Where to start weaning the NF..

[Shanchuk]

My DD had a good first month and half-two months, where her first wake-up would be between 2-4 and then another at 8-9  but those days have been long gone for several months now...

It started with erratic wake-ups and a simple paci would do the trick which i didn't mind at all, but at around the 3 month point i fed her once or twice when she had gone to bed espeically early and was afraid she may be hungry and since then wakes religiously between 23-2 at some point.

During the day she is completely BF and have added in a DF, sometimes formula and sometimes BF around 22-23, but she will still wake at 1-2 and a paci or PU doesn't cut it..

I'll admit i haven't tried very hard to resettle and usually as soon as she resists i go straight for the boob.

So basically, my question is should i start trying to wean her already?
As she seems to have quite a hardy appetite at all feeds - Last night there were about 5-6 wake-ups and 3 in which i fed her (2315, 130, 430) and she ate during all of them.

So i'd be happy for some advice on where to begin...
Perhaps be more persistent with 12-1-2 ssh-pats and resist to feeding?

Looking forward to your feedback,
Going back to work in a month and half and won't be able to be this tired all the time 

Thanks,
Shani

[Layla]

Hi Shani,

How old is she and could you please post your EAS routine during the day (including feeds, etc...)? Also, how does she get to sleep at other times? Does she rely on the paci or is she an independent sleeper?

[Shanchuk]

Hi,
She is just a little over 4 months.
She falls asleep with a paci but once spit out is usually okay without it. Recently during awake time she (or i guess we) have been using it more and more..

Just recently and thanks to the BW forum i've succeeded (touch wood..) to extend her naps to 1.5-2 hours so we now have more of a schedule but it changes quite often since as opposed to most of the posts i see...
Could the late wakeups be part of the problem???

She goes back to sleep after the 6-7 morning feed and then she sleeps anywhere from 8-9 and rarely 10 which makes our day vary slightly..

But here is our sched in general:
830 - wake and BF
A
S- 1030-1230
E - 1230 - BF
A
S - 14-16
E - 16 BF
A
S - 1730/18 - CN
E - 18/1830
A - dinner with family/bath/massage...
E - 1930 150cc formula
S  - 20

Two things to note:
1) Sometimes i give her a top-up feed about an hour after waking during A time.
2) Stopped with NF becuase it wasn't helping prolong sleep and since then she has started waking at 23 to feed so have yet to wean off that as well...

Then at night she has fairly erratic wake-ups at 11/12 then around 1/2 , 3/4, and 6/7 which as i mentioned she usually goes back down again till 8-9.

Now she is post vaccine so last night there were about double the wake-ups but thats not the norm...

I'm encouraged by the fact that the PU/PD worked well (so far... don't want to jinx....) for nap times, although it took hard work and i almost threw in the towel on the way.

So what do you say??
Where/when should i start?
Which feed should i wean from? Since theyre really erratic i'm afraid she may actually be hungry..

Thanks!
Shani

[Layla]

Thanks for posting your routine.

A couple of things I would look at changing as they too may be contributing to the NWs. I would probably look at limiting her daytime sleep to 2x1.5hr naps and a 45min catnap and spreading out the A time between catnap and bedtime as sometimes too much sleep during the day and the last nap of the day being too close to bedtime can also affect night sleep. You probably need to pick a wake up time and not let it vary so much. So if you want to, lets work with 8-8 and that means you need to wake her at 8am and look at something like this:

8am - wake and E
10-11.30 - sleep
11.30 - wake and E
1.30-3 - sleep
3 - wake and E
5-5.45 - sleep
6pm - E
8pm - final E and bed

I probably wouldn't be doing a top up feed an hour after waking during A because she may be snacking and might not take the full feed at her next scheduled E. Mine is also breastfed and I know she wouldn't be able to do 4 hrs between Es so I offer E every 3.5hrs. I would offer both sides and if you think she may want more then go back to the first side again.

At this age I think 2-3 night feeds are still ok, especially if she's taking the full feed. Mine will wake anywhere form 1-3 times and will have a full feed. But try to see if the NWs are any less or if they improve with the schedule above...
 

[Shanchuk]

Thanks!!
I'll try and let you know how it goes.
Shani