Author Topic: Question about Sleeping through the night  (Read 1418 times)

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Offline pls

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Question about Sleeping through the night
« on: September 15, 2005, 03:56:50 am »
My daughter is 12 weeks old and has been on a 4 hour easy for most of her life.  She just won't eat every 3 hours and I've tried.  Since I can't get the extra calories in her during the day, she eats one time at night in addition to the dreamfeed. 
I'd like to eventually be able to get rid of the early 4.30 - 5.00 a.m. feed.  How do I accomplish that?  Do I wait till she is 4 months and only needs to eat 4 times during the day + the dreamfeed?
Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Offline Taylor's Mommy

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Question about Sleeping through the night
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2005, 04:07:50 am »
I think you're doing pretty well so far if she is only waking once at 5ish after her df.  Technically at this age she is sleeping through the night.  In Tracy's new book it indicates that not until they are 4-6 months old can they go a good 8-10 hours w/o food.  I think you will be surprised taht in the next few weeks she starts sleeping longer.  If you aren't convinced though that she really needs the 5 am feed (does she just drink a couple of ozs.?), have you tried just getting her back to sleep with pat/shush?
Andrea
Taylor-Textbook Baby
DOB 04/19/05

Sydney-too soon to tell, but looking EASY
DOB 05/20/07

Offline branwen

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Question about Sleeping through the night
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2005, 14:50:20 pm »
I agree with Andrea- sounds really great for 12 weeks.

I could not tell if the 4:30 feed is the night feed you talk about in additon to dream feed.  Could you post your feed times including night ones?

Also- are you breast feeding or bottle feeding?  That will make an impact on other suggestions I have for you!

 Thanks! :D
Branwen
Mama to Eirwen 1/22/05


Offline pls

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Question about Sleeping through the night
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2005, 20:55:10 pm »
She wakes up around 8 am, eats by 8.15 usually, then plays, sleeps, eats again at 12ish, then again around 4 p.m and at 8 p.m. and then goes to bed and is usally asleep by 9.   
She is breastfed but we are battling some issues with thrush and her not nursing on one side.  She has not been eating as good as she used too for the last couple of weeks.
Her dreamfeed is around 11 p.m.  Last night she did not take the last feeding and so I fed her at 10.30 p.m. and she woke up at 4 am.  She is hungry and takes a full feed (I think).  At the dreamfeed she takes 4 - 4.5 oz (we give her a bottle).  At the 4-5 a.m. feed she either takes the breast and takes a good feeding or sometimes I give her a bottle of EBM and she's been taking a full 4 oz the last few nights before it was more around 3 oz. 
Thanks for your help.

Offline butterfly524

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Question about Sleeping through the night
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2005, 21:23:14 pm »
moderators...
what is the other book of tracy's that you are talking about?
rebecca,
mom to juliet rose
born august 12, 2005

Offline Taylor's Mommy

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Question about Sleeping through the night
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2005, 00:15:26 am »
the new book is the Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems and it is awesome!  In fact I liked it a lot more than her first one.  you can get it on Amazon for $20.
definitely suggest it!
Andrea
Taylor-Textbook Baby
DOB 04/19/05

Sydney-too soon to tell, but looking EASY
DOB 05/20/07

Offline branwen

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Question about Sleeping through the night
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2005, 12:28:06 pm »
I know you are dealing with thrush- just to make sure you are treating both of you right?  I'm sure you were told but if you don't treat yourself and baby you'll keep giving it back to each other.  Also since you are using a bottle on occassion make sure to boil those nipples!! :wink:

Have you done a yield on the side you are feeding from?  5 oz per feed sounds a little low for 12 weeks, esp if only feeding 5 times per day.  That puts her at 25 oz- she should be more like 30 or 32?  However, if you are expressing 5 oz in the same amount of time she feeds she is getting around 6 oz (add 1 oz because baby is better than pump) and that puts her at around 30.

If she is on a 8 to 8 schedule more or less you might be stuck with that 4:30 feed for awhile longer.  A 6 hr stretch is pretty good for 12 weeks! The one recommendation I have is you could try clustering at 6 and the 8 then dream feed at 11 and see if that pushes her towards 6am.  you could also try to increase the dream feed to 6 oz to see if she will take it and if that pushes her towards the morning.

It sounds like you're doing great though...I know 4am sucks but her tummy is still so tiny.  You might be surprised around 16 weeks when she sleeps to 6am.  Keep treating it as a night feed though, this is what I did and eventually my dd clued in that getting up was not before 6 am.
Branwen
Mama to Eirwen 1/22/05