Want to start night weaning.

[Diana1981]

DS is 3 months old and weighs 12 pounds. I want to slowly start night weaning. He has his DF around 10:30-11 and then he usually wakes up at 2 and 4:30. Last night at 2 he had a full feed but at 4 he fed for less than 5 minutes and wasn't sucking that hard. I would love advice on how to do it. My sister was telling me to wake up an hour earlier than his usually feed and slowly decrease feeding time.

Any advice?
TIA

[becj86]

What your DS is doing is what L did just before he dropped a feed of his own accord. He just pushed the feeds out on his own so I'm not much help, but thought you might like to know its possible he's about to do it on his own.

[Diana1981]

I do hope he drops it on his own! I want to STTN soon! I'm also offering more throughout the day so his calories intake can keep up.

[Erin M]

Have you tried to settle without feeding, especially at that second NF?  With mine, I would give it a decent effort of trying to settle without feeding for a night or two -- if it didn't work and they would wake up again shortly after, I would feed them as I felt it was probably hungry.  He probably still needs one night feed in addition to the df right now, but if you notice that he's not really nursing well at that second NW, it's probably worth trying to see if he'll drop it. 

[Diana1981]

I will try that tonight. Maybe I can use the pacifier...

[Diana1981]

So last night out of the blue he woke up at 12:44am but went back to sleep without a feed. He then woke up at 2:46am I fed him for about 6 minutes or so and he stayed up for 45 minutes! He did feed quite vigorously but didn't cry when I removed the breast. He also woke up around 5 and pretty much fell asleep within 5 minutes of barely sucking. I also increased his DF. He is now taking 4 ounces at 10:30pm. I'm so tired! I want him to STTN, continue with the sleep training I gave up because it was taking away time from DS1, but it's so hard! Especially now that Im in the middle of moving to a new house!

[gyorgyi]

Hi!

I was experiencing some unexpected night wakings around 3 months and I think it was the GS.
I let it go for a few days but after I stopped feeding her during the night. Her BT was around 8, had a DF around 11 and after if she woke up I settled her until 6 in the morning. I was really lucky because she never cried and after a few days she stopped waking up. Since that she is STTN. I honestly think that there is a point around 3-4 months when you can go to 2 directions. You can claim back your nights because most LOs are completely capable to STTN or you give in and you keep feeding your baby (and she is going to want more and more..) I have a friend who's baby is 8 months old and feeds every 2.5 half hour during the night and she thinks it's normal.

[Diana1981]

I definitely want my nights back! You just went cold turkey with the night feedings? I'm pretty sure this is habitual waking by know! I'm trying to increase his feeds during they day! I swear I will try to settle first tonight but I need to speak with DH first so he can back me up tonight!

[gyorgyi]

I didn't actually go cold turkey because my DD was STTN a few times before her 3 months GS so I knew she is capable to do that. I think if there is no other reason (like teething, any other pain or SA) for the NW it won't take long for your LO to get used to it. I tried increasing the milk intake during the day but I am EBF so who knows how much she is actually eating per feed? Also after the GS I felt that she is not feeding so fast and she fell asleep after a few minutes so I was quite sure that  it was just a habit.

Good luck for tonight!

[Erin M]

Honestly I think it depends on your baby.  My dd1 sttn at 12 weeks, just with some resettling.  Dd2 had just one feed (no df) from fairly early on and was fine -- we had an early am feed, but that was my choice as I was working at the time.  With ds, I could resettle him for the entire night and he still wouldn't settle.  I genuinely believe he needed those NFs until fairly recently.

[gyorgyi]

You're right Erin. Like I said, my DD was STTN before the 3 months GS without any help. I always tought that I would feed her once as long as she wants, but when she did STTN I realised that she doesn't need that. Of course every baby is different.

Diana! I would do DF a bit earlier, around 10 rather than 10.30 and after I would feed him once during the night (if he wakes up) just in case but after he should manage it until morning and I would resettle him.
I did use a dummy with DD and some sh/pat. But like I said I was really lucky with her because after a while she just woke up but slept back without crying. Once my husband said that he heard her chatting around 4 but I didn't even woke up and she just slept back when she get bored

[Diana1981]

So last night went like this: woke up at 1 fed for less than 2 minutes and fell asleep. Put him in his crib, woke up I think 45 minutes later and stayed up until 4:15!!!!!! I tried rocking him, pacifier, shh pat, gave DS to dh, NOTHING! He was just gooing and babbling! By that time I just gave in and fed him again he took a full feed. Woke up around 7:30 fed him and went back to bed until 8:45. I will try rocking again today. Let's see how it goes! Please tell me it gets better! Why did he wake up again after feeding him?

[Erin M]

Could be he's ready for an A time increase during the day.

[Diana1981]

Could be but he already is on a 2 hour A time! And is only 3 months old....

[Erin M]

Maybe try settling first, like at the 1 am wake up?  Sounds like he wasn't really hungry and then he was.  Not fun at all!