increase the feed per bottle on DF

[kikoz]

Hi,

my lo take a total of 25 to 26 oz per day/night, she is 3 months. she usually take 5 to 6 per bottle. but then on the DF she takes only 4oz and then wakes up 330am and takes 2 oz.
her first feed starts at 7 am and then following her cues every 3 or 3.5 hrs I give her a bottle. last feed around 7 pm and then DF between 10 and 11 pm.

do you think if I try to give her the extra 2 oz on the DF she ll sleep all night? if yes ( even if not)  how can I make her eat more on the DF?

thank you

[Lolly]

If you are offering more in the bottle at the DF but she is only taking 4oz, in my experience you probably won't get her to take any more. If there is only 4oz in the bottle put another oz or 2 in and see if she will take it.

Is she waking at 3.30 every night? If she is and only taking 2oz I would think that she is waking out of habit rather than hunger and could probably do with out it. You could try wake to sleep (W2S), got to her about 1 hour before she usually wakes up and stir her gently - not enough to wake her you just want to disturb her slightly and then she should go back into a deeper sleep and sleep through her normal wake up. She would then probably take those 2oz at her first bottle or make them up during the day.

She is doing well with only one wake at night, especially if she goes straight back to sleep!

Let us know what you think!

Laura

[kikoz]

Hi, thank you for your reply, for the DF, I put 6 oz and she takes only 4 also she wakes between 3 and 4 for a feed, not at the dot. I tried to give her the pacifier and one time i put more water than formula to see if it just a habit but she would wake again after a while hungry, so I think she is simply well, hungry even if she s only taking 2!...right?
that s why i thought i could give these extra 2 instead on the DF.....
and yes! i am lucky with her! she wakes up only to eat rarely opening her eyes and sleeping straight after!! I am not complaing but just trying if in anyway I could get her to sleep one shot... she s a good sleeper , i put her to bed between and 6 and 7pm then her last feed is around 7pm and she sleeps all the way till 1230 if I dont give her a DF.
since she could handle such a long stretch I thought she could handle it after midnight too... what do you think

christiane

[faerywings]

have you tried gently stroking her cheeks whilst she is eating, it helps stimulate the mouth.
i tried a cluster feed with my lo at 12 weeks so she fed 3pm, 5pm, 7pm (ish) and then a df around 10 and she slept through. she is 14 weeks now and we have dropped the df  and she sleeps from 7 - 6 :-)
(although as i have posted i was initially worried about dropping it incase she needed calories but she is eating enough in day now and still sleeps through (except when dummy falls out once or twice but even then is back to sleep in 30 secs!)
let me know how you get on if you try it x