Author Topic: 5 1/2 month old loves to eat at night, DF plus 2 NW's, not hungry at the morning  (Read 1469 times)

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Offline EnzoMama

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Hello!

My 5 1/2 month old girl is now taking a fell feed at DF and at 2 NW's. She is BF but gets bottle of EBM before going to bed and now in last 3 days bottle of formula for DF. I know that if I can shift the calories, she would get better since she is not hungry at the beginning of the day (first feed is tiny) and she always nurses much better at night. She is very aware and easily distracted during the day-I always try to feed her in a dark room without distractions but she does not seem that hungry and I suspect it is because of her full night feedings. She is very happy during the day, is active and has a great weight.


I get torn between feeding her every 4 hours BW way so that she works up hunger, and feeding her as much as possible to get the calories in her somehow... she has teeth coming in for past month, she is rolling over and just started to crawl a little bit yesterday. She goes to bed independently and needs just couple of minutes of holding before naps. Sometimes when she seems upset and roots and I think it could be because of teeth I nurse her before nap but still put her down drowsy-her eyes are open for few seconds before passing out.

Last night and couple of other times I attempted to get her back to sleep without nursing her at the last feed around 4am, she was upset but I was able to get her to fall asleep ion my arms-unfortunatelly she always wakes as soon as I put her into crib, after doing this for an hour last night, I just nursed her and she was out. She does not have issues to fall asleep after nursing at night but she will cry when I try to cut it short as well.

EASY (not very consistent-this is an example, has been going thru a lot of changes lately, average A time 2:20-2:30, longer at the evening)

A 6:30
E7 (very little)
S9
A10
E 11
A
S12:30
A1:30
E 2-2:30
A
S 4:00
A 4:45
E 5
A
E 7-7:30
S 7:30-8 depending on how tired, goers to sleep on her own
D10-11
NW1 between 1-3
NW2 between 3-5, sometimes only 2 hours pass between the NW's



Offline Skadiver13

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Hi Hun, question at the two NW's does she take a full feed and usually go back to sleep with out having your help? If so this could have just been a bad night for her. Has this happened more than once?  It's not unnormal at this age to still have 2 feeds at night but if you want for instance if she takes a full feed at 10/11 you can try and resettle her if she wakes before 4hrs to ensure she's taking a full feed. BUT if she's only waking the two times and each time taking a full feed then she might just need it. There is a pretty big growth spurt at 6 months.

That being said is she EBF during the day or takes BM from a bottle? When you feed her maybe try feeding her in a dark, quiet place to help her up her calories? Maybe pop onto the BF board to get some advice there as I wasn't a BF. I can see how if she takes a full feed at 5 how that would make her not hungry upon waking. That isn't uncommon it may mess up your EASY but I know for us at one point we were doing EAES i.e. feeding before naps to ensure my ds got enough because he didn't eat much at the first feeding and that is ok as long as she is wide awake before going down for her nap and isn't associating feeding with sleep.

Just to confirm your EASY she is doing 1 nap in the AM for 1 hr? a 2nd nap for 1 hr and a 3rd nap for 45min? Are you waking her or is she waking on her own?
My dreamed for Angel Baby DD (other than dreaded 40min naps) Born 4/30/16
Reflux, MSPI, Love my Spirited,textbook little munchkin DS Born 5/17/2012



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Offline EnzoMama

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Hello and thank you very much for responding! She has been taking 2 feeds most of her life. Interestingly enough, she just had one feed last two nights. Hopefully it will stick!

To answer your questions: I can not get her to resettle easily without feeding, she wakes as soon as I put her back to crib after holding her, maybe she needs more practice?She does take full feeds and goes to sleep right after (typically 15 minutes of BF) on her own but I think she is asleep by then from the feeding. We do dream feed at 11 and then she would have 2 NW after that. But my husband started to help with DF last few days and give her formula (she is breastfed otherwise), maybe that is helping with the NW's? Is it possible that she takes more in with the bottle and the formula keeps her fuller?

Just to confirm your EASY she is doing 1 nap in the AM for 1 hr? a 2nd nap for 1 hr and a 3rd nap for 45min? Are you waking her or is she waking on her own?

She sleeps like this on her own which does create problems but it was worse before, I am hoping to extend the naps-any ideas?

Thank you so much for everything!

Offline Skadiver13

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Hi hun, sorry last question does she go to sleep independently? I.e. you put her down awake and she puts her self to sleep? As she always been a shorter napper  or do you think it might be time to extend your morning activity time? do you try and resettle her after the hr or just get her up? How is she when she wakes from those naps?
My dreamed for Angel Baby DD (other than dreaded 40min naps) Born 4/30/16
Reflux, MSPI, Love my Spirited,textbook little munchkin DS Born 5/17/2012



**Siobhan**

Offline EnzoMama

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Oh, thank you for asking! I should mention she woke 3 times last night....not that hungry.

She does go to bed independently at night-ussualy after 15 min at bedtime after some fussing, I still help her a little bit before naps by shush pat for few minutes sometimes. She has been all over with naps, when very small she would take long ones, then we could not get her to sleep longer then 30 min without resettling. I would love for her to nap longer but she is usually pretty happy when she wakes up and is not sleepy. Yesterday she woke from her second nap just after 30 minutes crying, which did not happen for a while and because it was around her E time-1pm, I nursed her. She fell asleep for another 2 hours. Today morning she woke after 30 min, yikes! and I could not get her down no manner what. She woke at 6:20, went down for nap at 9, was up at 9:30. Then she went down for a nap again at 11:40 and she has been down for almost 2 hours now on her own. Please let me know if you have any ideas for me, I really appreciate it! She just keeps changing so much.

Offline Skadiver13

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Well 2 feeds at night as long as she's taking full feeds isn't horribly abnormal. Does she eat well during the day minus the morning feed?
My dreamed for Angel Baby DD (other than dreaded 40min naps) Born 4/30/16
Reflux, MSPI, Love my Spirited,textbook little munchkin DS Born 5/17/2012



**Siobhan**

Offline EnzoMama

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Sorry for the delay in my response! We have been trying to eliminate one of the feeds-first after midnight since we DF right before 11 and she definitely should not be hungry 2-3 hours later. First three night were tough but we did not feed till her next NW around 5am. Last night she woke and put herself back to sleep after about 5 minutes, yay! Keeping my fingers crossed for tonight. She is eating so much better during the day in these last few days even with the 5am feed.

Would you just keep the DF and the 5 o'clock feed for now? Or work on eliminating one of these feeds next once we know we have successfully eliminated the one we are working on now?

Our doctor encouraged us not to DF, she says that she will learn to sleep longer stretches if we do not DF, is that possible?

Thank you for all your advice!

Offline Skadiver13

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I tried the DF but it didn't work for my lo as he was just disturbed by it. But If I remember correctly Tracey suggested weaning it around 6/7 months? I'd stick with the DF for now if she is taking a full feed then sleeping till 5AM I'd take that as a win and give it a week or so before doing anymore tweaking? That's great she's eating more during that day.
My dreamed for Angel Baby DD (other than dreaded 40min naps) Born 4/30/16
Reflux, MSPI, Love my Spirited,textbook little munchkin DS Born 5/17/2012



**Siobhan**