don't know what I'm doing in the mornings.

[blinky]

Hi
I'm trying to sort out DD's early wakings by feedng her at 5am when she wakes, putting her back to bed and waking her at 7am.  And we're just starting to adapt to 4 hr EASY.

We have several others issues going on as well-

The problem is, after a feed at 5am, DD is not ready for another at 7am.
If she's not hungry, she won't even top up.
That means she goes down for her morning nap at 8.30am without having had a feed.

Most of the time, she'll only take 100ml at once anyway. Without a long rest, she won't take anymore.

Feeding is restless - she kicks her legs and strains a lot, as drinking seems to activate her to break wind. 

She turns her head from left to right, as if she's gasping for air but she doesn't have a cold.

I have to sing whilst she's feeding to keep her attention away from straining and moving.

As soon as she's reached 100ml, she wants to sit up and gets very upset if I try and feed her more.

So all this means, she has 100ml after waking and 100ml before sleeping though she doesn't feed to sleep.

My confusion is timings  after 7am. When is/was feeding time?  5am? When she had 100ml or 7am, when she had nothing or 8.15am when she had another 100ml?
I'm very confused and I'm not sure I've made myself very clear
Any help would be most welcome as I don't know what to do for the best.
Blinky

[woopster]

Isn't your DD still quite young? 
Have you tried putting her back to sleep?  Maybe re-swaddling her if she is swaddled? Or trying pat/sh?

[blinky]

Thanks for answering.
She's  5 1/2 mo but was 9 weeks premature so we treat her as if she's 3 1/2 mo.
She has no df so I'm pretty sure she's hungry at 5am.
She took less and less at the df and sometimes she was in such a deep sleep she didn't even move.
Thanks
Blinky

[woopster]

What time is bedtime?  (I should have asked earlier)

[* Paula *]

When you are saying that she is fussing with her feeds - have you tried changing the size of the nipple?  This usually does help as they get more milk out and don't have to suck as hard - and helps them get less frusrated.

Perhaps if she is taking more cause she does not have to suck as much, then she might not wake up at 5 for a feed.

Just a thought.

[woopster]

Blinky, what about a small feed - maybe 50ml?  Just enough to send her back off til 7 and then you can start your day

[blinky]

We've tried new nipples and milks ages ago.
I took her to the doc twice and he said she is obese but she looks fine to me, and he said it's nature taking its course and she's put herself on a diet.
Not sure I believe that one.

Anwyay, tried to start 4 hr easy and everything has gone wrong.  She's waking at 11pm and 3am and 5am and 6am so I have decided to go cold turkey and get rid of the dummy and stop swaddling all at the same .  We've had a hell of a morning.   

I must get back on track, I feel I'm losing control of the whole situation.

We've been doing EASY since February and it has worked like a dream.

Bed time is 7pm though this week she hasn't fallen asleep like she usually does.  I don't know what's going on with her.

I just don't seem to be able to get more milk in her, I'm sure she's hungry and that's why she wakes up.

Thanks for the suggestion of 50ml until 7am, I will try that!
Blinky

[woopster]

I took her to the doc twice and he said she is obese

He said WHAT?!?!?! 

I wouldn't stop the dummy and the swaddle at the same time, she needs some comfort from one or the other.
I think the dummy will take more work than the swaddle. It may be best to get rid of  the swaddle first and then concentrate on the dummy.
Has she learnt anything new lately?  Rolling over?  That could mess things up.  She's also coming up for 6 months, isn't she?  You have a huge growth spurt then as well.

[blinky]

I was very upset with the doctor. Apparently she's in the 95 percentile range, and eating less is nature taking its course.

Just got your message about not stopping the swaddling and pacifier at the same time.
My reasoning is, if she has her hands, she can comfort herself but sucking her fingers etc.
I've tried stopping the swaddle before and keeping the pacifier, but she always knocks it out of her mouth.

Anyway, we made it through yesterday and the night.  I was with her all the time for comfort.  I didn't leave her until she was asleep.  I hope it was the best way of going cold turkey.  I don't wnat to change now as it seems more cruel and all the crying would have been for nothing.

she isn't rolling yet, she 's just started grasping at objects and she's learned to scream (a happy scream) 

Thanks for your help.

[Kimberly®]

you could try what we did

Feed her as usual at 5am, then let her sleep as long as she wants to.
My DD usualy woke at 8:30-9 and we would start our day then. Eventually as she got older and could sleep longer she would wake at 7 and we now start our day then.
My LO started doing this at about 4 months, and continued till about 5 and then started going to 7 again. (she's started going to 7 earlier, but thats another story)

The more I tried to get more into her the worse things got untill I gave into the inevitable. You never know it might work

[blinky]

Thanks Karita
It's a very sensible suggestion.  If it's before 6.30am when she wakes, I"ll put her straight back to bed.  When she wakes up will be the start of her day.
Last night she woke at 11pm, 1am and 6am and that was her first night without the dummy or swaddle. She did very well.
Today she's cried but a lot less.
Let's hope tonight goes well too.
Thanks again
Blinky