Author Topic: How do I drop a habitual NF!?  (Read 4517 times)

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Offline Erin M

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #15 on: April 23, 2012, 23:02:46 pm »
The increased solids could be a GS most definitely.  If she's having trouble getting to 4 hours, 3.5 is a good compromise for now.  Try it for a few days and see if you can push her back out to 4 in a few days. 

It is SO hard to know what's well and truly "right", with all that is out there and it doesn't help when you've got people misinformed.  ::)

We had in and off nfs with ds, though there wasn't a point until recently where I felt that they were truly "gone" (it's been almost 2 months since I dropped them) -- my ds was like your LO too, would never refuse a full feed!  We just kept feeding at night until he quit acting so ravenous and wouldn't necessarily settle after a feed at night (so the NWs were due to other things).

Offline lil_ginge

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #16 on: April 24, 2012, 05:40:22 am »
Thanks for your advice ladies...and your kind words.

Tried w2s last night and she woke at 2.45 so she nursed. EW bout 5.30 fed 6am!

Erin - Dd is able to stay up almost 3 hours now so a 3 1/2 hour easy would be difficult for naps. Well... even a 4 has been! Could i feed her when she wakes thena t.u. after solids? :s

The other thing i was thinking was Dh and i are discussing when to start formula. If I introduced a bottle before bed do you think she may be more sustained? (Atm she doesnt even take expressed bottles ..eek) I have so much respect for you guys keeping going with nfs. Its so difficult but if this is not actually a GS after all but the way its going I dont know whether i will physically handle it. I have had a chronic painy fibromyalgiary type thing which has been calmer  since wonderful pregnancy hormones sprung. When i am exhausted by broken sleep i feel quite pants. 

boo.
* Claire *

Offline Fiver

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #17 on: April 24, 2012, 09:01:31 am »
Sometimes with BF babies it's a slightly modified EASY, so could be EAESY for a while (trying not to actually feed to sleep if possible) simply because they're less able to get to the 4h mark, so yes, you could do a top up BF after solids (think of it as a drink!)

Is there a reason you're thinking of starting formula?  Sometimes it seems to make a difference with sleep, but other times people find that LO is more disturbed at night because formula is not so easy for LO to digest and can end up giving them wind and so making them sleep less well.
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Offline Erin M

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #18 on: April 24, 2012, 12:13:43 pm »
So what does your EASY look like then?  Amanda is right, you often end up with EASAE at this point just to fit in the feeds and keep the appropriate A time. 

Regarding the formula, I imagine you'll find if she won't take expressed milk from a bottle, there's a good chance she won't take formula either, but some persistence should get you there.  The other tricky thing is that introducing formula adds another variable to the mix, so if she's waking you won't know if it's the same issue or the formula upsetting her tummy.   If its just the one nf, is it possible for dh to bring her to you, you can nurse without actually getting up, and then he puts her back to bed?  Might help you get some more sleep. 

Offline lil_ginge

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #19 on: April 24, 2012, 19:27:11 pm »
Well - our EASY the last month has been a bit tricky as we've been trying to push out the A and are working on dropping her CN - to help with the EWs!

Before today a general day has been....

DD wakes anywhere from 5am-6am...
E. 6 am
A. including solids approx 7am..
S. 8.45ish (depending on cues and when she's tired... difficult as she's a quiet morning waker often!) 1 hr 1/2 usually
A.
E. 10.15-10.30 ish
A. including solids about hour after milk feed. 
S. 1-1.30ish for an hour (sometimes more)
E. Approx 2.30 ..
A.      ....Sometimes I have tried solids in this gap here - but I have also sometimes skipped this slot and gone for dinner with us at CN... we're trying to work out what is best!
S. CN starting Anytime from 4.00 - 5ish (depending when she woke!) usually 30 mins...
A.  (dinner ...*see above*
E. 5.30 - 6.30 ish... she usually can't do 4 hours at this point!
Bed - Aim for 7 often goes down 6.45 or earlier if really early wake!
DF - 10.30

NF - Used to be nothing from 9 weeks (after looking in my log today that's when she started to STTN), from 4 months due to nappy rash + teething = every now and then, last 4 or so days - between 2-4am 1 NF and then potentially 1 feed at 5am!

Today looked like above but to see if it was a GS I tried to add a few extra bf's. She had two before her first nap and two in the late afternoon and two before bed!

She seemed to be REALLY fussy on the breast. Pulling away - grunting ... she seems a bit constipated (didn't have a poo for 3 days and had two harder ones today) so I don't know if that's it - or whether the general distraction.. She also seemed really upset when solids ran out (or she ate what we had given her to eat)...!?

In the past with GS's she never woke in the night but ate ate ate away in the day making me really question my supply. She just seems grumpy this time if it is but this evening she was rooting more and obviously - upset for more solids.

Hmmmm... DH and I had a chat and we're going to keep going like this for a few evenings to see if we feel it is a GS. If it is - we'll try ride it out. If it doesn't seem like it we were thinking of gradually reducing the minutes she is on the breast to see if that helps her eat better in the day and to see if she then can leave this one for now.
* Claire *

Offline Erin M

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #20 on: April 27, 2012, 01:13:05 am »
Sorry, it's taken me a bit to get back to you

Hmmmm... DH and I had a chat and we're going to keep going like this for a few evenings to see if we feel it is a GS. If it is - we'll try ride it out. If it doesn't seem like it we were thinking of gradually reducing the minutes she is on the breast to see if that helps her eat better in the day and to see if she then can leave this one for now.

This sounds like a good plan.  How's it working?

Do you think the solids are adding to the constipation?  You might try offering some water with meals, or reevaluate what you're giving her to eat for solids.  The CN dropping is a pain, though I was much happier with the routine that all of mine grew into when it was done. 

Offline lil_ginge

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #21 on: April 27, 2012, 13:09:48 pm »
Hi Erin... well last night she didnt wake for the feed(!!!!) Well she woke a few times made some fussing noises which then completely died down after a few mins and she then slept till about 5am. Dh brought her to b fed and then took her off! Woo!
Not sure if it was because I just upped and upped the bf or wheter no catnap yesterday helped! (early start but she did go to bed at 6pm with cn gone!)

The whole dropping the cn thing is difficult isnt it - with EW even though she can now do 3hr A time she'd be going to bed at 5.30 without!!! Looking forward to how routines take shape from here on out like your LOs! Makes meal times easier :):)

Constipation really much better. Now seeing 2 firm poops a day!

Thanks for advice re. upping feeds and bottle palava! Gonna hold off and see how she goes. Been bf'ing both sides today but then not lots of times so improving. (Just gonna watchout for any foremilk green poops overloads)
* Claire *

Offline Erin M

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #22 on: April 27, 2012, 23:28:11 pm »
Yay for improvement!  I hate routine tweaks, we're slogging through th 2-1 right now and some days I'm sure we'll never see the end of it!  (But I know we will and be better off because of it!)

Offline lil_ginge

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #23 on: April 29, 2012, 19:15:52 pm »
Ladies, ladies, ladies...

So - I think Autumn maybe teething again. I wonder if this has been the bother! Last night she was up again - this time at 2.45am and when I got her out of the cot to calm her she was eating my chin.

Still difficult to get to the source of the issue. Thought maybe NW/NF's were better with no CN days but yesterday was one of them and it was a 9.00, 10.30 and 2.45 with 5.30 extravaganza.

When she's feeding at the moment she hardly takes any. She seems really hungry then gets on and is on and off and on and off. She has bitten me a few times too. I have tried to just up the feeds again today to see if this helps fill her for tonight but I am still confused as to whether she is just so easily distracted or getting distracted easily because actually - she's just uncomfortable!!! DH noticed she's lil miss red cheek again at times. I've noticed she is doing this weird new thing on one side of her mouth with her fingers and she is doing a strange grunt cough type thing all the time!

Maybe she is waking hungry because either she's not getting enough in the day because it hurts her or is getting so distracted? (PLEASE ADVICE WELCOME!!!!) Or is waking for a feed out of comfort like she did with her last teeth!

Does this sound like teething to anyone? She has been spitting up alot of acidy stuff too... Clear smelly. Summary - seems like she wants to feed all the time but when she does she is very half hearted about it. I know it was only a few weeks ago with the last teeth - similarities and some differences this time.

 You know when you're so tired you know you should know what it was like a couple of weeks back but so much has been going through your mind you just go into *HUH?!* mode???? *Puts hand up!*

Anyway - sorry to go on and on AGAIN but a few thoughts or words of advice regarding the popping on and off would be great! (P.S. I am doing two sided feeding again atm as I am feeding so often but she is so on-off-on...)
* Claire *

Offline lil_ginge

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #24 on: April 29, 2012, 19:18:46 pm »
P.S. When I say "bites me" - we're talking nipple (thanks to the wonder woman who told me to draw her into my chest when this happens - think this is why I still have a nipple left!) AND my finger!!! When I look away - NIP on my finger ... and those nashers... are sharp!!!
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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #25 on: April 29, 2012, 20:10:13 pm »
Definitely sounds like it could be teething.  The red cheek is supposed to be a tell-tale sign (although I'm not sure either of mine have ever had it) along with the bobbing and nipping.

Have you tried any teething meds before feeds (bonjela, anbesol liquid, teething granules)?
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Offline lil_ginge

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #26 on: April 29, 2012, 21:24:03 pm »
Well we used bonjela before when we could see the tooth but i cant see it under the gum yet. I gave her calpol when she was v uncomfortable last time too but tbh it didnt seem to help!

Maybe i shall try nurofen and granules. I take it te granulesre forma between feeds in the day?!
* Claire *

Offline Erin M

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #27 on: April 30, 2012, 03:07:01 am »
Mine always had the teething red cheeks too.  And my ds definitely is troubled more with them before they actually break through.  You might let her chew on a frozen washcloth before nursing -- and give some meds before bed, nurofen works better for tougher pain.  The nf could be either comfort or genuine hunger -- is it a full feed or just nursing to get back to sleep?

Offline lil_ginge

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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #28 on: April 30, 2012, 05:35:54 am »
Thanks Erin. Well mostly a full feed though DD isla renowned forma taking anything anyone gives hermano! But bearing in mind she's been bobbing on and off all day maybe she was catching up. I just gave her lots extra feeds - 2 every A yeterday and she slept till 5ish this morning...woo!

Do you think this is ok for the moment and will pass after tooth cuts or am i creating a snacker?
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Re: How do I drop a habitual NF!?
« Reply #29 on: April 30, 2012, 19:17:54 pm »
I've no experience of teething granules, but know some have given good reviews.
*** Amanda ***