Author Topic: Very confused need your oppinion  (Read 1455 times)

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Offline travis's mum

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Very confused need your oppinion
« on: October 29, 2005, 07:44:00 am »
I have been recently weaning my DS off his 4am feed.  I did this because I had the feeling it was habitual, and also I was fed up of having no sleep.  I was noticing also that although he would drink a reasonable amount at 4, at 7/8 he would only drink an oz or 2.  So I thought to myself why can't he swith them round?

So I started to wean following some advice given to sombody else, reducing the amount and bringing forward the time.  Now the bringing forward of the time didn't work as he then started to wake twice :shock: . so I decided to continue reducing but sticking with the same time (I would wake just before he usually did and dream feed). As the amounts got less I would give him his dummy to help settle him. Sure enough he started drinking more of his morning feed.

The problem is he is waking regularly from 4am on wards about 3 times. I give him the dummy re-position him and he goes back to sleep.  I'm so confused is this my doing? Is it developmental? When should I stop offering him the dummy.  When I try pat/shhh when he stirrs at 4am I end up waking him up and making him angry :cry:When I give him his dummy he goes straight back to sleep. I thought after a couple of days he is meant to stirr and go straight back to sleep alone :? , where have I gone wrong? I'm so tired and confused I just want to sleep. H is no help.  Have I made my DS dependant on his dummy or is this a developmental thing and I have to ride out the storm.

Some advice would be great anyone been in a similar situation and came out the other end?

Offline Katet

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Very confused need your oppinion
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2005, 10:38:59 am »
Given his age I actually doubt he is ready to drop the whole of the feed if he is waking regularly after it when he didn't before.
At 3mo 5-6 hours is sleepingthrough the night.
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline travis's mum

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Very confused need your oppinion
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2005, 16:46:40 pm »
I thought given the fact that in the morning he didn't want to drink his bottle and was only playing with it, why can't he swap the 4 for the 8 o'clok one.  He is a big boy he weighs 7kilos. When I mention to the ped that I was atempting to drop his middle of the night feed he thought it was a reasonable idea. He drinks 6 bottles a day (without that bottle)I offer 6 oz he usually drinks 4-6oz.

Do you still think he's waking for food?

Should i start feeding him again at 4 see if the night wakings stop and if so wait a while before I try to cut that feed? So that we can see if it is the dummy or the food?

Thanks for taking the time to answer and give advice I really appreciate it being a first time mum I don't really know whats best but if it's possible I would like to cut that feed, I have pushed his bed time forward in preperation for the time change.Bottle& Bed @8 DF@12. I don't really get a good sleep untill he goes down at 12 so you can imgine 4 hrs is not a lot for me :cry: .

Offline Katet

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Very confused need your oppinion
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2005, 20:30:28 pm »
I can understand not getting much sleep with 2 a four hour stretch is wonderful for me (but you get more used to it).
Have to laugh when you say he is big... both my boys were over 8kg at 3mo :D

given you are ff have you tried water at that 4am slot. I do agree if he isn't taking much at bf & also is on 6 day bottles it may be habit. Does he actually wake crying or just wake & talk... if it is the latter I would just leave him & see if he resettles. After my ds#1 dropped (with my help at 5mo) a 4am feed, he then spent about 3-4 weeks making noise at that time, I let him be (annoying as it was) & he did resettle himself. he now sleep talks (why I don't get long stretches of sleep) But I do know it is important not to rush in too early & "cause a habit"
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline travis's mum

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Very confused need your oppinion
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2005, 04:00:03 am »
He is crying although I have to admit sometimes I rush in andgive him the dummy because I don't want him to wake too much :oops:  How much is a reasonable amount of time to leave him before I intervene.  I don't him to loose trust in me.

Sadly I think you might be right, I think he is hungry. It's just after hearing about other babies who can go stretches over the night and missing a feed I thought (and wanted :oops: ) my LO to be ready.

I will start feeding him again at 4. One more question, should I offer him a regular 6oz bottle or less? so that maybe he stops the night wakings but is still having his main feed at BF.

Maybe then in the future he may just drop the 4 am feed alone? Or am I still rushing him? :?

Again thanks for the advice it's vary much appreciated :D .