until 4 or 5 on one or two nights. Ocaasionally she's stirred at 1.30 but I've managed to soothe her back to sleep with a dummy or my little finger (which she seems to prefer.) This doesn't work so well at the 2.30/3 point. I always try and leave her a few minutes and listen to the chuntering to see how it develops. More often than not it turns into a cry if I don't respond! That's a good point about the play in the morning as B is often happy in her crib for a bit when she wakes up from naps and sleep - so long as she has had enough. So I think she would be happy with that. Perhaps we should leave her a bit longer in the morning, say until 7.30 instead of nearer 7. My hubby does this early morning feed before he goes off to work.
I thought I'd try cluster feeding her tonight. She had a bottles at 4.30 and 6.30 so might try another one now - though she is sound asleep at the moment so it will be more like an early dream feed! It might just help to get a few more calories into her
Worth a shot!

[* Paula *]

Definitely worth a try leaving her a bit longer.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.