Diary of a dreamfeed wean!

[vadensmommy]

Thanks ladies.  I didn't get back on last night before dd went to bed, but had decided just to go ahead with the weaning instead of cold turkey.  Again i am just too chicken to go cold turkey.  A lot of poultry in that sentence     Anyways. 

DH always does our DF, and I usually set an alarm that is in the living room so he won't forget/get lost in the internet/fall asleep, etc.  I go to bed much earlier than dh, and so he stays up to do the df.  Well since I had reset the alarm it decided not to go off, and dh did do the df, but instead of the scheduled 9:30, it was again at 10, but only 3 oz.  She woke up early again this AM, but I don't know if that is because the df was late, or because she was OT because she fought her night sleep last night yet again for over an hour before she finally died out.  DD's naps have been horrific the past two weeks and really make me want to pull my hair out, but that isn't really the fault of the df now is it?  Between teething and learning to crawl this week it has been a nightmare.  So I think for these next two nights we'll do the 3oz's at 9:30, and then go to 9 and 2oz.  Will keep you posted!

[* Paula *]

Sophie - I am so pleased that things are going so well and that the growth spurt has subsided.    Me I am still around.  Had a MW appointment yesterday and she said that baby won't be here anytime soon  Said my body does not seem to be ready - Have a hospital appt next Friday to check the possibility of induction - but I am hoping that I will have had her by then.

Vadensmommy - Development can wreak havoc on their nighttime sleep and naps - when she is awake allow her to practice as much as possible during the day, so that hopefully she will sleep better during the day / night.  Have you tried any teething meds for her?

Keep us posted on the weaning.

[vadensmommy]

Paula - any baby yet? I just noticed your ticker, so I wondered what was happening. 

We have tried massive amounts of teething meds -tylenol, motrin, orajel, homeopathic teething tablets.  The pain motrin and tylenol do seem to help.  I just hate to give them until I know that she is going to need them.  Like last night she fell asleep just perfectly without any need of meds.  She did start crawling yesterday officially WOOHOO.  I leave her on the floor to play and practice crawling as much as I can so she can get it out of her system before time to sleep.  So I'm hoping that whatever has been causing her extreme wakefullness - teething or crawling, is on the downhill slope so we can get back on track with everything else. 

So on to what I am really here for   DF wean weenie 
Last night DH was gone to a football game, so I did the DF at 9:30 for 3oz and it went very well.  She didn't wake up, and slept till 6:15 this AM.  I did hear her cry out around 2:00, but only for a minute, and she put herself back to sleep.  When she did wake up this am she babbled and fussed for about 20minutes, and I think she might have even fallen back to sleep, because I didn't really hear more from her again till 7 when I went to get her.  7 is about 30min AFTER normal E time I will really enjoy being able to sleep till 6 or even 6:30 this weekend if this keeps up!  Much better than 4:45!!  The plan will be more of the same tonight - 3oz at 9:30, then tomorrow we'll move on to 2oz at 9.  Wish us luck!!

[* Paula *]

No Baby Yet  4 days overdue and nothing seems to be happening.

That is great news on the crawling.  Hopefully her sleep patterns will improve.

Sounds like a fantastic night last night    Good luck with tonight - keep us posted on how you get on.

[vadensmommy]

Bless your heart. I do know how that goes.  I was exactly a week overdue when dd was born, and that was only after being induced - ended in c-section.  But most importantly we were both healthy and everything went smoothly, and I hope everything does go smoothly for you too, whenever you do have this baby

Well, let's see.  Things continue to go very very well.  This gradual weaning thing is really great.  Friday night dd got 3oz at 9:30 and slept well.  She did wake once at around 3.  I listened for a couple of minutes, and ended up having to go into her.  We don't do pu/pd really, have never really needed it, but I am afraid after our teething issues that I'll need to brush up on it.  I did get her up and rock her for a minute and was able to put her back down without having to feed her or anything and she went back to sleep. 

Last night (saturday night) we did 2oz at 9.  She woke at 4 and cried for a bit.  I usually listen for a minute, go to the bathroom, wash hands, and go get her.  By the time I got to the door of her room she quit   So I didn't have to go get her, and she got up this morning around 6:15.  I really think that some of these NW and earlier than ideal mornings (although 6:15 is pretty good, but she was cranky, and ended up napping not even 2hrs after waking) to OT.  We've been really busy with moving a business in the family, so there have been a LOT of late nights, late naps, waking her up from naps to be somewhere at a certain time, etc.

