Think we need to reduce night feeds - help with a plan?

[michaeljacknnugg]

Huh, just when we think we've got a clue what they are up to, they surprise us!

[jessmum46]

Ladies, sorry to ramble on  but I'm just tired and sick of second-guessing myself about these feeds .

Last night DS took a great feed at 6pm (BT), then woke at 22.30.  DH resettled him but he woke again 15 mins later so I fed him.  He then woke again at 02.30 and fed, and took another feed just after 6am when he woke for the day.  Just feels like there's no long stretch anywhere, sigh.  Daytime is a struggle to make it past 3-3.5h between feeds so I guess he is doing that much at night, but just can't shake the feeling he *should* be able to go a bit longer.  6m growth spurt?  Is two night feeds reasonable at this age?  Is it reasonable to assume hunger if he can only be resettled for a few minutes without feeding?  (I don't think discomfort is an issue at the moment).  He is a totally independent sleeper for naps and BT but is usually fed at NWs as he doesn't often wake otherwise - times he has not been hungry e.g. 2h after a feed he has been reasonably easy to resettle without a feed and stays asleep. 

(His routine is also a bit of a 3-2 mess which I know can't be helping....)

[michaeljacknnugg]

I think he could either be on a growth spurt or just a big, hungry boy! DS was on 2 feeds at 6 mo, I can't remember when he went down to 1 but he didn't STTN until 11mo ish.

Can you maybe cluster feed in the afternoon? Our feeding schedule around that age included 2hrly (ish) feeds just to get him through.

[jessmum46]

That's a good thought, we can try it.  He's just so different to DD at this age that I can't help but compare but know I shouldnt!  Did you wean your NFs or did he drop them himself in the end?

[michaeljacknnugg]

We did a combination of not responding so quickly to him (DH to blame there, so I did it while he was away!) and him dropping them by himself. If it's any help, here is our rough feeding schedule from that time:

3hr EASY:
7,10,1,3,5,7
4hr EASY:
7,11,3,5,7

He started to not take too much at one of the day feeds (an afternoon one, I don't remember which) and at that point he also started to go longer overnight. It was as if he needed to get to the point where he could fill up to go long enough, iyswim.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Spencer had a df and two nf's up until around the 6 month gs (and I did try to settle without - no go, she was hungry!) and Elliotte must have been about 7 months when she dropped to one nf and then 9 months or so when I dropped the other. Fwiw none of mine ever made it past 3.5 hourly feeds, even when mixed fed, until solids were well established.

[jessmum46]

Thanks ladies, that's reassuring.  As I said I don't mind the night feeds if he needs them, it's just hard when every baby round you seems to be sleeping through.  But I will stick with it for now and revisit in a few weeks if nothing has changed after we've got going with solids a bit more x

[KookyK]

6-7 months seemed to be a v dodgy time for sleep for us. It was when I weaned the dummy as NWs went insane. Even after that he woke for 1-2 NFs (usually 2). I moved hIm to his own room at 7 months - dont know if your LO is in own room - but that made a big difference. I've never tried to space out daytime feeds just fed on demand. Even now my 16 month old takes lots of milk feeds in the day but STTN (took a longtime to get there). I say tank them up jn the day.