question about df and day calories

[Kayna]

I've also submitted this in the June/July 05' board but wanted outside opinions too.................

I have a couple questions about the night times............Avery (15 weeks) has always been a good sleeper at night. About 2-3 weeks ago we dropped the df to see what would happen. The first couple nights she did great (making it from 8:30pm until 6:30am but 7:15am mostly).

Then last week she woke up once at 3:15am. At first I tried to comfort her but ended up picking her up. She latched on to my arm like a blood sucker and started going to town. I figured she must be hungry, duh, and fed her. The next night she woke up at 5:30am and did the same thing and now most mornings seem to be like that. Mostly making it past 6am but again this morning at 5:30am. It's never the same time so I'm pretty sure it's not a pattern she's formed. She goes straight back down to sleep so I know it's not her wake up time. (her bio-rythum is not set to be a morning person)

The book says this means she's not getting enough calories during the day but I still feed her every 2 1/2-3 hours. She is ebf but shouldn't she still be moving towards 3 1/2-4 hour schedule by now.

Should I pick the df back up or try and fit more calories in during the day? Do you think I'm not producing enough for her? I do give her an additional 4oz after the last feed (2oz breastmilk and 2oz formula)? Thoughts? Or am I just aiming too high for a baby this age? She's slept through the night since 7 weeks old with a dream feed though (from approx 8:30am- 7am). :roll:

[Noelle]

Hey Kayna!
Is she taking full feeds at 6:00? 

[Kayna]

Yup, chows down like she hasn't been fed in a week and zonks right back out. In fact this morning, she woke at 5:30am, took a full feed and fell right back to sleep and then woke again at 7:10am and took another full feed and fell right back to sleep again. Am I asking for trouble?

 I knew you'd help me.  :wink:

[Noelle]

These are just a few random thoughts here quick since i'm at work and all  :wink:

1.  Growth spurt?
2.  She might not be getting the calories to sustain her for those extra couple hours (if I'm reading it right...did she only sleep until 7AM for2-3 days when dropping the dreamfeed?)
3.  No experience with enough supply, sorry...maybe try topping her off with a couple of ounces each feed (eek!)?  Especially since you're already feeding every 2.5-3 hours.  Though wanted to add, I know some BF babies have stayed on this schedule for up to 6mos 
4. If it were me, I wouldn't add it back in unless you really want those hours back.  Have you tried the paci when she wakes?  And you wait to see if she settles first (I'm pretty sure you do... :wink: )?

 

[Kayna]

Hey Nell, thanks for the advice. I thought maybe it was a growth spurt but now I'm thinking no. The first few nights after we dropped the df she did continue to sleep until 7am or later but that wore off I guess  :cry: . I know it sounds ridiculous to complain about a 3 month old only sleeping 9-10 hours at night but I kinda got used to the extra hour or two.

I don't want to supplement with a bottle yet because I'm afraid she'll get used to the easy flow from the bottle and get lazy at the boob and start weaning herself. I do supplement the once a day before bed but am too worried to try any more in a day.

Since I agree that it's probably a calorie thing (she's not making up for those calories she was getting from her df) Tonight, I bf her at 6pm, 7:30pm, and then 5 ozs at bedtime 8pm (4oz formula, 1oz breastmilk). She took it no problem within 10 minutes. I don't have a whole lot of breastmilk by the 6pm and 7:30pm feed though I just want to keep my production up and it gives her a little head start.  :roll:

Anyway, going to try feeding her every 3 hours during the day until the evening and then tank up a bit and then continue with the 5oz before bed and see what happens.

Thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!

Her naps are awesome. She is just a pure joy and I know it's because we've been doing bw and easy from the start.  :wink:

[Noelle]

I don't want to supplement with a bottle yet because I'm afraid she'll get used to the easy flow from the bottle and get lazy at the boob and start weaning herself.

