Author Topic: 5 hour routine???  (Read 1506 times)

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Offline nate's mom rachel

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5 hour routine???
« on: October 04, 2005, 01:55:24 am »
Hi there.  I have a problem that I haven't seen even hinted at in any of the forums so maybe I am the only mother with this problem.  My son, now 6 months old, is on a 5 hour bottle feeding routine and has been since 4 or 5 months old.  He was on a 3 hour (like clockwork) routine at 3 months, and then lengthened it on his own to 4 hours by 4 months.  At this time I had not read the books, so did not know that 4 hours is the final routine that babies reach.  I did not try to get him to go longer between feeds, I was perfectly happy to feed him every 4 hours.  But he started refusing the bottle after 4 hours (he would cry and I would think he was hungry), and I realized he was not hungry. It gradually lenthened to 4 and 1/2 hours, then to 5 hours.  He was on this routine for a while, which was no problem since he would get up at 5 or 6am and go to bed at about 9pm, which left plenty of time to fit four 8oz bottles every 5 hours.  But then he started falling asleep HARD at about 7 or 8pm, and so I couldn't fit that last bottle in.  He had a crazy nap schedule (i.e. no nap schedule) so I bought the books, and realized that there was no such thing as a 5 hour routine!  So I began trying the 4 hour EASY routine, but he won't eat more than a few ounces after only 4 hours.  Sometimes he will go only 4 and a half hours from 6:30am to 11am, but the rest of the day he fights the bottle if it's given even 20 minutes early.  Should I wait to feed him until he is truly hungry (5 hours) and then dream feed him?  I have tried that, but then he wakes up every few hours at night for his pacifier.  Or should I keep offering the bottle every 4 hours and eventually he'll get used to it?  But until then it totally throws our whole day off when he only takes a few ounces at a time.  Help!
Rachel
Mom to Nate, born April 1, 2005

Offline momofnewbaby

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5 hour routine???
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2005, 02:40:43 am »
I'm not sure if I have an answere to your question, but just wanted to let you know, my lo is 9 months old now, and she is on 3 bottles a day now, roughly 6 hours apart. She wasn't drinking that much and I just felt I was frustrating her by offering every few hours, 'coz she takes a half hour to finish her bottle (whether it is 4 or 6 oz, she's such a busy bee). I feel, as long as he is a happy baby, is gaining weight, and is content, give him what suits him and you.

HTH.

Sumita
Mother of a textbook/touchy baby



Offline Mariek

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5 hour routine???
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2005, 13:43:12 pm »
Hi Rachel

As long as he's happy with the schedule then I wouldn't try to force him back into a 4 hour feeding routine. If he's eating enough and gaining weight then it's not a problem.

With regards the last bottle I'd try dreamfeeding him at 4 1/2 hours if he'll take it (that should set him up enough to go through the night). This may sound like a silly question but do you know you don't have to wake him for the dream feed? (sometimes we get parents who think you need to wake the baby for this when you don't).

Let us know how you get on. If you need some advice on how to dreamfeed just post and I'll try to help.

love
Marie



Offline nate's mom rachel

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5 hour routine???
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2005, 21:49:23 pm »
Thank you both for your quick replies.

Sumita - I feel better knowing I didn't have the only baby who wasn't hungry after 4 hours.  How long has your baby being going longer than 4 hours?  What does your daily routine look like (naps, solid food, etc.), or what did it look like before you had gotten fully on solids?  Finding times when Nate is hungry for solids is still a challenge.  And he doesn't stay awake for more than 2 hours very easily, so a 5 hour EASY routine doesn't really work.  The letters are in a different order morning, noon, and night.

Marie - Thanks for the advice, I will let Nate stay on the 5 hour routine, since he is a healthy happy boy.  My husband and I are baffled by our experiences with the dream feed (we've only done it a few times).  It seems that the times he has gotten the fourth bottle, or some of the fourth bottle in before bed time, he doesn't need to eat until 6 or 7am, but the times he has a dream feed at around 9:30 or 10pm, he wakes up very early, very hungry.  We don't wake him up for it, but even though he is swaddled and in his crib, by the end of the bottle he is a little awake, but goes right back to sleep.  If he'll take it sometimes, can I give him more than 8oz at a time to try to get in all his ounces during the 3 day bottles, then he won't need a fourth bottle?
And should I just keep offering him solids at our breakfast, lunch, and dinner times until he gets the hang of it, or keep experimenting with times I offer it to him?

Thank you so much!
Rachel
Mom to Nate, born April 1, 2005

Offline Mariek

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5 hour routine???
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2005, 09:58:26 am »
Rachel

If he'll take more at the last bottle then tank him up if that's what will make him last the night. You could try 3 smaller feeds 6pm, 8pm, 10pm if that would work (so he's getting more ozs in three bottles than he would in 2 (if that makes sense).

With regards the solids, it can take them a while to get used to the texture. I'd try at one or two meals (just a few spoonsfuls then topped up with milk) until he gets more used to it, then he'll start taking more.

love
Marie