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Author Topic: How can I get my 4 month old to eat more?  (Read 2525 times)

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Offline Tamaryn

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How can I get my 4 month old to eat more?
« on: March 19, 2012, 23:59:16 pm »
I'm reading my Baby Whisperer book again, and it says that your baby wakes in the middle of the night because it's either habitual or he's hungry. It's not habitual in my LO's case because he wakes up at any time between 2:00AM and 4:00AM. I've also tried PU/PD with little success at that time of night because he's completely inconsolable, so I guess it must be hunger. Once he's taken his 4oz he's ready to go back to sleep. The book's solution is to feed more during the day... and I have tried really hard to do that! I always put 2oz extra milk in his bottle (formula) in case he takes more but I can never get him to finish his bottle. So I really don't feel like I have a way to feed him more. He is drinking between 5 and 6 oz per feed and is already on a 4 hour schedule. I also DF at 11pm. What can I do? Is he just not ready to be dropping that nighttime feed? He was born 3 weeks early, so his adjusted age would be 3 months and 2 weeks.

Just an extra note... I tried PU/PD a few nights ago to get him back to sleep. He woke at 3:30AM and I did PU/PD until 6AM!!!!!! After that night I just figured he couldn't go without that middle of the night bottle??!
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Offline Seona1973

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Re: How can I get my 4 month old to eat more?
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2012, 12:21:28 pm »
At 4 months he probably still needs the feed so I would feed him if he wakes for it.  I didnt try dropping the middle of the night feed until my ds was 6 months old and i did it by gradually offering less and less in the night feed. DS was 8 months when he finally dropped the feed.
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Offline *Kara*

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Re: How can I get my 4 month old to eat more?
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2012, 20:27:41 pm »
Agree with previous poster. He is too young to expect him to STTN without a feed.  Normal to have a DF plus 2 NF's until 6 months of age and then dropping to DF plus 1 NF is still acceptable :)  Many LO's don't drop all night feeds and the DF

 
Quote from: Tamaryn on March 19, 2012, 16:59:16 pm
I tried PU/PD a few nights ago to get him back to sleep. He woke at 3:30AM and I did PU/PD until 6AM!!!!

PUPD isn't best for weaning a NF... it's only recommended as a last resort for weaning a prop (such as a paci addiction).  Also it's not gonna work if baby is truely hungry.  In this case, feed the baby and get him back to sleep ASAP.
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Offline Khalam's Mama

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Re: How can I get my 4 month old to eat more?
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2012, 20:34:35 pm »
ITA with PPs. He is very young to be forcing a wean of the NF. If he is eating as well as he can in the day there is not much you can do. Does he take a full feed at that NF? And again in the morning? If he is not taking his morning bottle that would be a sign he might not need as much over night. I would keep the feed or you may only push it later and then it will be so close to the 1st feed of the day it might mess up your whole easy.
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Offline Shiv52

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Re: How can I get my 4 month old to eat more?
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2012, 20:36:14 pm »
5-6oz per bottle at 4 months is actually fine and you aren't looking for a baby to drain a bottle anyways. the idea is for there always to be a little left over so they are stopping when they are full not just because they have run out of milk.  

I agree with the others, your baby is hungry when he wakes so go ahead and feed him.

Quote from: Tamaryn on March 19, 2012, 23:59:16 pm
and it says that your baby wakes in the middle of the night because it's either habitual or he's hungry. It's not habitual in my LO's case because he wakes up at any time between 2:00AM and 4:00AM. I've also tried PU/PD with little success at that time of night because he's completely inconsolable, so I guess it must be hunger.

If you KNOW its not habitual then it was totally fine to go ahead and feed him hun.  Tracy would not have recommended you let your LO get inconsolable.   She would have suggested you just got ahead and feed.

HTH x
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Offline Tamaryn

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Re: How can I get my 4 month old to eat more?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2012, 03:27:45 am »
thank you for your advice. i've been reading WAYYYYY too many books and blogs for my own good. with all the articles and posts about babies sleeping through the night at 4 months i figured i might be doing something wrong! i also got the impression from the BW book that if a baby is waking at night it's because they're not getting enough food during the day. i guess in some cases it might be true, but if my LO is eating all he can and waking up hungry he might just not be ready...
thanks for your stories too...i am feeling a lot more confident that i'm doing what's right for my LO now.
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Offline *Kara*

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Re: How can I get my 4 month old to eat more?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2012, 03:33:18 am »
Oh hun - always trust your momma-instinct.  You know your baby best and if you feel he needs to be fed, do not let any book tell you otherwise! 

Many LO's need a night feed until they are well established on solids around 9-10 months of age.  And even a baby who is night weaned early by their own choice (like mine was at 4.5 months) - there will be times that they need that NF again.  Teething was that case for us... it hurt to drink much at one time, so she would wake at night to make up for it.  Illness can lead to the same thing - too hard to breathe and swallow all at once so they start to wake at night again.

My DD was doing about 5 ozs per feed at that age as well - totally normal.  Do you offer a full feed at NWing times too?  If not, go ahead and do it - it may lessen the chance of multiple night feeds for you.

Remember that "sleeping through the night" by definition is 5 hrs uninterrupted - far from what any mother would consider sleeping through ;)

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