STTN Question....

[bensmuma]

This is by far not a complaint, but here's my situation.....my lo is 4 months old (11 wks corrected age). She started sttn about 4 weeks ago. She's a terrible napper sometimes and I can rarely get the suppertime cat nap in. I do keep her on a routine and cluster feed at 5 and as close as I can get her to 7....sometimes mostly 630 645. She sleeps until about 0530/0600. I've always fed her a this time and put her right back to bed where she may sleep another 1-2hrs. Here's the question....If she always continues to wake at this time do I always feed her or when do I stop? Also, if she starts waking in the middle of the night what do i do?? DO I feed her or just try to get her back to sleep?

[bensmuma]

I must have ESP!!!! She woke up at 1230, 0330 and 0530 last night! Of course I fed her but I know she didn't take a full feed at 0530 at least and was so fidgety for the others. She was definitely rooting/nuzzling at the 1230, but the others I don't remember a this point! Yesterday my MIL let her go half hour over her schedule for 2 feeds which meant that when I came home form work I fed her at 1730 and tried again at 1840, so I think she didn't get a full feed the second time. Should I just be trying to get her to go back to sleep? Is there another growth spurt coming? I'm confused because she's a preemie, 6 wks early no deficits, growing well but still...? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Tay]

Hiya,
On your first post:
 The first question I would ask is: does your LO sleep independently? For daytime napas and BT? (to rule out her waking up and needing fed to fall back asleep).
Second question: when you meant she sleeps until about 5.30/600, do you mean she sleeps from 6.45pm until 5.30am??? If so, that is absolutely brilliant for your LOs age, most babies that age don't sleep that many hours in a row.
The way I always looked at it with mine was:
- how long has it been since the last feed? More than 3 hrs? (then there's a chance it might be real hunger)
- how were her daytime feeds? Did she feed well?
- I would then try to settle them without feeding and if I had no luck in 5 or 10 min, then BF

On your second post:
It does sound like a GS to me, especially since your LO was sleeping long hours.
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=66001.0
Just feed your LO more frequently and your supply should adjust in a few days.

HTH
xxx

[bensmuma]

Hi Tay! Thanks for responding to my post!

She sleeps independantly for BT and APOP for naps. She's in the 45min nap stage and it's the only way to get her back to sleep at naptime it seems.

Yes she had been sleeping 10-12 hours without waking.....amazing I know!

She eats on schedule most of the time and eats until she's satisfied so I supposed I would call that well She does get EBM while I'm at work 3days/wk usually 2-3 bottles each day. She's been taking 4.5oz, should we offer more right now? The cluster feed is the only one sometimes where I think she might not take a full feed depending on the timing. I've never done the dream feed with her as I never needed to and would prefer not too at this point, since I think she's generally a good night time sleeper.

Sounds like a GS to me as well! But those nighttime feeds have been sloppy and shorter than usual so i'm a tad confused. Sloppy could be because too I think she's due for an increased dose on her reflux meds, or maybe she's really hungry and I am a little engorged at that point and she's trying to handle a little over supplu and forceful letdown? hmmm?

Thanks for trying to help me figure this out!
Holly

[Tay]

I know that whenever DS starts waking up at night for feeds it's usually the reflux flaring up.
If your LO is not taking much at those night feeds I would try to either try to delay the feed by any means - APOP if necessary, or just pick one night feed and work on PU/PD.
What happens when you try to settle her without a feed?

[bensmuma]

Good to know about the reflux. i've been suspecting that for a few days now! nd I've never not fed her when she wakes 

[Tay]

Let me know how you get on, will you?
xxx

[bensmuma]

Just changed our reflux meds today. But she's been sleeping pretty well, waking only once if all all night! Must have been a growth spurt!

[Tay]

does sound like it. Great to hear you're all getting more sleep.
Xxx

[abaker89]

DD1 slept 11 hrs at 10 weeks and was breastfed so it isn't unusual, just very lucky.  I did feed her occasionally till 4 mths of so, if she woke.  Then it had been about 2 straight weeks without a NW and she woke.  DH said that she wasn't hungry so he got her back to sleep.  I know if I had gone in, she would have eaten cause she would have smelled it.  In hindsight, maybe she was hungry but it was a spur of the moment decision in teh middle of the night and it really was great for me.  Over the next mth, she woke a few times and he would get her back down.  Then I was able to help her at night since she had no expectation of eating at night.  She nursed till 2.5 yrs so it didn't change that.