Any March & April 05 mums/moms want to chat?

[Little Bear's Mum]

Thanks Nikki, what a great idea, a short feed. Hadn't thought of that! DS only last 1h 45 max awake unless it's the afternoon wake time, then like today he ended up going 4 hours, cos we were visiting. He's better if he gets a sleep in, but doesn't always happen. If it wasn't for the fact I like my extra sleep in if he does one, I'd be good and wake him at a certain time, but that doesn't happen. LOL.

[Jayri]

I haven't posted in a while, I have lurking around though. Judy, just wanted to let you know it sounds like you are doing an excellent job. 
Keep up the good work.

[kq]

Well done, Judy! Your organisation skills are amazing!! Hope you are looking after yourself this weekend and getting a bit of R&R with dh about. Hang in there..
Nikki, thank you for advice on 4.30-6 am feeds. I was also wondering what to do..a short feed. Will try that.
Take care all.
Karen

[Little Bear's Mum]

Hi - I tried the short feed Nikki - but it didn't work. He was STARVING. Today is so backwards he's now feeding just before he goes to sleep. I don't know, just when I had had 4 days of a routine it goes out the window, down the street, round the corner never to be seen again! LOL. Well, hopefully, but maybe in a different form.

I'm wondering whether he can now last 2 hours, as he seems to have done this by accident today. I didn't realise what time he woke after his early morning nap (6.30 - 7.50am) or so I thought. Then my MIL who's staying said she heard him earlier than 7.50am, more like 7.30am. And then he was awake until 9.40am. He slept for 1h45m, then awake for 2h10m before back to sleep. He's sleeping now, so we'll see how long he sleeps for.

I tried unwrapping him this time too, but he just cried and grizzled for 10 mins until I went in and wrapped him, then he was asleep within about 1 minute. So, he still needs to be wrapped. My MIL says he'll just grow out of it, but when? It's winter here/coming into spring, but I want him not wrapped by summer. I just hope this happens, otherwise he'll cook! MIL says as he gets older he'll just unwrap himself, I guess he will if I loosen the way I wrap him, but my current way houdini couldn't escape. LOL Anyone else have the wrapping/unwrapping dilema, and how did you change it?

[Nikki~Nathan&Danielle]

Hmmm, ok so that didn't work!  Will he refeed a full feed when he then wakes for the day?  If Danielle did that I'd feed her that way, but she isn't interested, hence me doing a small feed. 

As far as swaddling, I started with unwrapping one arm and then on her own she would wriggle her other arm out, so I just let her guide me.  Maybe try a wrap that isn't too tight or got his arms tucked in so well he can't get them out?

[Little Bear's Mum]

Unfortunately he wouldn't take a feed at all after his first sleep until it was time for his next bed time. So he ended up feeding before each sleep all day. But, he did seem to be okay awake for 2 hours and slept well after, so might try that tomorrow. I'm going to d/f a little earlier tonight, which might mean he'll wake up around 4 - 4.30am, or later 6-6.30am, he's done both! Go figure! It's the in between time that makes things tricky.

Who knows, there's NO pattern to anything that he does at night in relation to what I do, that I can figure out! I just go with the flow now, I can't seem to do anything about it. Next weekend we're starting on solids, so that could change everything anyway. LOL

[Nikki~Nathan&Danielle]

Judy, it sounds really similar to what I experienced when first making the switch - like Bianca, I found it took about a week to increase my supply (and we had more night feeds for a week or two) before things started to get better.  I don't blame you for waking the other up if one's already up, may as well try and get those night wakings synchronised.

I really think we hit a growth spurt at 4mths, and unlike our health nurses who advise they only last for 24hrs, ours went on longer, and just as I was starting to get concerned that I was feeding Danielle and creating a bad night habit, she started to do the distances again.

Sorry, not much advise, as things just kind of came right on their own suddenly with absolutely no change in what I was doing (probably took 4wks from the intro of 4hr EASY until now where things are better than before).

[Arwyn's mom]

Hang in there Judy!

I too have been up unexpectedly with Arwyn 3 times tonight. 9:30 pm, 12:15 am, and just now... 4:30 am! This is after a pretty good day. ARGH!

Couldn't tell you why the poop though since Arwyn is holding it in for a few days at a time!  :shock:

Sorry I don't have more advice. Just wanted to commiserate at this ungodly hour!

[Erin M]

Judy, I think at Katie's last growth spurt, she only woke during the night - I think I fed her more often (maybe not as often as every 2 hours though, can't remember) during that time.  She had one at 2.5 and at 3.5 months, I'm waiting for the 6 month one now.  She'll be 6 months on Tuedsay though and all the others were early.  I would definitely continue with the cluster feed though.  As for the 12:15 waking, you're right, it makes no sense.  Is Hannah still getting a full feed in, despite her falling to sleep at the last feeding?

