Not sure if this is the right forum....

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

I have question about feeding, and I hope this is the right forum. If not, I am sorry and my post can be moved. :oops:

My son has switched his days and nights, and I am trying to get back on track. I am getting excellent advice on sleeping and routine issues from the other forums, but I still need help with feeding. My son is taking in a most of his calories at night, and I am trying to switch that. However, it is an endless cycle because I cant NOT feed him at night as he is hungry. But on the other hand, he wont eat enough during the day to fill his tummy. Should I use water? Water down his formula? Gradually lessen his oz? Feed whenever and as much as possible in the day (I have been doing, and not working exactly)?

He is 18lbs and I could barely squeeze 18oz of food in him today. From 8:30am to 6:30. I think he may be teething. Does that make a difference?

 I also read somewhere that you dont want to keep "topping them off" because they learn to expect it. Is that right?

[Mariek]

Hi hun

Can you give us an idea of his routine so we can give you some ideas of where to start.

thanks

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

This is yesterday's schedule. I am trying to extend A time and gradually move him to a 4 hr EASY. For 2 or 3 weeks or so he has been waking every 3 hours to eat  :? . This is new, he used to wake at 5am and then be up for the day at 7 or 8am.

We also exchanged the miracle blanket for the aussie swaddle as he was hating it so much.... I think that is where it all started. He started getting out of it a couple of times a night and as a result very short on sleep. He was then taking 2 and 3 hours naps (big switch from the 45 min), which I let him as I thought he needed the sleep :oops: Then days became nights and here we are. I am also trying to establish consistent wake and bed times.

There seems to be so many things happening at once, and I am having a hard time finding which things is the culprit!

8:25 wake
8:30 5oz
9:20 Sleep

11:30 Wake (I had to wake him)
12:00 4oz
1:20 Sleep

2:05 Wake
2:50 3oz
3:35 Sleep

3:57 Wake
4:10 2oz/sleep
5:10 Wake

5:45 2oz
6:10 Sleep
6:50 Wake

7pm 4oz
Bedtime routine- top off with 2oz
8pm sleep

10:30 wake/4oz

1:30 Wake/ 5oz
2:30 Sleep

4:40am 5oz

Today at 8am-8oz

[Mariek]

Hiya

Sorry it's take a while to get back to you. I'm in work at the moment so I don't have my BW books to hand but I'd be expecting a routine something like:

Eat - 8.30-9.00am (6oz)
Activity - 9 - 10.30
Sleep - 10.30 - 12.30 (wake if necessary but don't let nap go over 2 hours)

Eat - 12.30-1pm (6oz)
Activity - 1-2.30
Sleep 2.30-4.30 (again 2 hrs max)

Eat - 4.30-5pm (6oz)
Activity - 5.00 - 6.00pm
Sleep (cat nap) 6.00 -7.00pm

Eat 7.00pm (6oz)
Bath/bedtime routine
Eat 8.30pm (5oz) 

These are cluster feeds to tank him up for overnight

Eat 10.30/11.00pm (dreamfeed) - 5oz

I think the best way to do this would probably be to pick a day to start with the new routine and stick to it from there. He'll probably be grumpy because you're waking him from naps (which to him is the equivalent of overnight) but if you want to get back on track you need to reset his internal clock.

With regards the activity time - distraction is the big key. Keep him occupied with whatever you can to stretch out the A time. You might find that you get E.A.S.A.E (with some activity time after he wakes) but that's fine - the main thing is not to feed to sleep.

Obviously if he wakes in the night and is truely hungry (make sure you listen to his cry carefully  to make sure it is a hungry cry) then you need to feed him, but try to limit the amount you give him overnight. You can try offering water if you think it's habit rather than hunger that's waking him.

HTH

Let us know how you get on.

love

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Thank you for your help, I will try to give a go. It is soooo hard to keep him up for even 1 hr 15 min, I just dont know if I can get 1.5 without getting him overtired. I will try though.

[Mariek]

Just try to extend him as long as you can, without making him too overtired (you don't want to get to the point where he's too tired to nap). If you can't get it to 1.5 straight away then give some extra activity time after sleeping to extend the time between eating and napping again.

love