Author Topic: Confused whether to start weaning  (Read 1584 times)

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Offline fleadle

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Confused whether to start weaning
« on: November 29, 2005, 18:20:27 pm »
My LO is 17 weeks & mainly breastfed with one bottle 180ml of organic formula per day.

She has gone from sleeping 9hrs in the night to waking every 3 hours. She has also doubled her birth weight & has started staring & laughing when I eat or drink infront of her.

I know that recommendations are to give milk only until 6 months but I also realise that every baby is different & don't want her to be getting unecessarily hungry.

I thought about just giving her a few teaspoons of organic baby rice in the evening before her wind down for bed & then topping her up with milk just before bed.

I don't mind getting up so many times during the night at all, & would prefer to keep mostly breastfeeding for her health re allergies etc.. until 6 months.....it just worries me that she was going for such a long time & now she's not!

HV says don't start weaning until min 20 weeks but try to just give milk until 6 months....I just wondered what other mum's experiences were of this?   :?

Nikki~Nathan&Danielle

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Confused whether to start weaning
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2005, 04:54:22 am »
I'm just wondering how often she's feeding during during the day?  It sounds to me like something else is going on rather than the need for solids.  How long has this been going on for?  Maybe another growth spurt or developmental leap like rolling or just more awareness often causes night wakings for a wee while.  It may be a sign of needing to switch to the 4hr EASY if you haven't already (or maybe switching has caused this?).  As strange as it sounds, going to the 4hr EASY when my dd started waking 3hrly during the night fixed the problem and we went back to one waking (I made sure it wasn't a growth spurt first before doing the switch).

Offline fleadle

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Confused whether to start weaning
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2005, 19:04:34 pm »
Yeah I did wonder if it might be more awareness, also she did start rolling over 3 weeks ago so it could be that?

I have also been wondering if it could be dreaming that is waking her & then hunting for her dummy (I decided on dummy rather than fingers when she started self soothing, because she ends up choking herself & making herself sick with fingers & also think it will be easier to wean her off fingers later)

I am struggling to get her to nap in the day for more than an hour, but more normally 40/45 mins....sometimes I can use pat/shush & put her dummy back in to get her to extend the nap til 1 1/4 hrs but it is rare that this works.....can I still do 4hr easy?

Offline fleadle

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Confused whether to start weaning
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2005, 20:08:43 pm »
oh forgot to say, during the day she is feeding approx. every 3.5 - 4hrs, but sometimes goes longer.

Nikki~Nathan&Danielle

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Confused whether to start weaning
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2005, 20:41:58 pm »
OK, feed lengths sound good (unless you've recently stretched them out and that's now causing the night wakings?).

It may be time to gradually start to lengthen out her activity times.  Have you checked out the 4/4 section in BWSAYP?  It gives a plan to help extend out the timings gradually so you don't hit meltdown, but with the aim to eliminating the short naps.

I would work on this first and introduce solids as a last resort, because from all reading I've done, solids are no guarantee for fixing night wakings, particularly if food's not the cause.

Good luck.

Offline fleadle

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Confused whether to start weaning
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2005, 14:46:35 pm »
Things do seem to have changed a great deal during the last few weeks.

LO is awake for longer & feeding less, she was feeding every 2/3 hrs but now more like 4hrs, but over the last 2 days I have been feeding her every 4hrs even though she is not "asking" for food....is this right or should I just wait until she cries for food?

Having looked at the 4hr EASY it looks pretty much like we are doing that already with regard to activity time & feed times, it just all falls to peices at nap time...although the last few days she has had a couple of 1 1/2hr sleeps, so maybe she is falling into a new routine????

Also during the last few nights she has had a couple of good length sleeps....11.15pm til 6.20 am with only waking once for her dummy at 1.30am. and another time, having a five hour run instead of every 3hrs. But last night was back to every 3 hours again.

I think you are right, this is not a food / solids issue but a sleep / activity / growth issue.

Nikki~Nathan&Danielle

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Confused whether to start weaning
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2005, 19:21:12 pm »
Definitely sounds like she's transitioning.  You're doing great, it will all work out fine.  You will swing between having frequent night wakings and then some nights of longer sleep stretches.  Also, I found the nap lengths did fluctuate as well, so sounds like that is coming together well.

Good luck. :)

Offline fleadle

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« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2005, 21:04:13 pm »
Thanks for your advice, I really do want to bf for as long a possible so will carry on cos I know it is the best thing for my LO & that is the most important thing......I will catch up on my sleep sooner or later. :lol:  :lol:  :lol: