Dropping night feed

[willowtree626]

Hi, my LO is 12 weeks, and so far the EASY format has been very successful for us.  I rarely have a problem getting her to go to sleep or take naps.  We do the evening cluster feeds and a dream feed sometime between 10:30-11:30 (formula-fed).  She typically wakes sometime between 4-6 am for another feed.  It is rarely the same time, so I don't think it is habitual, and she doesn't want her paci, so I'm certain it truly is hunger.  I know in Tracy's book SAYP, she talks about adding an ounce to her daytime bottles and gradually decreasing the the nighttime bottle by an ounce every 3 days or so.  My question is, if I decrease her nighttime bottle by one ounce (she usually takes 4, so I would go to 3), do I only add an ounce to one daytime bottle (and then 2 bottles, 3 bottles, etc as I continue to decrease nighttime feed) or should I just start to add one ounce to every daytime bottle?  Sometimes she won't take 5 ounces at a time.  Also, is she too young to begin working on this, and if so, what age is more appropriate to try to drop this feed?  Thanks in advance!

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

Hello, welcome, and congratulations on your new baby!  It sounds like things are going well for you all. I remember doing this with dd1, many moons ago . I was already giving her as much as she would drink in her day time feeds and just did the cutting down the ounces. She was waking at the same time (2.18. - I remember that) so I figured it was a habit with her.  But your lo sounds hungry, so, tbh, I'd feed her. If you're feeding her about every three hours in the day, and a dream feed - that's about as much as you can do. You're doing great.

[creations]

Hello, welcome to BW

I agree she sounds hungry.
If you make sure all her day bottles and the DF are not drained, ie that she drinks to her fill and there is an oz or so left in the bottle. That way you know she's taking what she needs in the day.  If you did need to wean a night feed (you may not need to she may stop waking for it it) you won't see an increase in the day intake until some has gone from her night intake. The day increase may not happen immediately either, could take a few days for her to take the extra and as you'll always have a little left in the bottle you'll know where needs to be increased by which bottle/s are drained and need extra.
hth