Author Topic: 5 months and sudden NWs  (Read 1118 times)

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Offline echohush

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5 months and sudden NWs
« on: March 01, 2015, 12:17:19 pm »
Hi everyone,

I am not sure how this is all connected or if this is the right board but since NWs is what is prompting the post I'll begin here.

DS will be 5 months tomorrow and we have a lot of things going on as babies do in this period. He is EBF or has breast milk in the bottle. During the day when I am at work he will drink 4 or 5 oz bottles. We are trying to increase those. When I breast feed I am starting to top up before naps so we can be on a 4 hr EASY. He absolutely refuses to nurse or eat anything before 2 hrs passing from the last feed.  Sometimes longer, so the top up's in general have been challenging for both our au pair and me.

We had a doc apt last week and he is in the 8% percentile for weight.  We have been struggling with weight gain since his birth (jaundice, then lip and tongue tie- still may have issues there).  He dropped from 11% to 8% which did move him off his curve.  (Height is over 90%) The doctor suggested starting solids but I don't want to replace any milk if we are having issues there.  He cannot sit unsupported yet. I am trying to up my supply as well so I am more full each time he eats.

He used to be able to do a consistent 5-6 hr stretch from 6pm to 11pm/12 or so.  One night he didn't wake until 2:30am and I thought that was amazing. Never happened since though.  Now NW are like clockwork every 3 to 3.5 hrs.  Could he really be hungry?

Also, he is waking earlier and earlier which is moving bedtime earlier.  I fear we're heading to a 5:30am WU/5:30 BT

Below is the EASY from yesterday- I am putting all the feeds in. I think he got off on the 5:30 wake up.  If I remove the failed nursing attempts we still have 6 to 7 feeds in a 24 hr period.  I would just love if 3 of them weren't through the wee hrs.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.


E NW 2:30am (back to bed)
E NW? 5:30am  (back to bed but didn't really go back)
E 7:00 up for the day (refused to nurse)
E 8:00 (Full feed)
S 8:15 to 9:30  (real wake up was 5:30)
E 9:45 (few sucks)
E 10:45 (Full feed)
S 11:30 to 1pm
E 1:30 (full feed)
S 3:15 to 4:15 (cat nap)
E 4:30 (full feed)
Bath 5:30
Bed and to up at 6:00
E NW (9:00)
E NW (11:30)






    

Offline katie80

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Re: 5 months and sudden NWs
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2015, 06:22:15 am »
There can be a GS at 5mo, so I wouldn't rule out hunger. My DS1 had one and unfortunately, the extra NF did stay until he got established on solids a month or so later. He was on the other end of the spectrum, always between 85-95%, but I don't know that that makes a difference. I would not feed him earlier than 3-3.5hr though, in the MOTN. Are you able to resettle without feeding?

A couple things I notice in your EASY... have you tried 3.5-4hr feeds? Maybe he doesn't need the top ups and would take a bigger feed if they were farther apart? I notice most are at a 3hr interval. Lots of EBF babies don't make the full 4hr, but some do and he may be able to do at least 3.5. I know that's a bit tricky when they don't wake hungry for the day, but it's ok for the feeds to fall in the middle of A time too.

Second, I wonder if he isn't ready for a bump in A time and that's why you're getting the EWs. He slept a fine nap from 8:15-9:30 after being awake from 5:30. He may be ready for 2h15-20min regularly. In the day you posted, I think I wouldve tried to hold him out til 6:15/30pm BT, as most can do a full A time (or close to it) after a 1hr nap. You may be in the beginning stages of the 3-2. All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months



Offline echohush

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Re: 5 months and sudden NWs
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2015, 12:25:21 pm »
Thanks for all the advice.  I feel a little bit of conflicting advice so I'd appreciate some help sorting through it. I've been on the BF'ing board and I am being told to top up an hr after the feed to get him to extend naps so he is on a 4 hr EASY. As you note he ideally should be able to go 3.5 to 4 hrs between feeds. 

When I have tried to extend him like this often he isn't hungry for a second feed but when he refuses he does also wake early- short nap.  So I feel like this strategy isn't working exactly with DS top ups to get to a longer nap or extending to make him more hungry. Both don't produce a longer nap.   

As he is also in the 8%, our lactation consultant also says to get another 6oz in him during the day.  I fear though that I am going to end up with a snacker, although I know I can soon replace two of the top ups with solids in the next month.

I don't feel like he is in a GS because he isn't draining the breast at night at all times. Although he is waking 3 to 3.5 hrs on the clock and clearly wants food. 

I talked to DH tonight and we are going to try to resettle at the 3 hr mark.  I have only been able to resettle without nursing if it is less than 2 hrs when he wakes from the last feed.

Last night he was up at 9, 12, 3:30 and 6:15.  Bed time was 6pm the night before.

I am just confused how I can get him to take more during the day if he is used to eating at night, refusing top ups.

Sorry if this is all over the place!



    

Offline katie80

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Re: 5 months and sudden NWs
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2015, 00:21:44 am »
Have you tried to do a top up about 20-30min before nap time instead? Ideally, you'd like to do it an hr after the initial feed as that tends to help the snacking issue and that is when you will eventually do solids, but if he's not taking it then, it may not be the ideal for him. You can do it before the nap and just make sure it's a true top up, not a feed to sleep.

For how long have you been back at work? Could the extra NW/NF have to do with him waking more to BF from you and for that closeness? The only way to really get him to eat more during the day is to feed less at night. So, doing your plan and not feeding closer than 3hr apart, then stretching that out to 3.5/4hr, etc.

How did it go last night?