Nikki - I think you're right on the growth spurts - and it seems like most people on the board would agree with you from what I've read.

Little Bear's Mum - I had to wrap Katie tighter and tighter so she wouldn't escape and then she jsut seems to not need it anymore.  It was odd.  I would definitely try leaving the one arm out and see where you get with that. 

Take care all
-Erin

[Jayri]

Oh my, this thread sure is popular, it is amazing to see how many pages get added in the space of a week.
It is nice to see all is doing relativly well, is it me or is this 6mth growth spurt getting hard to read. Riley does some cluster feeds on day and then not the next. For example thurs. b4 bed she wanted about 3 feeds altogether I think and then last night she had one at 7:30 and went straight to bed and woke up at 11:30 for another feed, and after that I think she was done until this morning.
She too has been waking suring the night, any time between 2 and 4, not necessarily for a feed, just on her belly, mad as hell as she is all wrapped up in blanket and can't get out, she looks at you and smiles with a squeal as though it is morning already. She was doing well, I would df her between 11 and 12, and she would go till 6 or so, but I stopped it as it was throwing off the whole EASY thing in the day as she varied on what time she had her early am feed.
i am going to have to sit and read a few pages of this thread as I am totally of whack with all that has been posted.
Anyhew, enjoy your long weekend.

[kq]

Judy, had the same problem when switching to the 3.5 hour EASY. Great days but 3 night wakings. Like you, I was worried about deceasing the number of feeds but stuck with it. On Erin's suggestion, I cluster fed in the evenings at about 2/4 then 6 or 3/5/7, something like that. The night wakings dropped to 1, occasionally 2 over a week. Hang in there! Don't know about the pooping, Sam only poops once every 7-10 days and has done so since 8 weeks old. They tell me this can be normal with breast fed babies so I don't worry anymore. Cannot help with supply problems but Sam will not feed for longer so I just fed more often with growth spurts and when I feel that my supply is down. This brings me to....

my next question, maybe should go to breastfeeding board is I am going back to work in October  :cry:  but would like to continue morning and evening feed. I work shifts and will work 2 days a week. On those days will only be able to do either the morning or evening feed, not both. I do not have much success expressing so will have to give Sam formula ...if I express during feed times at work even if I do not get much, will this keep my supply up? Has anyone any experience with this? James's mum, you formula feed during the day, right? Do your breasts keep making milk for evening/night feeds only? I am worried about supply stopping as I would like to do those 2 breast feeds and any night feeds till he is closer to a year old.

On the swaddling issue, Sam has always been very tightly swaddled and I have been leaving 1 arm out for naps but too chicken to do it overnight. :oops:  He is double swaddled overnight so cannot excape. I hope to have him unswaddled during the day in the next couple of weeks and then I will start working on nights..very reluctant as he sleeps well overnight swaddled. If all else fails, I will have to swaddle him naked with only a nappy on in the summer.
Another beautiful day here. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Karen

[Nikki~Nathan&Danielle]

Karen, Danielle's the same with pooping - she only goes once a week and has done from about 3-4wks old.  I wonder how they're going to cope when on solids?  I was thinking about that yesterday and hoping it doesn't mean that she's going to be prone to constipation issues?  Not sure if I prefer the regular watery breastmilk poos with mustard seeds or one strong smelling HUGE toothpaste poo once a week???!!! Sorry if TMI! :lol:

[Erin M]

On the poop issue    - Katie is an every other day girl right now, even with rice cereal once a day (not that she eats all that much of it).  It is quite an event when it happens, basically I just leave the laundry for then because no matter how well I think I have the diaper on her, it gets everywhere.  Yuck.  My sister had the same experience until she started fruits - that will be in a week or two, so we'll see.

[Colesmom]

This thread looks a little daunting...does it just keep going and going and going...or is there a new one each week?

Just curious.  I've been hanging out mostly on naps and pupd, but also here on EASY while I work getting my DS on a better schedule.  He's made HUGE improvements in the past week.  He had a paci before then, was held to go to sleep most of the time, was still on a 3 hour feed sched, went to bed at 9:30 or 10:00.  I mean, there was a whole host of issues for me to address.

I am happy to say he has made the transition swimmingly.  We are still working on awake times and short naps but I think I finally know how to read my son after plugging him up for 4 months :oops:   He goes to sleep by himself now, what a huge relief.  Now I just have to adjust to being home on a more rigid schedule!

I look forward to getting to know all of you.  I live in Toronto and am staying home until April with DS then back to work (UGH).


The weather is beautiful here...have a great weekend!

Traci

[Peach]

Hi Traci, nice to meet you!

It looks like our lo's share a birthday!     We've had a lot of the same issues too (and some we continue to have!)  Right now we're battling the dreaded 45 minute nap.

I go back to work in April as well- and although it seems like a long way away now, I just know that it'll come way too soon!

Look forward to hearing more from you....

Kara