5 month old doesn`t want to eat after waking up

[Desiree87]

hi all,

 I am new to this forum and I am trying to follow EASY. I just started. We are on a 4 hour routine, but the thing is that when my 5 month old wakes up (sometimes from naps during the day, and sometimes even first thing at 7am), she won`t eat (Breast milk). I offer, and she turns her head away lol. WHat is this about? The problem is that when I offer her the breast an hour or hour and a half later, she will take it! But this would be a 5 hour routine and I have never heard of that. Also by then it is time for her nap (9-11am and 1-3pm). Consequently, she will fall asleep on the breast.

Can anyone give me advice for my problem?
Thank you!

[newkidontheblock]

Hello and welcome!
What you have described is perfectly normal. Both of mine have been the same way. Offering a while later is a good solution - maybe you could offer sooner so that there is still a gap before the nap. You can even try nursing as soon as she wakes up or in a dimly lit room. That's what worked for me. Hope that helps. Good luck!

[creations]

Hi there, I wasn't able to BF past the first few weeks but my bottle fed LO also didn't eat right after waking, he needed 30-60 mins before he took milk.  If I tried to feed at waking he only took a sip or two and refused, if I waited he took a proper feed.  Mine wasn't feeding to sleep though, his E time came kind of mid A time. I just ran his EASY like that.

[Desiree87]

hi you two
Thanks for your answers!
I am doing just that, I am trying to offer her the breast as soon as i take her out of her crip once she wakes, but she won't take it as if she is saying "I'm not hungry yet." Then, one hour later or even 1.5h later she gets hungry. This totally messes up our EASY routine...cause then EASY becomes EAESY
@ Newkidontheblock, I will try the dim lights idea.
@ Creations, how did your routine exactly look like?

[*Ali*]

You could just offer every 30 mins or so until she takes it. It doesn't matter if the routine looks more like AEAS. Eg 7.00 awake E at 8, then awake until nap at about 9/9.30. Then assuming he sleeps until 11ish and you fed at 12 that would still be 4hrs between feeds.

TBH it's now not recommended to schedule feeds but just go by your baby's cues. So don't worry if feeds aren't 3 or 4hrs apart. That was only ever a guide anyway 🙂

[Desiree87]

Yes okay, I will do that. I think the most important thing is probably that she doesn`t fall asleep right after a feed. Today for example, she woke up at 6:30am, then ate (I was pleasantly surprised), but just for a short period of time. Just a few minutes ago at around 8:15am, she was hungry and ate again. I know it is soon her nap time, but I gave her a toy that plays soothing music and slightly lights up so that will be her little activity after her E. Hopefully she then manages to fall asleep on her own

[*Ali*]

That sounds fine

[creations]

@ Creations, how did your routine exactly look like?

I wouldn't be abel to remember for certain "exactly" what his routine was at 5 months as he is now 8yo
However, I can remember that he didn't move to 4hr milk feeds until he was 6 months old and solids were included in his routine.  Until solids he had to eat (milk) at 3hrs.  If I tried to feed at wake up he wouldn't eat so I just waited and he absolutely couldn't go over 3hrs unless perhaps he was asleep.  He also refused milk before 3hrs (when other care givers tried to feed instead of putting him down to sleep for instance due to confusing cries/fussing thinking he was hungry after only an hour or 2 instead of tired because he'd been awake 3 or 4 hours).

Just also to add:
- I agree with what Ali said about following feeding needs (obviously as I didn't time my DS's feed to 4hrs when he turned 4 months)
- you mentioned you never heard of a 5 hr routine but LOs a bit older than this can naturally move to 5hrs between milk feeds when solids are introduced/established between milk feeds and when the A times extend and naps continue past the 4hr mark.  It's mentioned in the BW books that milk times can extend to 5hrs+ but it is still based on LO's need and individual routine and not based on forcing LO to go without milk for longer periods.  The routine also stops looking like EASY anyway as you soon have 2 Es (milk and solids) and as A times lengthen, or naps are dropped the routine will have E times mid A time and not at wake up anyway. WU, AEAEASAEAEAS for instance.

hope that helps.