4.5 month old

[VanCan]

Our DS has never slept through the night  . Even with a dream feed he wakes once (between 2-4) and will have a full feed (BF). Should I even try to give him the paci or assume he just really needs it?
Giving him the dreamfeed is challenging, we can never get more than 3 oz in  ...and during the day I can't get him him to eat more, when he's done, he's DONE! I've worked hard the last couple of weeks getting him to a 4 hr interval, as he was snacking every hour!

Any tips to get him to eat more at the dream feed (he's usually in bed around 7, and we had been doing the df around 10:30) and should he be nable to go longer at night? I need sleep... DH keeps messing up the df, either waking him or giving up after 1-2oz... So it falls back on me to stay up to gently try to get more into him..., which defeats the purpose   :-[I

He was 8lbs 3 oz at birth and is now 15lbs 7oz++ ...and is EBF, df is pumped milk.

[Shiv52]

Our DS has never slept through the night  .

As hard as it is, this is not even a bit unusual.  At 4.5 months 2 NFs is very common for BF babies, even 3 at times. 

Even with a dream feed he wakes once (between 2-4) and will have a full feed (BF).

That is totally normal and if he is taking a full feed then i would assume its hunger.  Does he wake again or is that him until morning?   

Some babies don't take to the DF and if it is causing more hassle than its worth you may be best leaving it for a week or two.  If your LO is lasting to 2-4am with only an oz or 2 at the DF then he may do ok with out it. 

If you are pumping milk you could always get your DH to do the MOTN feed so you can get some proper rest. 

HTH x

[VanCan]

I'm getting confused about what he needs and can do... Last night was fed at 6:45, in bed by 7, got a df at 10:15 (not quite 3 oz) then he woke at 1:15, I fed him...

He then woke at 4 & 6:30 for dirty diaper changes, no feeding...at 4 went back to sleep, at 6:45 DH just got him up, thinking he'd be hungry and was awake for the day...he barely nursed, at about 7 and  really wasn't hungry until 8. Then BF only on one side...then lasted 3 hrs... Napped at 8:30 for an hour.

So from 1:15 am, until 8 am he was ok... Should I try to resettle him tonight when he wakes? Trying to teach DH the ropes, every sound DS makes DH thinks he needs to be fed !

[katie80]

Should I try to resettle him tonight when he wakes?

I think it's worth a try. At 4.5 mo, my 'rule' was to not feed earlier than 4 hr and try to resettle before 6 hr. DS would usually resettle fine, and then I'd feed him when he woke again, whether it was 15 min or 2 hr later (as long as it wasn't less than 4 hr from the previous feed, which it never was).  I hope that makes sense.

Trying to teach DH the ropes, every sound DS makes DH thinks he needs to be fed !

Typical!

How have the last couple nights gone?

[VanCan]

Hi - here a little update

Last night he went to bed at 6, took 3 oz at the DF at 10, woke around 1:15, and thought since it had not been 4 hours I would try to resettle him. And it worked!!! He then slept until 5, woke took at full feed and went back to sleep for about 1 hour...

The previous night he also woke around 1, but wouldn't resettle... The DF was the same, 3 oz at 10 ... So, I'm wondering if some nights he's hungrier than others? He ate around 1 and again lasted until 8 before he had a feed (one side) despite waking around 7.

We still have the issue of a 6am-ish BM that makes a big mess despite trying several diapers, cloth, pampers, huggies, one size up... That seems to be what wakes him in the morning :-/ but hopefully we can make some progress with the NW...and his BM may get in line with his feedings?

[katie80]

Sounds good!   I definitely think they can be hungrier some days, and that's why those NFs can fluctuate back and forth for awhile.  We're the same as adults.  Have you thought any more about dropping the DF and seeing what happens, since he doesn't take much at it?  I guess the other thing you could try is giving it later, between 10:30 and 11 pm to see if he'd take any more.

That seems to be what wakes him in the morning :-/ but hopefully we can make some progress with the NW...and his BM may get in line with his feedings?

Yes, not much you can really do about those, unfortunately.  It will change though as his feeds change and then once again when you introduce solids, which you're not too far off on, so hang in there.

[VanCan]

We had been doing the NF later, but he seemed to be in a deeper sleep and barely drinking ...so we moved it up and seem to catch him in a better place in his sleep cycle and he's been taking 3 oz.

I may try over the weekend to drop the NF but I suspect he will wake to eat...

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep u posted with progress or changes

[katie80]

I may try over the weekend to drop the NF but I suspect he will wake to eat...

Yeah, it can be kind of a catch-22 at this age.  He will still need two NFs if you drop it, but you would be able to go to sleep sooner so hopefully get more on the whole.  And 3 oz still isn't that much for his age, so he may take better feeds if he wakes on his own and drop one of them sooner.  Just a thought, you have to do what you feel is best.

Please do keep us posted.