Author Topic: LO has dropped DF but affecting day feeds - need advice!  (Read 890 times)

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Offline FiThomson

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LO has dropped DF but affecting day feeds - need advice!
« on: April 13, 2006, 09:19:30 am »
Hi there

Well, after doing the DF with my LO (now 10 weeks) since 3 weeks old, she now has other ideas.  We began to find about a week ago that she was in her soundest sleep around 10.30/11pm (after going to bed at 7.45) and when we tried to give DF she would take very little to drink (say 2oz at most) where she used to take a full feed at this time.  Previously she would DF at 11 and then wake hungry at 3ish and then 6-6.30ish.  In the last week, not only is she taking very little at the DF but she has been so grumpy at having her sleep disturbed that it has taken over an hour to get her back to sleep where she used to go straight off as soon as she had finished feeding.  So, two nights in a row, we DF at 11 but she did not go back to sleep until 12.30/1ish and then hungry at 3. 

We decided to try letting her sleep through from bedtime to see what time she would want to eat and she went through to 2am - 6 hours! great! so we stuck with this but she will now typically wake between 1 and 2.30 depending on how much I have managed to get her to have during the day.  On a day where she has taken less, she will wake at 1 but then again at 4.30-5.  I have been trying to give her a small feed then as I want to start the day at 6.45/7ish with a good first feed.

However, my dilemna (sorry I am finally getting to my point - sleep deprivation making me waffle!) is that she will not settle with a small feed and demands a bit more  - she will settle with 3oz instead of 2 but this then affects her first feed of the day and she will only take 2oz at 7ish instead of the normal 4-5 she used to take.  Then begins the cycle of having less during the day so waking at 1 and 5 and feeding too close to start of day to take a good first feed.  Any tips or advice?

Ideally we would have stuck with the DF as if she is going to have a 5-6 hour stretch I would so rather this was from 11-5am rather than 8-2am! But this just doesn't seem to be something she will go with anymore and despite trying to stick with it, it was beginning to mean more night wakings and fitful sleep for all 3 of us.

Oh, she weighs close to 11lb now and is exclusively formula fed (BF until 6 weeks) - she takes anywhere from 21-25 oz during 7am to 8pm and a further 5-6oz at night (over two feeds).  I just don't seem to be able to get her to take more during the day to decrease the amount needed at night - at almost 11lb shouldn't I be able to make some progress on this?

not sure where to go from here (or is it a case of expecting too much too soon?)

thanks

Fiona

Offline RachelC

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Re: LO has dropped DF but affecting day feeds - need advice!
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2006, 11:44:23 am »
Hi FiThomson,
Sorry to hear your nights have been so disrupted.  Can you post your daily routine with times for eating (and how much), activity, sleep?  Maybe we can help pinpoint where/how to get more into her day feeds.  Do you cluster feed at the end of the day?  Have yoy tried a slightly earlier df (10pm)?
~Rachel


Proud to have breastfed for a combined total of 35 months


Offline SylvieA

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Re: LO has dropped DF but affecting day feeds - need advice!
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2006, 14:26:06 pm »
Hi
I don't know if this will help but, My DS was the same at that age.(he's now 5 months) He would wake at around 1-2am and then at 5-6am. And he naturally stetched his sleep time. He had dropped the 1-2am feed and fed at 4-5.  I would just put him back to sleep after that morning feed and he would wake at around 9 am and start our day. At around 3 months he started sleeping 10-12 hrs without a dreamfeed. Dreamfeed never worked for us so I let him adjust to his own schedule.  He now sleeps 12-13 hours from 7 or 7:30pm to 7 or 8am.  He still wakes on occasion (like this week, not easy to settle at night) I assume something is bothering him, not sure what.
When your DD wakes at night, is she crying or just whinning. If it's just whine, wait and see if she'll settle on her own. One thing that helped my DS settle is a paci, And still uses it. Good luck.
Miguel-November 2005
Zoe-August 2008

Offline FiThomson

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Re: LO has dropped DF but affecting day feeds - need advice!
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2006, 17:44:13 pm »
Hi there

Here is a typical day - timings may vary by 15-30 mins but I never let her go more than 3.25 hours between feeds.

E - 7am offer 6oz and rarely takes even 3.5 now although used to take 5
A until 8am
S until 10

E - 10 offer 6 but prob takes no more than 4.5
A until 11.15 to 11.25
S - 11.30 - 13.15

E - 13.15 hungriest feed may be able to get her to take 5 to 6 of 6 offered
A - varies as sometimes shows tired signs at 2ish and sometimes not until closer to 3 (but still goes down relatively easy)
S - until I wake her to eat at 16.15

A/S - catnaps only for either one 45 mins or two 30 mins naps

E - 18.15 - only allow her 2.5oz -3oz or will not eat again at next feed
A - bath with DH
E - 19.35 - try to get her to take 5oz but may only take 3.5
S - bedtime at 20.00 - generally goes down like a dream

It then used to go DF at 11 (4oz) , E at 3 - 3.30 am (3-4oz) and then start again at 6.30/7am (would try to pat ssh until 7 to have same daily start time)

Now goes no DF, E at 1ish (3-4oz) , E at 5ish (3 oz)

we use paci to sooth before going into crib (sleeps all naps and night in crib except for catnap in last cycle) unless we are out and about.  She can go to sleep independently without still having paci in mouth or needing pat/ssh 75% of time - otherwise needs paci until into second stage of sleep and we remove of she does not spit out or we need to pat ssh.

if there is anything else I can let you know which may be off help please let me know!

Thanks for looking into this for me - it is so hard to know if you are on the right or wrong track sometimes!

Fiona