Author Topic: 10.5 week old feeding through the night  (Read 1265 times)

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Offline MamaLinds

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10.5 week old feeding through the night
« on: July 21, 2013, 16:06:34 pm »

Hi there! This is my first time posting on the site, but I am desperate!
Some background: I read Tracy's "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" and have been following EASY since my son was 10 days old. Everything has been going fairly well, but we had a very rough time for weeks 6-9 (lots of crying, plus I've been experiencing some PPD so things have not been so easy as in the beginning). Around that time, my sister gave me another of Tracy's books "The BW Solves All Of Your Problems (By Teaching You To Ask The Right Questions)". I found that this book has much more detail and I wish I'd read it from cover to cover before my baby instead of the other one! Oh well...
So, my issue is -- and I want to preface this by saying that I had every intention to never be that parent who stressed about timing and milestones, but the lack of sleep is making me insane -- that I keep reading and hearing that babies "should" be sleeping through the night by 6-8 weeks. I know that this only means a 5 or 6 hour stretch, but at this point I would take 4 hours. My 10.5 week old will only give 3h20 mins tops, and that is usually just the first stretch. After that, he wakes and then never sleeps beyond 2.5 hours the rest of the night (this is just me timing his sleep, not from beginning of feed to beginning of feed, to be clear). So I am waking up twice and then he's up by 6 or so to actually start his day.
I have poured over the sleep chapters of both of Tracy's books repeatedly and I just can't figure out where I am going wrong! He is getting all of his feeds during the day (breast and the occasional bottle) and always eats until he's satisfied, he never naps beyond 2 hours, he gets a good cluster in the evening and it doesn't make a difference! I have tried the dream feeds with him, but he doesn't accept them. It ends up taking almost an hour to feed him 2oz so it doesn't seem like a worthwhile venture. Trying to give him the breast while he's passed out is impossible, so it's always been with a bottle.
He is not waking at the exact same hour every night, so I don't think it's just a habit - I guess he is genuinely hungry (??) but why? He was 10 days early, so I don't think that is an issue. I don't think I am an AP, but should I just be trying to insist on him going back to sleep with a pat shush? He takes a full feed when he wakes up and then goes right back to sleep, so it's not a total bust, but I just can't stand thinking that he's almost double the age of when he can be expected to be sleeping thru and I'm getting up twice! What gives??
More details: he's in the 50th percentile for size and is about 11 pounds 4oz at the moment. Maybe he's too small for me to be expecting long stretches? Please help - I am just so frustrated and I don't want to "should" my baby endlessly!
Thanks in advance!!! I'm looking forward to your responses. I hope I gave enough detail  :)
 

Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: 10.5 week old feeding through the night
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2013, 20:04:54 pm »
I would say that if he is taking a full feed and going right to sleep that it is hunger and not habit. Every baby is so different-DD1 started sleeping 7-8 hour stretches by 3 weeks, but DD2 had a DF and 2 NF up until she was 5.5/6 months old. She was hungry for sure as a few times I did try to settle without feeding and it was a no go. She dropped those feeds all on her own.
Heidi




Offline PaulsMom

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Re: 10.5 week old feeding through the night
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2013, 02:35:09 am »
Hugs.  The first three to four months are so hard.  Unfortunately there are a lot of bubs that wake several times throughout the night at this age (ie. feeding every 3 hrs or so.  this is actually the norm for a baby this young since they go through so many growth spurts).   It's good that he's taking a full feed and then going back to sleep without too much fuss.  Try to get as much sleep as you can.  Nap when he naps and get to bed early.  Although it feels like this stage is lasting forever, time goes by quickly and your Lo will STTN when he's developmentally ready.



Offline katie80

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Re: 10.5 week old feeding through the night
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2013, 19:35:08 pm »
Hi there, just agreeing with the others that he may indeed need those feeds still.  It is very hard to keep getting up in the MOTN, but it will pass eventually.  The research on breast feeding has changed since Tracy originally wrote her books and we believe she would have edited them to reflect that if she was still with us. Because of the make-up of breast milk it is easily digested and thus breast fed babies can be expected to need to be fed more often and for longer in the middle of the night.

Do you use shh/pat during the day to help him fall asleep?  He is at the age where you sure can try settling him without feeding if he hasn't made a certain time.  We only recommend trying to settle if he hasn't gone longer than you know he can during the day.  So, if you're working on a 3hr EASY and know he can make it 3hr between feeds, then you can settle him before 3hr in the night.  At this age, I tried to settle for 10-15min and if LO wasn't going back to sleep, then I just assumed he was hungry and fed.  The other thing to bear in mind is if he's waking up due to discomfort such as gas.  Are you getting burps out at the BT feed and NFs?  You might work on that and see if it makes a difference at all.

But, if you're working on independent sleep and getting in good feeds during the day, then I'm guessing those feeds will start to push out naturally pretty soon.  (((Hugs)))



Offline MamaLinds

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Re: 10.5 week old feeding through the night
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2013, 03:03:31 am »


Thank you so much for all the support! I think someone heard my pleas, because the night that I posted this, my LO ended up sleeping 5.5 hours! It was a great night...but then he hasn't done it again since. I have now noticed that I've fed him at precisely 1:30 am 5 out of 7 days this week. He'll start the night with a long stretch (5.5 hours being the record, but usually around 4 hours - which I am still pretty happy with!) and then sleep another 2h20m, then maaayyybe another 1.5 hours. I do use the pat-shush method when he needs extra settling in the day and at night where necessary (he's a cross between a textbook and spirited baby, I'd say, so he definitely needs the extra attention if I miss his window).
He does usually give me a burp during his NFs, but I think he's always dealing with a little gas anyway. He has quite a screechy cry when that's what's bothering him. I think I will try to settle him without feeding for those shorter shifts because I know he is able to go 4 hours now. I won't push my luck with 2 back-to-back 5h sleeps, though!
Does anyone know if there is an increased almost cluster-y need to feed after that prolonged period of sleep? Like, after he sleeps 5.5 hours, should I just expect that he's going to need 2 quicker cycled feeds?
Thank you again for your help!! I really appreciate it. I was so sad to hear about Tracy's passing. I had no idea and always felt like if things got bad I could somehow find her for help. I'm so glad that this community is here! And it's so fitting that it's as supportive as I feel she would have been. Thanks everyone!!!

« Last Edit: July 26, 2013, 03:07:57 am by LindsD »

Offline katie80

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Re: 10.5 week old feeding through the night
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2013, 15:42:14 pm »
Glad to hear your getting some longer stretches! :)

Does anyone know if there is an increased almost cluster-y need to feed after that prolonged period of sleep? Like, after he sleeps 5.5 hours, should I just expect that he's going to need 2 quicker cycled feeds?
The next feeds after a longer stretch might be a bit closer together, but I still wouldn't expect them to be cluster feeds, like only 2ish hr apart.  I think he can last at least 3hr still.  But again, if you try to settle and he's just not having it after 15min or so, I'd just feed.  I would expect him to keep stretching out a bit though.