So tonight will be more of the same as well as tomorrow night - 2oz at 9, then we'll drop to 1oz at 8:30, and then to nothing!  So far dd is really eating solids so much better!  She's had 3 meals consistently, and is showing hunger signs for solids, which is new!  She hasn't however, been quite as interested in her bottles.  I usually try and do 7oz for each bottle, and she's still doing at least 6oz per bottle (for a total of at least 24oz per day not counting the df) but it is a little more of a struggle to get it in her.  I may have to tweak the amount of solids she is getting if she continues to not want her bottle just to make sure she is getting enough.

I'll keep you guys posted!

[Mom_to_L&S]

Sounds like you're doing great 

Lena had a few EW too when we were weaning but it didn't last long.

Sophie x

[* Paula *]

Sounds like she is doing fantastically - keep it up.

Great news about her taking more solids.  24oz of milk per day is perfect for her age - the minimum is 21oz, so she is doing well.  Remember yogurts, custards, milk in cereal and cooking etc also count towards her daily intake.

Keep us posted on how things go.

[vadensmommy]

Well I have been away for a few days, and am about to be away for a few more, so I thought I'd take a very brief moment to update.

Things continue to go really great and I am super excited.  Tonight is our last DF night, and it probably won't be much of a DF because we are going to be on the road to go visit family and will probably be getting there around 8:30-when the DF will be due.  We had one really really early waking and I did have to feed her - it was the very next morning after my last post.  She fell asleep during her bottle the evening before, and so her DF was the last 2oz that she should have had for her evening bottle instead of the DF.  So she was up at 4:30 very very very hungry, and I couldn't get her back down, so I went ahead and fed her because I hadn't mentally prepared to do pu/pd or anything to fight it out-and she was obviously hungry.  DD went back to sleep and I had to wake her around 6:45.  I was worried that i had started something, and was afraid it would happen again the next morning, but it didn't!!

So at least 2 or 3 times this week I have had to wake her in the mornings at 6:45 which is about the latest I can let her sleep before needing to get her up, get her dressed and fed and get on to the sitters so I won't be late for work.  SOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo nice to be able to take a shower in the mornings and be in peace and not hear her fussing because of an early wake up.  I am so excited things have gone this well.  Now it might all go to pot this weekend since we will be out of town, but I hope not.  She is continuing to eat well - still has 7oz bottles 4x/day, and I am considering cutting back a bit because she really is fighting taking the last ounce, and I don't want to force feed her.  Really strange because the past few mornings when I thought she would be the hungriest because of only a 1oz DF, she hasn't been and has only wanted to take 6oz.  I wasn't quite sure what the limit was on how LITTLE formula they were supposed to get, but it looks like at least 4x 5.5oz bottles would be the least amount to give and still be ok.  So 4x 6oz bottles would be fine if that is what she wants.  Continues to eat her solids really really well, and has even been "asking" for them by fussing when she gets hungry, and that is new!!!  YEAHH!!!  So now I wish I had been less of a DF wean weenie, but hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it?  Thank you ladies for your support, and I'll try to update how the weekend goes when we get back in town Sunday or Monday! 

Paula I hope you have "popped" by now and that everything is going well!

[* Paula *]

Wow that is fantastic news - I am so pleased that everything is going so smoothly.  I hope that the weekend stays the same for you, but remember you have done this now, so any slight little hitch, you will be able to cope with.

The miminimum amount they need to take is 21 oz per day, but this can include milk in cereal and cooking as well as yougurts, cheeses, custards etc.  Sounds like she is doing perfectly on the 4 x 6oz bottles.

I have still not had this little bean - Will be going in to be induced on Monday.  I am hoping that the baby will be here before then though.

Looking forward to reading your update next week 

[vadensmommy]

Well lo and behold we are out of town, and I have found a bit of internet connection during a quiet moment while dd is sleeping and everyone else is at a ballgame! 