That's what I was thinking too...hence my "eek"  :wink:

Tonight, I bf her at 6pm, 7:30pm, and then 5 ozs at bedtime 8pm (4oz formula, 1oz breastmilk). She took it no problem within 10 minutes. I don't have a whole lot of breastmilk by the 6pm and 7:30pm feed though I just want to keep my production up and it gives her a little head start.  :roll:

That sounds like a great plan!!!  The other thing I was going to mention is that a lot of times babies will wake between 4:00-6:00 and play a little bit but put themselves back to sleep (zoe still does this most days at around 5:45) but since she is eating a full feed...she probably is waking from hunger.  Let me know how it goes!!!   

Thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!

Your welcome, any time !!      :wink:

[Kayna]

Okay, here's how it went. First I reread some pertinant info in Tracy's 3rd book last night before bed and found the same info about playtime from 4-6am ( I didn't read your last post until this am)and was prepared NOT to feed this time if she woke. Knowing also she had plenty of food in her.

So yes, she woke this morning again this time at 4:45am.  :x  She may have been able to put herself back to sleep but her lovey was over her face (not sure how a swaddled baby does that but???) Since I felt well equipped I told myself NO feeding her until at least 6am!!!! It took me about 45 minutes but a few pat/shhhh's, one arm out of swaddle (to suck) and the lava lamp off later she was back self soothing herself to sleep.

I woke her up this morning to eat at 7:30am. Yay!!!!!!! :lol:  :lol:  :lol: I'm sure I'll have a few more mornings of this  :roll: but I feel pretty good knowing that it was accidental parenting starting vs. hunger. I feel slightly smug just knowing that this should resolve itself within days if following the BW technique. :wink:

Thanks again. I'll keep you updated and this better be fixed by the time we hit camping this weekend.  :wink:

[Noelle]

Yay!!! Woo hoo!! That's great!!! Not sure either how a swaddled baby gets the lovey over their heads...Houdini's I guess  :lol:

Ahhh camping.....eek.  Haven't even started getting ready and now it's raining today    :x

[Kayna]

Yeah, haven't started either but then again I don't have to work tomorrow and Friday.  :wink:  I'm sad thinking it will prolly be our last outing this year. :cry:  :cry:

[Kayna]

Hey Nell, had to let you know she slept until 6:45am this morning. YAY!! I'm going to give it a few more days to see how things pan out but eventually was hoping to move her feed time until 7am or after since she just falls right back to sleep anyway.

Four hour easy would work out perfectly with Daikon's preschool schedule if I could wait to feed her at 7am or a little after. Probably getting ahead of myself though. :lol:  :lol:

The last few days I'm really starting to think she's getting ready for the 4-hour easy routine. Should I start gradually moving her feed times to see what happens or since she's bf do you think she still will need to eat every 3 hours to get her calories in during the day? She is a big girl, weight wise. :wink:

[Kayna]

Hey Nell, not sure if you're still checkin' this post or not but wanted to let you know that I had to wake Avery this morning to feed her at  7:30am again so maybe I don't have to worry about extending her wake up after all.  :lol:

See you Saturday.

[Leah's Mom]

I know this is not my converstaion, but I just wanted to say congrats to you Kayna!! That's great that Avery is sleeping thru for you! And have fun camping this weekend girls!!!! We had planned on going too, then the weather was so cold we cancelled, but now it looks like it will be warm again for the weekend. Crazy weather here in northern Wisconsin!  :roll: So maybe we'll head out for at least one night of camping. Pretty sure this will be the last time for the year! Watch out, here comes winter!!!!!! Take care ladies and have fun!

[Noelle]

Yay Kayna...that's GREAT!!! Sorry I didn't reply sooner  :oops:   Too much on my plate and you got put on the back burner  :cry:

Can't wait for SAturday, I really need it. 

and oh yeah, to answer your question.  I would expect at least 3 hours, but would gradually try to increase the time like you mentioned to see what happens....she may take bigger feeds to make up the ounces 

[Noelle]

Oh yeah...thanks Christine!!!!  This weather is CRAZY!!!!!!!!!      

[Kayna]

Hey Christine, we're thinking this will be our last outing as well. :cry: As much as I like the seasons changing I will miss camping and look forward to it again next summer. :lol: Or spring???