What to do when stopping the DF fails?

[trishr]

Hello,

I'm hoping someone will answer this post and help.  I haven't had much luck with getting responses to my other questions and I'm feeling discouraged.

My DD is 7 1/2 MO and just before the 7 MO mark, we phased out the DF.  I BF at 7 pm and then was BFing also at the DF. She gets bottles during the day while I'm at work so I was a little unsure how to stop the DF but here's what I did:  I tried to give her 1 oz more in the bottle in the morning and decrease the DF from 20 -16 mins @ night.  She didn't eat the extra oz but was fine w less time on the breast.  She didn't wake hungry and slept her normal 10-10.5 hrs.  I continued in this pattern decreasing the feeds by 4 mins and trying to add more to the day.  each time I decreased, I also fed 30 mins earlier.  I did this in 4 day increments as suggested.  Each decrease, I tried to add more to her day.  She wouldn't take more milk, but we noticed an increase in solids.  Our doctor said as long as she was getting 24 oz min, it was fine.  She was and is.  So we got to the 9:00 hour for DF with only 4 mins total of eat time.  I admit I only did this for 2 days instead of 4 and did not bring the next feed to 2 oz @ 8:30 because that is only 30 mins after she falls asleep and I felt that was too close.  For 3 nights everything was fine.  Then on 4th night, she started waking between 9-11 and wanting to eat.  (Her original DF times).  Now she wakes sporadically whenever, high pitched screaming until she gets to eat.  She is teething and has been refusing to eat less during the day here and there which is why it's hard not to feed her.  I can't tell if she is really hungry from missing some of her meals or if she is just in a new habit or both.  I did feel the DF were less of me getting her out of bed and feeding her while still asleep and more of me waking her almost fully and letting her eat and go back to sleep all cozy like on the breast.  I now think this is definitely what it was like for her in the last couple of months so she wants to continue to have that time.  But again, since she goes on hunger strike in the day, I'm not sure if she's truly hungry at night.  Please help.  It is getting worse and I'm not able to fix it on my own.

[Tweakster]

HI there, could you pop up her routine so we can take a look.  I'm not an expert on DF because they never worked for my kid but here to offer (((hugs))) and say that I'm sorry you are feeling discouraged.  Have you tried some medication for the teething?  It could be that she's waking from her teething and wanting the comfort of the breast rather than the food itself.

[brenda2]

if she's teething and eating less during the day due to discomfort i might try to put the df back in there - but use a bottle instead of breast.  i weaned the df with bottles and found it easier as you can tell how much they take and then decrease the amount in the bottle.  also takes away the comfort of the breast - kwim?

i weaned the df at about 9 mo with bottles very easily and successfully, so your lo is still younger than that.  it is conceivable that she would be hungry especially if she is eating less due to teething, or if having a gs.

[Shiv52]

It could be she really isn't ready to wean the DF.  It would not be at all uncommon for a BF baby to need a NF at 7 months. And i think at this age milk intake should be between 24-28oz (going down from 28-32oz at 6 months) so she is at the lower end of milk intake. 

If you find the solids are increasing to the extent they are interfering with milk intake then cut back a bit as milk has many more calories and this age and will keep your LO fuller longer.

[trishr]

Thank you for all the advice.  I haven't had time to respond until now    I might try to go back to the DF for a while and I like the idea of the bottle.  If I do bottle though, I will have to do it with formula.  My milk has decreased to the point that at work I pump for her what she'll eat the next day.  I don't have even an ounce as an extra supply so I'd have to give her formula for the DF.  Her nights have become even more sporadic as she now wakes to eat randomly and has started waking frequently without putting herself back down.  I think it's a combo of things such as teething, possibly not getting enough calories some days and some AD parenting with helping her back to sleep.  Plus she is addicted to the binky and we just haven't made the commitment to wean her from it....we need now that we realize she is waking and looking for it at night.

Again, thanks though for the advice!

[Shiv52]

Can you teach her to replug the dummy herself? That should help her resettle herself when she wakes?

[brenda2]

paci dependency would certainly explain the nws.  either wean it or encourage her to replug herself.  she's at the age where she could actually do it herself.