Special Clusterfeed/Tanking Up help

[willowonyx]

My 5 month LO is not a big eater, never has been and I read in the BW book about to get your LO to eat more during the day (get rid of night time feedings) was to do a cluster/tanking up feeding like we had to do when she was younger. Unfortunatly, the book does not really do a good job of explaining how to get rid of the extra feeding so that they do not start waking up again.

Since my LO only takes around 4oz at each feed no matter how hungry she is, we are doing a cluster feeding at 7pm (bedtime) and 9pm & 11pm (one is a BF-dreamfeed and one is a EBM bottle DF).

Do we start moving the 9pm a little later at the same time of moving the 11pm a little earlier or only move one later or earlier?

Please help, we are on the 6th night tonight and I do not want to start a bad habit for her......thanks.

[Lolly]

Hmmm, not sure really. You don't want to get rid of the DF yet, that's usually around 7/8 months and if you make the 9pm feed later you would risk her not taking much at the DF. I wonder if dropping the 9pm feed oz by oz would work?

What have you done to get her to take bigger feeds in the day - 4oz is a very small feed for a 5 month old. What are your feeding times and how is she during a feed? Does she have any digestive issues like reflux (I'm sure I know this but my memory is rubbish!)?

Laura

[willowonyx]

Oh no, I would not get rid of the DF, just need to "merge" the extra clusterfeed and DF to just be a DF again and hope that it is enough to keep her sleeping through.

The whole reason for getting her to sleep through and not need a feed was the way I have gotten her to drink more during the day. Her night waking and taking a full feed was making her drink less at school. Now, she is draining 5oz bottles at school in 10-15mins. She only gets EBM and is on a 4 hour feeding schedule. Yes, she does have reflux and that is definitley a factor in her not eating alot at one time.

The doctor says she is fine (on the smaller side yes) but healthy.