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Author Topic: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?  (Read 5327 times)

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Offline gabrielsmommy

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How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« on: August 12, 2011, 16:47:13 pm »
My LO is 11weeks old.  I am trying to follow the EASY routine and I am having difficulties because of his nightime routine.  Here is his schedule.
7-8pm bath, bottle, bed
1am diaper change and bottle
5am diaper change and bottle
7am awake for the day

He is now FF 6oz every 4hrs.  I just increased this from 5oz hoping to get more formula in before bedtime in hopes of extending his nighttime sleep.  When he eats at 5am, he does not want a bottle when he wakes up.  I end of giving him a bottle as he is going down for his morning nap which negates the EASY routine.  I have tried only giving him 3oz at 5am, but he screams for more when I try and stop him.  I know that 5-6hrs of uninterrrupted sleep is good for his age, but I need help with the 5am feeding issue.
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Offline Lolly

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2011, 18:02:15 pm »
Have you tried doing a dreamfeed? That could help as it may push the 1am feeding out a bit which *should* push the 5am feed closer to wake up time.

How long has he been on a 4 hour EASY for? A 3 hour is more age appropriate and would give extra calories in the day time too.

Laura
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Offline gabrielsmommy

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2011, 18:47:59 pm »
Laura,

Thank you for the response.  I have been doing the EASY routine for about 2 weeks.  I have tried feeding my LO every 3hrs  a couple of times and he has a meltdown because he is not hungry.  He spits up a lot also if he eats too much or I try and force him to eat.  Maybe I should drop back on the amount I am giving him and try it?  I haven't tried the dreamfeed.  I have heard it takes a while to establish and work.  Is that true?  Also, what time do you suggest I do the dreamfeed?
« Last Edit: August 12, 2011, 19:10:14 pm by gabrielsmommy »
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Offline Lolly

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2011, 19:21:52 pm »
If 3 hours is too soon then try 3.5 hours - the trouble with a 4 hour EASY at this age is they are not up for the 2 hour A time so you run into the risk of them getting OT and that will have an impact on your nights!

We did a 4 hour feed routine with my two refluxers from about 11/12 weeks, but we did EASAE(A)S until they got to 4 months and were able to do 2 hours A time.

The dreamfeed can take a week or so to establish but if he takes to it it could really pay off. I would try it for a week or so and see if it works, although not all babies do like it, neither of mine did. You need to do it between 10 and 11pm, don't do it after 11 as it can disturb sleep more than help. You just need to pick him up out of his cot and rub the teat against his lips to get him to open for the bottle. He should start sucking in his sleep and then you can gently lie him back down. You shouldn't need to wind him as they are so relaxed feeding in their sleep then don't need it.

Laura
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Offline gabrielsmommy

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2011, 19:55:38 pm »
Laura,

Do I not try and burp him after his dreamfeed?  I worry about the reflux if I don't.   

Robyn
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Offline Lolly

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2011, 19:58:28 pm »
You can if you think you need to but they do take in less air feeding while asleep so he shouldn't need to burp. It's a trial and error thing really, you could wake him trying to wind him which defeats the aim of a dreamfeed but of course if he needs to wind then he will wake anyway I guess!

It's your call - you know that LO best ;) :D

Laura
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Offline gabrielsmommy

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2011, 20:20:28 pm »
Thanks for the suggestions Laura.  I will try the dreamfeeding and see how it works.

Robyn
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Offline Lolly

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2011, 20:35:23 pm »
Good luck - let us know how it goes!

That's a gorgeous boy you have there by the way!

Laura
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Offline gabrielsmommy

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #8 on: August 12, 2011, 21:27:22 pm »
Thank you Laura.  One last question.  If the dreamfeed works, at what point can I drop it?

Robyn
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Offline Lolly

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #9 on: August 13, 2011, 11:59:43 am »
If the dreamfeed works then it's usually dropped at around 8 months when they are established on solids. My two didn't have a DF, but DD was still waking for a NF at 8 months so we actively weaned it at the time we would have dropped the DF.

Hope last night was ok!

Laura
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Offline Tillymint28

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2011, 20:14:48 pm »
When my baba was about 10 weeks old, at one 2am feed I persevered with his dummy and after 3 nights he dropped the feed. He was quite a hungry baby, but I didn't want to move him onto hungry milk, so I gave him 3oz of optimal first milk, mixed with 3oz hungry. People said you can't do this, but you can! There is not much difference in the two. He still wakes at 5 and this is the prob I'm trying to deal with at the moment. I'm trying to get him to shift till at least 6.30. I think the BW IS FAB, but  it is much harder ti implement EASY than it first appears.  But I think it is worth persevering! Xx
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Offline Tillymint28

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #11 on: August 20, 2011, 20:16:43 pm »
Ps. I also dream fed at 10.30 and it works a treat xx
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Offline Lolly

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #12 on: August 20, 2011, 20:56:41 pm »
Welcome to the site Tillymint. Just as a word of caution, we wouldn't suggest weaning a nightfeed in such a young baby. Having at least 1 nightfeed after a dreamfeed at this age is completely normal and a lot of babies have a nightfeed until they start solids and there is a big growth spurt at about 12 weeks and 4 months when they will wake to take on more food. Trying to re-settle with a dummy is great, but if they don't resettle quickly or wake soon after it will be because they are hungry and need to be fed. Sleeping through the night is as much developmental as it is calorie driven.

You are very right that BW is fab though ;) ;D

Laura
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Offline gabrielsmommy

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #13 on: August 21, 2011, 02:00:00 am »
I have not started the dreamfeeding and not sure that I want to with him being 13 weeks now.  My LO has suprisingly slept 8hrs for 2 nights this last week.  So he has eaten at around 3am and then not again until he gets up at 7am.  He still goes to bed between 7-8pm.  I am just trying to use the pacificer if he wakes at 5am for a feeding in hopes of getting him through until 6:30 or 7am.  If he eats at 5am, then the EASY routine if thrown off because he won't take a bottle when he gets up at around 7am.  I am still waiting on his growth spurt.  I can say I was pretty stressed being a new mom so I don't recall how he acted during his previous ones.  I only know they supposively want to eat all the time.  I haven't notice much of a change in his eating habits other than I have slowly increased the amount I give him and he takes it most of the time.  The only thing he does do at times is wake what seems like every 4 hours during the night to eat. 
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Offline Tillymint28

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #14 on: August 21, 2011, 19:46:27 pm »
I'm sorry, I wasnt actually suggesting that anyone should do anything, just stating something that worked for me personally. I got the idea from the book and gave it a go and it paid off. Helping baby to sleep through was v important to me and perhaps it was just luck he managed it at 10 weeks. :-)
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Offline gabrielsmommy

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #15 on: August 22, 2011, 01:55:40 am »
No problem Tillymint.  I am happy for any suggestions.  My reply was more just an update on how things were going for me.  Just wondering if the growth spurt will be really obvious to me?  What have others experienced?
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Offline Lolly

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Re: How do I push the 5am feeding to 7am?
« Reply #16 on: August 22, 2011, 07:31:46 am »
Growth spurts in bottle fed babies seem really individual! I never really noticed them with my two, it was more all of a sudden clothes weren't fitting. Some people find they are hungry sooner and draining bottles, some wake for night feeds when they had been sleeping through.

I think providing you are following your baby's cues and feeding when they tell you they are hungry you won't go far wrong!

Laura
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