5 week old- struggling with evening routine

[aidmam]

i used bw with my ds1 but b/f didn't work out so it was based on bottlefeeding. with ds2 i have fantastically managed to b/f and during the day we are on a really good 3 hourly routine, with good activity, swaddle and nap (not much y time with a 3 year old though lol)

my query is; is it too soon to expect the night time to follow as good a routine? during the day ds isn't always feeding at the same time but its roughly the same. from 6pm in the evening he then wouldn't naturally wake up till about midnight. therfore trying to cluster, then df is v difficult. i have either ended up with a distraught baby or effectively doing 2 df at 8 then 10, with him taking v little milk from either feed, and still waking at 1ish.

if he is going to go 6 hours i want it to be a bit later. sorry this is probs really confusing, i'll post yesterdays routine to explain;

E 12.50am
S 1.30AM
E 4.30AM
S 5.00AM (ALTHOUGH V UNSETTLED WITH WIND)
E 7.30AM
A 8.00AM
S 8.45AM
E 11.00AM
A 11.45AM
S 12.30PM
E 2.15PM
A 2.45PM
S 3.15PM
E 4.45PM
A 5.30PM
S 6.15PM
E 6.45PM
A 7.15PM
S 7.30PM
E 10.30PM DF

the timings during the night last night were similar again so thwe dream feed isn't helping, saying that we've only tried for a few nights.

any thoughts

TIA
em and evan 5 weeks 2 daysxx

[Samuel's mum]

I always had the opposite problem- the fussy evening. So I'm bumping this for responses from others

[NoelleChristine]

my query is; is it too soon to expect the night time to follow as good a routine? during the day ds isn't always feeding at the same time but its roughly the same. from 6pm in the evening he then wouldn't naturally wake up till about midnight. therfore trying to cluster, then df is v difficult. i have either ended up with a distraught baby or effectively doing 2 df at 8 then 10, with him taking v little milk from either feed, and still waking at 1ish.

How long have you been trying to offer the cluster and df's?  If it's been at least a week I'd say shelve the effort for another week or so and then try again.  Your little ones sleep patters may actually change here soon and then you won't really have to do anything to get the cluster feeds in.  Or, he may be more receptive if you take a break and then try again.

I totally understand you really wanting to "encourage" that 6 hour block of sleep to be later.  I would too!

That's great that you're managing to bf the second time around!  We have lots of mommies around here with your same experience!  Myself included.

[x95stocchier]

I agree with your  concern/desire to move that 6 hr block to middle of night.  I agree with pp that sleep patterns will probably be changing here soon.

I wouldn't worry so much about the cluster, and just work on the df.  I was doing both with my lo at that age, but she got to taking very little at both cluster feeds, so I dropped one.  The df, though, I still do and I think it took a few weeks to see the difference.  That said, she hardly would take anything, so I started waking her and changing her diaper, reswaddle then feed.  She'd take more that way.  After doing that for about a week, I can now df without waking (I think maybe her clock is now expecting to eat then ??) so she feeds better, even in her sleep at that hour.  Try it for a week or even two.  That may be hard if you'd rather go to bed before then, but experiment for a few weeks and give it a chance to make a difference.