Last night went well considering everything we've put dd through, and the weekend isn't nearly over.  We still have an 1.5hr drive to visit my family and set up "camp" there tonight.  We rolled into my BIL's house right at 8:30 and of course all the movement and setting up the paknplay woke her up.  I fed her that last ounce, and it wasn't much of a df because she was wide awake.  I thought she would settle after that, but no, it took about another 1.5hr to get her to go to sleep.  She is so well sleep trained that she won't sleep anywhere else but her own bed.  That is great when we're at home, but terribly frustrating when staying with family or in a hotel and all we have is her paknplay. 

After getting her to finally rest last night, she slept great and woke up at about 6:15.  Earlier than I would have liked to get on the weekend, but much much much better than that one 4:30am wakeup we had last week. 

So tonight will be the first night that we don't do a DF, although since we will be staying with family, if she wakes hungry I probably won't fight it, I'll just feed her so we don't wake up anybody because my parent's bedroom is right across the hall from the guest bedroom we all sleep in.  I think the real test to all of this will be Monday morning once she's had two nights of no DF, and a really busy weekend where her naps and sleeps have all been out of kilter.  We'll see - wish me luck! 

Paula, I hope that everying goes super smooth monday (or sooner, fingers crossed  )

I'll keep y'all posted on this DF weaning!!

[* Paula *]

Being out of town can send things potty - I would not worry too much about it.  Just try not to use too much accidental parenting that could be hard to get out of.

Great that you have found an internet connection. 

Fingers crossed for the rest of the weekend - please keep us posted.

Paula

[vadensmommy]

Ok, so
we've officially dropped the dF
WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO
Since this past weekend we were out of town, and the first few nights back were really out of whack from her catching up from the busy weekend, so there were long naps and laaaate bedtimes (which also meant a late last bottle).  So last night was the first night that she ate at her normal time for her last bottle-around 6:30, and went to sleep around 7 and slept till 6:20 this morning with NOOOOO wakeups and NOOOO night feedings    

So I am hoping that tonight will go as smoothly - dd was about 2oz behind on her last bottle of the night, but had at least an ounce of yogurt at supper, so hopefully that will tide her over.

Random side note: I've always made dd's baby food but while we were out of town this weekend I took regular Gerber baby food.  She wouldn't eat it!  Barely ate any solids while we were gone at all except for the jarred pears.  I guess I should have been feeding her jarred food all along, just so it wouldn't be completely new for those times when we are out of town and it is easier to take the jarred foods. 

Paula:  Glad to see you've had this baby!  I am sure life is a massive whirlwind currently, so I don't expect a reply - I hope you are both doing really great!!!  Thanks for all of your help with this DF weaning stuff!!!  You are great!

[Mom_to_L&S]

Hi there,

I'm so happy to hear that your LO has done it! Makes you proud, doesn't it? Good job 
Love the new picture, by the way.

Lena had a bit of a growth spurt when right before she hit the 8-month mark so we had a couple of nightfeedings there but that has long passed now.
I did have to up her daytime food-intake so maybe that's worth looking into?
I add yogurts, milkporridges etc to tank her up.

FWIW, Lena doesn't like jarred food either 

Sophie x

[* Paula *]

vadensmommy - that is fantastic news - well done on dropping the DF.  You and your lo have done great 

Yes baby has finally arrived, and I feel like a first time mum again, I keep on second guessing myself on everything     Abigail is beautiful and is doing really well.

[vadensmommy]

Oh paula I love the name abigail, I think that is just beautiful, and I am so glad to hear you are both doing well.  I am sure in the next few days you'll feel like an old pro again! 

Sophie - thanks for the info, and for the comments on the picture I wish that little outfit was ours because it was super cute, but it just happened to be what the sitter stuck on her after a MASSIVE poo that got everywhere and she said it was just what was at hand.  Hahaha.

So yes I do feel proud.    DD went to bed last sleep around 7:15 last night and I had to wake her up at 6:45 this morning!  She did cry out at least once, but I can't remember if I even had to check on her or not - I don't think so   I hope we have a good night tonight as well.  DD has been super sleepy still (hopefully no illness, maybe just still recovering from our crazy weekend out of town), and went to bed tonight around 5:30 and woke at 6:30, took her bottle and went right back to sleep before 7.  So we'll see how it goes!  Thank you both so much for your help.  I am going to retire my part of this post now I guess, and I hope to see you both on other boards!!