Re: How we stopped the night feeds with a 9 month old

[gwc1023]

I posted a while back to this thread (middle of page 3 I think)  that I was going to try this plan to reduce night wakings in my lo.  I was breastfeeding exclusively but started bottles during the night so I could start watering them down.  I was making 6oz bottles, so 3 scoops of formula, and started watering it down every few nights and within a week she was down to just one nightwaking, which was great.  But then I wasn't sure what to do - I wasn't totally sure if she still maybe needed to eat once in the night, so I just carried on with the one watered-down bottle when she woke.

I'm not sure what to do now - she'll be 9 months this week, eats three meals a day (not huge meals, but decent), so I don't *think* she needs to eat in the night, but I keep doubting myself and feed her anyway.  I'm only using about a scoop and a half of formula, so half-strength in her night (around 3am) bottle, so it's not that many calories anyway.  We still do the df, haven't gotten around to dropping it yet (she wakes for it if I don't do it).

Should I keep watering down her night bottle until it's just water?  Is it possible that she still needs to eat in the night even with a df around 10:30?  She goes down independently for all sleeps, no props.  When she wakes in the night she's usually 'yelling' more than crying outright, I admit that I probably make up the bottle too quickly rather than try to settle her in another way.  I guess I just need to know if it's ridiculous for her to be eating that often in the night and how I should go about stopping it.

[teezee]

maybe you need to stop the df? tracy has suggested that the appox time for a lo to have the df interupt sleep rather than help sleep is 7 months.  at about 8 months i realized that the df was causing many of my lo's wakings. also i would let dd fuss a little before jumping up and making the bottle.  have you tried soothing rather than just feeding - as you are right she isn't getting many calories out of it - so could it just be habit she is waking from and could shhing or putting your hand on her back help her to soothe back to sleep?? let me know what you think!

[gwc1023]

you're probably right - at 9 months it's high time to get rid of the df.  I'm not sorry I did it, as it enabled me to get at least one good stretch of sleep, but I feel like it's going to be hard to get rid of now!  And no, I'm not actually jumping out of bed immediately to make her bottle in the night, I'd say she fusses for at least 10 minutes before I move.    I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't really tried other methods to get her back to sleep - once we got down to one waking rather than two, I was just happy about that and it's easier to make the bottle and feed her so I can get back to sleep rather than try to soothe her back to sleep.

I suspect she probably is waking from habit as she rarely wakes up crying - she's more talking or 'yelling.'  Now, if I go in there and don't pick her up, she gets MAD really quick, though!  I think she'll just have to be mad for a few days to get over this. 

[teezee]

would you mind posting your lo's routine? it sounds as though she may be getting too much sleep, as when my lo was getting too many day sleep hrs in she would wake up and just want to play...but of course with me there.

and don't be embarrassed about not trying other methods...it's easy to do what you are comfortable with esp in the middle of the night ...i had a really hard time doing pu/pd at night b/c it took sooo long some nights, and it was MUCH easier to just pull out a boob. as for the df - i did it cold turkey - but you may want to try taking an ounce or so out every couple of nights so lo will start taking more during the day...i would start weaning the df before the other wakings..who knows this could solve some of your problem.

[gwc1023]

Yes, sorry, I should have posted her routine before!    Here is her typical day:

7:30am - wake & bf
8:30 - breakfast (cereal and fruit usually)
9:45ish - nap (about 1.5-2hrs)
11:30 - wake & bf
12:30 - lunch (veggies & sometimes some meat or cottage cheese)
1:30 - nap (usually 1.5hrs)
3:00 - wake & bf
5:30 - supper (protein and fruit or veggie)
6:45 - bf, bath, PJs
7:15ish - bed
(Then a df at 10:30 and she wakes around 3)

We have done a few days where I have spread her nursings out more so she ends up with only 3 during the day, it seemed she took maybe a little more each time then, but not significantly and it didn't change night sleep.  Also she has been waking at 6:30 the last few days ready for the day.  Looking at the average sleep hours posted here, this may be normal - my son still sleeps 12 hours at night and a 1.5hr nap and he's turning four, so I think I may have been spoiled with him.  He's very rarely ever (I could probably count on one hand) slept less than 12 hrs at night since we got him sleeping well around 8 or 9 months old.

I am going to try to wean the df first - maybe go to a bottle at that feeding so I can cut back the oz rather than trying to figure out minutes of nursing.  You recommend reducing the amount rather than moving the time forward - or both?

[teezee]

as for the df it is really your decision - i cut it out cold turkey and it worked for us..we all know our lo's and have at least an idea of how they will react to it kwim?

at 9 months you may want a routine to look more like this:

7:30 wake and bf
8:30 solids
10ish nap
11ish wake and bf
12-12:30 solids
2ish nap
3ish wake and bf
4:30ish soids
7ish bed

do remember the times are not what is important here - it is 1 having a routine (not a schedule) and 2 reading lo's cues!

i would try stretching A times out a bit, and limiting naps a bit too - it could help some of those wakings if lo is more tired but still def not overtired!! at nine months dd was sleeping 11 hrs at night and had about 2.5 hr naps total max - 2 hrs was just fine too. i am not saying to change your whole routine around just was a few tweaks and adjustments and i think it may help some too.

for now i would stick to four nursings too. good luck with it all and keep me posted

[gwc1023]

I don't want to jinx it, but we may be making big progress here!  Saturday night we went out and I told the babysitter to call us if Abby woke up and had been fussing for more than 10 minutes or so (we were only about 5 minutes away).  As it got closer to 10:30, I was fully expecting a phone call, but she never called - we even checked the phone to make sure it was working, lol!  We got home around 11:45 and Abby hadn't woken up yet, so I made the decision and just left her sleeping, didn't do a df then.  She slept through til 3, which has been her normal waking time.  I was pretty pleased about that.

Then last night I didn't do the df either, and .... she slept RIGHT THROUGH until 7!  So maybe it has been disturbing her sleep!?  I'm really hoping this is going to be a trend and not just a fluke - although she's only ever slept through maybe once when she was around 4 months, so I think this may be progress!!

[teezee]

if lo hasn't been waking for the feeding then i don't think it is necessary to feed at night  now if she wakes. you may have a little regression as that is totally normal!! just do sleep training instead of feeding (although it is much easier to feed, it will pay of big time in the end if you just resettle w/o taking her out of the crib). congrats - you are doing a wonderful job dawn! way to go!!!!!!!!!!!

[gwc1023]

Thanks for the reminder - I probably would have fed her if she woke again, I've been used to doing it for so long!    She wasn't even ravenously hungry when she got up this morning, so you're right, I don't think she needs to eat at night. 

Wow, what fun it would be to sleep through!  Thanks again!

[teezee]