Dropping 2 am feed

[Nickie18]

BW mentions starting to try to drop the 1/2am feed around 6 weeks old. I am wondering how this is done? Pacifier and shush pat all night long until 6 or 7am?

My 5 week old is likely a textbook baby and is very good on 3hour EASY during the day. He would not take much on cluster feeds after 2 weeks of trying so now we are awakening him around 6pm after a 1 hour nap at 5pm. Feeding at 7pm after activity and bath time. Then bedtime routine. Dream feed at 10:30-11pm when he takes only 2-3 ounces. He then awakens at 2am for 4-5 ounces. Then awakens at 6 or 630am for morning 4-5 ounces. We need to try to flip his DF for his 2am feeding amount? How else to get rid of the 2am feed without crying all night long...

When are babies usually ready to drop the 2 am feed and how many days/weeks does it take? And simply how is it done without crying it out?

Thank you!

[Lolly]

I think advice to drop this feed at 6 weeks is one of the things that may have been changed if Tracy was still around. Your LO is doing fantastically at 6 weeks to only be having 1 feed from the DF to wake up! There is a big growth spurt around 6 weeks and they do still need that nightfeed for a good while yet - remember their tummies are only the size of their fists and need filling frequently, even at night.

The most important thing with EASY is to follow your babies cues, if he is waking hungry at night you need to feed him, especially as he is so little. You may find he starts to sleep through by himself and not wake for that feed if he does and is gaining weight ok then that's great but I wouldn't do anything to activly wean it, you are better off getting him fed and back to sleep as quickly as possible.

Most babies will still need a nightfeed until 6 months or so - when solids are established. To be doing at least one feed until then is totally normal. When they get a bit older they may well only need a DF or a nightfeed but many still will need both. My DD only had a nightfeed (wouldn't take a DF) and we actively weaned that at 8.5 months when she was eating well and taking good amounts of milk in the day. 

HTH!

Laura

[Nickie18]

Thank you- I guess we will just work now on getting him to wake up later... trying to stretch it to at least 630am. He is doing very well so far at night and hopefully he will drop the night feed himself.