Author Topic: Confusion about feeding times and amount  (Read 1298 times)

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Offline Desigirl123

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Confusion about feeding times and amount
« on: March 07, 2014, 17:53:56 pm »
My lo was born at 5lbs4oz. She is exclusively breastfed (except for the past 3-4 days, I give her night feed of formula in hopes that she sleeps a bit longer). She is 4 months, 1 week today. For the past month, I have put her on EASY schedule. She takes 4 very short naps during the day (40mins max). She goes down for the night at 7pm and wakes up for the day at 7am. However, we dream feed her at 10:30pm and sometimes DH will feed her at midnight also in the hopes that she won't wake up for a long stretch. So from 7pm-2or3am she sleeps continously. She definitely wakes up around 2or3or4am and needs to eat. I have tried rocking her back to sleep, (she doesn't take a pacifier)...In the end I give her around 3-3.5oz and she drinks the whole amount.

Now my questions is: I have read that by this age babies should eat every 3-4 hours and sleep around 12 hours at night. So that leaves them with 12 hours during the day to consume (28oz-my lo eats this amount daily). So that means she should feed 4 times (3 hour gaps in a 12 hour period) and drink 7oz per feed to help her sleep at night without waking to eat! Isn't that a bit much? currently lo barely makes it to 4oz per feed and she can only go 2.5 hours between feeds. So from 7am-7pm, she has only drank around 20oz. She needs another 8oz through the night. Am I doing something wrong? Do you guys think this is OK?

I want her to start sleeping through night..preferably from 12-6. She sleeps well from 7pm-2am...how can I make the next strecth good to? I hope I have explained myself...
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Offline Desigirl123

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Re: Confusion about feeding times and amount
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2014, 17:57:30 pm »
7AM Wake up
7:20AM - E
8:30AM - S
9:15AM-10:45AM - A
10:45-E
11:00-S
11:45-1:30-A
1:30-E
2:00PM - S
2:45-4 - A
4PM-E
4:30-S
5:15-7-A
7-E
7:15-S

Because of her short naps, my easy always becomes A-E-S....is this bad?

Offline Layla

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Re: Confusion about feeding times and amount
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2014, 10:21:40 am »
Sorry your post hasn't been answered.

I am not sure about how many oz's as we're breastfeeding and I never really took notice of how much, just offered sides  :-[. We were feeding every 3-3.5hrs at 4 months and only moved onto 4hrs around 5 months. Could you try adding 10-15mins to your E's until you get to at least 3hrs? This way your LO will take more rather than snacking every 2-2.5hrs?

I just wanted to say from a night wakings point of view, I think she's doing really well and mine at 4 months had anywhere from 0-2 night wakings (around midnight and towards the morning, like 3, 4 or 5am) and I would feed her at both times and put her back to bed. Sometimes she would wake up 3 times at night (mostly during growth spurts) and then go back to 2. I would say if your LO is definitely taking that 2nd feed, then she needs it, if you see what I mean.

You could try not waking her up for a feed and let her sleep until she naturally wakes up... sometimes a DH is counterproductive and they don't necessarily sleep longer, even with the DF :-\

Oh and the EAS wasn't perfect for us either at 4 months. Mine managed to take a good morning nap (1.5hrs) and the rest of the day was mostly catnaps too and I used to do more A before E was due, which worked out ok for us.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2014, 10:29:55 am by Layla »



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Offline *Ali*

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Re: Confusion about feeding times and amount
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2014, 11:13:26 am »
Average intake of breast milk from 1-6mo (it stays the same unlike FF babies who drink more as they get older) is 25oz. The normal range appears to be anything from 19-32oz though. LOs will not necessarily drink the same amount every day. It will depend on how long they are awake for and how much they move. A baby who is awake more and rolling for example will be hungrier than on days when s/he sleeps more or isn't rolling. Just like adults might eat more or less each day really.
http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/

We wouldn't expect a BF baby to go 12hrs over night without a feed at 4mo. Even Tracy suggested keeping the DF until around 8mo. So that would mean even a baby who is on 4hr EASY already (as pp says some BF babies don't make that until much later) would have 4 day feeds and a DF. Tbh BF research has moved on a lot since the books were published and we like to think Tracy would have updated her advice based on more recent information had she still been around to do so. It is very common for LOs to be feeding 3hrly at this age so you aren't necessarily doing anything wrong at all.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2014, 20:03:45 pm by *Ali* »
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Offline *Ali*

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Re: Confusion about feeding times and amount
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2014, 20:11:38 pm »
I had trust off earlier but I also meant to comment in your EASY. You may find her naps lengthen if you push her A time a bit. Typical A time for a 4mo is 1hr45-2hrs so I'd gradually add 10-15 mins every few days until you reach 2hrs or start getting longer naps.

Otherwise you may have success with wake to sleep around 32-35 mins into her nap. I used that at this age with my DS1 to extend 45 min naps and it worked a dream. It will work better once the A times are up though as if they are UT it can just wake them.

How does she fall asleep for naps and at BT? Is she an independent sleeper or does she have props like rocking, dummy, pushchair etc.? Is her room blacked out for naps or is it light? Do you follow a predictable wind down routine for each nap? Do you think you could extend naps with shh pat?
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline Desigirl123

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Re: Confusion about feeding times and amount
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2014, 16:54:56 pm »
Thanks so much. I am feeling a little encouraged. I'm going to try to increase her A times and try to extend her naps with wake to sleep. She is quite an independant sleeper...we put her in crib and she cries for a few mins and falls asleep..if she cries for more than 5-7 mins, we pick her up and pat her and rock and try again..very few times have we had to resort to the swing..I have a nanny helping me during the day since I'm working (from home), so I will tell her to extend her A times..but baby just starts showing signs of sleepiness after 1.5 hours...but i'll still try..thanks so much!!!

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Re: Confusion about feeding times and amount
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2014, 10:48:12 am »
Are you with her when she cries for 5-7 mins? Is it a hard cry or more fussing/mantra cry?

Extend the A times gradually to give her a chance to get used to it.
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011