Help me make a plan!

[*Amy*]

So DD is 4.5 months (almost and EBF)
She STTN at 10weeks until 14weeks.
She has been paci free for 11 days now and has just begun to suck her thumb
She has 4 feeds a day and is on 4 hour EASY (although naps are a bit hit and miss these days )
She has started to wake before midnight each night for a feed, and she takes a HUGE feed. She then wakes around 2.30/3 sometimes 4am and wants to feed but then she isn't hungry in the morning even if she has feed at 2.30am! I know she isn't hungry at the 2.30/3am feed cause I would say the biggest feed of the day is the one just before midnight! I am pretty full before it and completely empty after it.
I am happy to keep the before midnight feed, I will do pu/pd for the 2.30/3am feed starting tonight, but how do i get more milk into her during the day, could I feed every two hours?
thanks
amy
oh do you think I should DF rather than have her wake?

[~ Vik ~]

Sorry just on my iPod so typing quickly instead of feeding every 2h which is quite drastic at this age, what about going to a 3.5h routine? That's quite normal of an ebf baby at this age. How and when do you feed during the day? Is she a distracted feeder during the day? 

I don't know if I would do a DF, tbh. I think I would let her wake and take the full feed. If you did a df it might not be a full feed and then she'd wake for another one, Kwim? Having said that, 2 night feeds in an ebf baby at this age is normal

[clazzat]

There's a big growth spurt at around 4 months - it could just be that, and therefore a temporary blip.

[*Amy*]

She went through the 4 month GS a few weeks ago and since hasn't STTN. I am sure the 2/3am feed is not needed as she doesn't wake hungry - infact today she didn't feed until 11am and she woke at 6am!!!!!!!
You are right about the DF - I will just wait for her to wake - I did try the 3.5 hour thing but I noticed she actually wasn't feeding as well at the 3.5hour mark as she had been at the 4 hour mark so I changed back!
Will try pu/pd for the second NW
Thank you

[~ Vik ~]

Let us know how it goes!

[*Amy*]

So last night she was in bed at 6.15pm and asleep by 6.30pm.
She woke at 9.30pm!!! (this is the earliest she has woken ever!) I had 3 oz of EBM in the fridge so I fed her on one side and gave her the 3oz then fed her on the other side. She was STUFFED! So when she woke at 2.30am I was sure she couldn't be hungry - It took until 4am for her to fall back asleep - I used pu/pd, it wasn't too bad and it wasn't constant. She started sucking her thumb yesterday so she was doing a bit of that inbetween the crying. She woke then at 5am - I fed her then, didn't need to as she only took one side so it was also for comfort! she woke again at 6am and I fed her the other side! normally she would be up for the day here but because of the unsettled night she fell straight back asleep until 8.15am. Going to go with the same plan tonight and try and get to 6am with no NF from the one before midnight! what do you think?

[~ Vik ~]

I need to be really honest - 2 night feeds in an 4.5mo ebf baby in completely normal.

It took until 4am for her to fall back asleep

She woke then at 5am - I fed her then, didn't need to as she only took one side so it was also for comfort! she woke again at 6am and I fed her the other side!

I wouldn't assume that 5am feed was for comfort - if she was awake from 230-4, then she could very well have been exhausted.  She fed enough to take the edge off, and was so tired that she fell asleep after only 1 side.  But she was clearly still hungry, as she woke again within the hour to take the other side.

Again being very honest, I would have fed at 230am if I was in your position.  My own rule of thumb (growth spurts aside) was that I wouldn't feed more frequently at night than during the day - so when Dylan was on a 4h EASY I wouldn't feed any more frequently than 4h at night either.  That meant that if dream feed was at 1030pm, and he woke at 1am, I would settle another way.  But if he woke at 245am I would feed.  So even though your dd had a huge feed at 930pm, she woke at 230am (5h) and I would have fed.  Breastmilk leaves their stomachs empty very quickly because it's so easily digested - whether it was 4, 5, or 6 hours her stomach was definitely empty.

Along those lines, I wouldn't take the hard line of no feeds until 6am at this young age.  Not in an ebf baby.  Just MHO   (((hugs))) It is so hard when you just want a good night's sleep!

[*Amy*]

Hi sorry for not getting back sooner - we got a call on friday afternoon to say that DH mother had a brain haemorrhage. We got the call at 4.30pm and we had to get a flight to Ireland straight away. The flight was 8.5 hours! we flew all night and the time difference is 4 hours. So I am not sure what EASY we are on at the moment or will be for the next week of so. DH's mum isn't going to make it so we are just waiting for her to pass on naturally, but she is in no pain.

[~ Vik ~]

My Lord, don't apologize!!! Huge (((hugs))) for you and your family, what a horrible phone call to receive. I am keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers