Author Topic: Trying to squeeze too much in?  (Read 2270 times)

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Offline littlemithi

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Trying to squeeze too much in?
« on: April 24, 2013, 13:02:58 pm »
I've just transitioned my 5.5 month old to 4 hour EASY. We have never dream fed so she's only getting 4 bottles in the day. Should I be concerned that I can't fit in all the calories she needs into 4 bottles? She used to be 5 bottles of 180-200 ml (6 oz ish?). I've upped it to 4x240ml (8 oz?) . But she's only drinking the same amount she used to per feed.

Yesterday she did 180ml +180ml+ 200ml + 240ml (think she was really hungry by the end of the day)
Today she's done 160+ 200ml so far

We started yesterday - and we had one night waking. Maybe out of hunger , maybe not. Couldn't tell as she was only crying a little and I managed to sush/pat to sleep (generally was doing sttn before).

Don't really want to start dream feeding now - should I go back to a 3.5 hour EASY as I can have 5 bottles a day then?

So confused... and don't want to starve the little one

Offline littlemithi

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Re: Trying to squeeze too much in?
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2013, 15:14:03 pm »
Oh dear - she's only taken 120ml at the 3 oclock feed :( Tried several times after 10/20/30 minutes but she was having none of it ... infact she cried when I tried to keep feeding her...

Offline littlemithi

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Re: Trying to squeeze too much in?
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2013, 19:15:59 pm »
So she was fine when she woke up from her third nap at 5, but then suddenly started crying for food at 6:30. No wonder ... after that last tiny feed. Still, she had only 160 ml and refused anything else. We then gave it a good half hour while we had our dinner (and she tasted some mash potatoes), and then offered her the rest of her feed. Not only did she have it, she then had another 40 ish mls that I had in the fridge from her last feed - so total of 280 in one sitting.

She's obviously getting hungry but I can't get her to drink more during the day .... so frustrating!

I thought they took more per feed when you spaced the feeds out ... thats part of the reason I moved to 4 hours ... she was getting bored/distracted/uninterested in her feeds at 3 hours.

Any advice/similar stories/anything?

Offline *Kara*

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Re: Trying to squeeze too much in?
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2013, 05:26:54 am »
she then had another 40 ish mls that I had in the fridge from her last feed

Was this a bottle that had been warmed and offered previously?  Just wanting to be sure that you do know that any formula prepped and warmed should be discarded an hour after baby starts to drink it as bacteria from the mouth will multiply in the formula.

That said, at this age, she should be fine with 4 feeds so long as she gets the same total per day.  Her total was around 30-35 ozs before so she would need to drain 4 bottles of 8 ozs each to be happy with it.  If she isn't able to have this much, you could start a dreamfeed or you could go back to feeding every 3.5 hrs.  Some just don't have that big of a tummy to consume that much at each feed.



Offline littlemithi

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Re: Trying to squeeze too much in?
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2013, 07:55:12 am »
OK, so she had a decent feed this morning so I'm going to wait it out and see how she goes...

Thanks for replying Kara...

Offline *Kara*

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Re: Trying to squeeze too much in?
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2013, 04:19:34 am »
Good idea.. might just need a few days to adjust to the consistent bigger feeds too.  Let me know how it goes :)



Offline littlemithi

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Re: Trying to squeeze too much in?
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2013, 09:16:36 am »
Well, she still does about 180-240 per feed, apart from the last feed when she'll down 240 usually (well, we've been on this for 4 days, and thats what she does).

I've been writing on the EASY board Tweaking EASY for EW? as I can't get a good combination of A and naps (although no hungry NWs). I'm just going to do it by feel for a few days... maybe she'll get 4 feeds, maybe 5 .... we'll see.

Offline *Kara*

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Re: Trying to squeeze too much in?
« Reply #7 on: April 27, 2013, 03:52:14 am »
I did exactly that at a point... we had a couple of weeks where feeds really ranged between 3.5-4hrs as we moved to a 4 hr routine... tummy wasn't quite ready for those big feeds all the time...

We had days of 4 feeds and some of 5 feeds as well.  Never did a DF either. 

Don't worry too much, she will get there when she's ready :)



Offline littlemithi

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Re: Trying to squeeze too much in?
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2013, 11:25:10 am »
Yes, I've calmed down a bit now. She usually seems to take a big feed after a small feed - as if to catch up. But no night wakings, and often has a small feed first thing in the morning so not really hungry then.

Looking to properly start solids soon - have been experimenting with bits over the last couple of weeks. She turns 6 months next week and so its full steam ahead with solids.... that will just disturb everything again!

Offline *Kara*

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Re: Trying to squeeze too much in?
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2013, 02:36:26 am »
Just remember to take it slowly with solids... her milk intake should not drop overall.  It may for a few days when you first introduce a "meal" but it should return to what it was before solids within a short time (otherwise, reduce solids).  Solids at this stage are only in addition to formula, not instead of formula.

Ideally, you don't want it to go lower than 24 ozs, but anything up to 32 ozs is completely expected.

Start with just offering one bit of something an hour after her first milk feed... that way, any reaction that happens will disappear over the day and not disrupt her sleep too much.  Also, solids before bedtime are never a good idea - they cause tummy to work overtime and baby will often have disrupted sleep because of it.

Recs in Canada (and the USA) are to start with a breakfast meal, then add lunch a few weeks or a month later... and finally a dinner meal closer to 8/9 months.  Always keep an eye on milk intake as it should not drop with solids being added in. 

Good luck :)



Offline littlemithi

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Re: Trying to squeeze too much in?
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2013, 20:35:07 pm »
Oh, thanks for all the advice about solids. Will keep in mind!