Help with weaning and waking at 4am

[sasbreen]

Hello

I am new to the site and this board so apologies if this is a repeat. If it is can you post the replies.

My girl Ella is 26 weeks old and I started baby rice at 21.5 weeks. Looking back this was possibly too early. Solids are going well now. She is on three meals a day. But I don't really feel like I know what I am doing with breastfeeds and quantities of solids. The reason I think something is right is because for the last month she has been waking at 4am chatting and not going back to sleep. Before this she was generally able to sleep through 7-7pm. She has never been great at naps and so often now she is very tired by the end of the day. Please could you look at our routine and offer any suggestions why she might be waking so early.

Typical day

4am - wakes chatting, doesn't settle for over an hour

5am approx BF one side 15-20 mins put back to bed sleepy/awake

Sleeps till woken at 7:30am

7:40am BF second side

8:00-8:30am - 2 tablespoons baby porridge with water and 2 tablespoons pear or apple with little sip of water

9am nap 45 mins (sometimes 2 hours because so tired from waking at 4am)

11am BF one side  approx 15 mins

Then 2 tablespoons potato and 2 tablespoons veg. Followed by BF second small feed approx 8 mins

12:30 has a nap varies 45 mins or 2hrs

2:30pm BF both sides but she doesn't seem hungry.

5pm BF one side approx 15 mins

Followed by dinner 2 tablespoons potato and 2 tablespoons veg.

Bath and dressed for bed

6pm approx BF second side, usually so tired falls asleep or very sleepy by 6:30-40pm into cot

Then always seems to wake around 4am.

So I don't know if she needs more solids, more milk, less solids??? I would have thought early waking due to growth spurt but its been happening nearly a month.

Sorry if this is a long one, just thought the more info the better.

Many thanks
Sarah

[~inbalance~]

Hi Sarah,

To be honest, after having a look at your routine, I don't think your 4am wakeups are related directly to solids.  I think it's more likely that your LO is ready for a routine tweak, and possibly some more A time to help out with those 45min naps. 

I can try to help you out with the milk and solid feeds if you're not sure whether or not you've got the right idea. 

Here are some basic tips when it comes to fitting feeds into your routine.

At your LO's age, on a 4hr EASY routine, she would typically have 4 breastfeeds a day.  For example they might fall at about 7, 11, 3, and 7 (give or take).  Up until a year these milk feeds will still be her primary source of nutrition and should be offered before solid meals.  A good rule is to offer solids about 30mins to an hour after milk feeds.  Remember that solids before a year are for fun.

Here are some links with sample routines that might give you some ideas of what to aim for.
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=68458.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164253.0

With regards to the 4am wakeup issue, I think if you post your routine on the EASY boards, you will get some helpful advice on how to tweak it so that hopefully the wakeups will disappear.  It is likely her needs have changed now that she is older and is reaching new developmental milestones.

Hope that helps.