Author Topic: Where do i go from here?  (Read 1479 times)

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Offline dougal

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Where do i go from here?
« on: June 22, 2006, 09:01:04 am »
Ive put my 17wk old onto 4Hr easy as he wasn't eating a lot at mealtimes. Now he seems to be eating more and i'm quite happy but i want to try and get rid of his 3-4am feed.
If he wakes up, i breastfeed him and he only feeds for about 15 minutes, but then when we get up. he doesn't feed very much at 7.30am. Probably only 5 minutes bobbing on and off. I've put him down and tried later but he still only feeds for a few minutes.
Any idea what i can try? My thoughts are that if we got rid of the night feed he would be hungry by the morning and then we could start the day earlier. He's putting on weight and is very happy so no other problems with his food.

Offline Loujo

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Re: Where do i go from here?
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2006, 12:28:55 pm »
i know it probably doesn't help but my boy (18 weeks tomorrow) does exactly the same thing - waking anywhere between 1.30 and 4am!  He's been doing it for about 4 weeks as he was going until 6/7 in the morning but now he just can't seem to make it thru! I cluster-fed him at 9pm and 11pm last night and then my hubby tried pick up put down at 4am this morning to try and get him to go longer but he was absolutely starving - sucking his fist and my husband's hand and after 40 mins I fed him.  I took him off after 10 minutes feeding (he would have gone a lot longer) and laid him back down and he went off to sleep and this morning he didn't take very much, as usual, at his 7-730 am feed.  I don't know if it will work but I am gonna try and keep shortening and shortening the night feed and get it right down to a couple of minutes to try and increase the amount he takes in the breakfast feed...
so just posting to show you you're not alone and asking for help too!
Louise
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Offline dougal

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Re: Where do i go from here?
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2006, 15:36:42 pm »
Thanks Louise, I think that i'll try that too. In fact i did for a few nights and he just didn't go back down afterwards. It took from 4 til 6.30am the first night. I stopped because i had changed him to the 4 hour at the same time and didn't know what was making him not settle. I'll wait for a few days and try again. Let me know how you get on. Do you think it's too early to try? I know when he wakes he is hungry as he doesn't eat that much in the day. I've tried everything to get him to take more. Even thinking of weaning him off breastfeeds as he always seems to eat more on the bottle.

Offline Loujo

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Re: Where do i go from here?
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2006, 15:58:46 pm »
Thomas is excl breastfed too and all my friend's babies are ff and they sleep through the night - I have put it down to him being a breastfed baby for too long - he's a big boy now and should be able to take all he needs during the day - ff or bf!  About a week ago I shortened his feed on the off chance - just a bit of experimentation - and he woke up after an hour for more but i think that's cos I shortened it by too much - I've been reading other posts and decided the best way to go will be to time his feed tonight then reduce it by 2 minutes tomorrow night for 3 nights, then another 2 minutes for the next 3 etc... the theory being that he will slowly start to take more during the day to make up for what he's not getting at night without going cold turkey... So fingers crossed, eh?! Will you let me know how you get on?  It will be interesting to see if it works for the both of us!  And then if it does we can post our success stories!!
Louise
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Offline Loujo

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Re: Where do i go from here?
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2006, 16:10:26 pm »
Just read some of your previous posts and it looks as though we have been going thru some of the exact same things at the same time - how funny!  The 45 min naps... the pat-shhing til you think you might die.... the covering of the eyes... the bending over the cot til it feels like your back might break and that you'll never be able to stand up straight again... the hot weather affecting his feeds (I thought he was on hunger strike) and needing to pump!!  So so funny! LOL!  ;D
xxx
'you've got to take all you have and pour and pour...'

Offline dougal

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Re: Where do i go from here?
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2006, 16:48:59 pm »
How bizarre!!!

Have had a bit of success with the sleeping as i decided not to get stressed about it. I have taught Lucas to go to sleep by himself, so no more leaning over his cot for me!! I realised it was ruling my life and I was getting obsessed, so now he still sleeps for 45 minutes, but i put him down 4 times a day.
Last week he slept for 2 hours once and 1 1/2 hours once and i thought i had it cracked but no!! Not to worry - am now going out with him a lot more and enjoying him for what he is.

Maybe this will come back to haunt me in a couple of months, but i'll deal with it then. What about you? Did you find anything that helped?
Have any of your friends got a baby like yours? Mine haven't - i'm sure they think i make up stories about him!! They all seem to have it so easy.

Offline Loujo

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Re: Where do i go from here?
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2006, 17:18:28 pm »
I did exactly the same - nothing seemed to work and i felt like I spent my whole day trying to settle him in his cot, saying no to offers of baby groups like baby massage or 'music train' because I knew that timings would be a nightmare.  I decided to just try and enjoy him and stop resettling him after the 45 mins.  I used to get so stressed all the time thinking 'pls don't wake up early' and used to get him back to sleep up until 10 mins before his next feed, desperately covering his eyes and patting his back and shhing til my mouth muscles hurt and i had no spit left!!!  Once i got past 3 months things just seemed to click into place and he has started sleeping longer on this 4 hour easy - he will have 90-120 mins in the AM and 120 min in the afternoon - i think because I have made more of an effort to get him back to sleep after his 45 mins - knowing that he wasn't due another feed for over an hour motivated me to re-settle him - it has gradually made a difference to his sleep habits.  I still have to shh-pat him every now and again - nightmare during that recent heatwave - but most of the time he will snooze off on his own at night even without his baby blues being covered!
None of my friends have babies like mine!  They seem to be able to pick them up and they fall asleep and Thomas has only ever fallen asleep in my arms during the first 5 weeks - after that the nightmare began... if only i had the knowledge then that I have now, I would have just enjoyed being with him more like my friends that feed on demand... but saying that, EASY has so been worth it in the end - specially now I can plan my day around the times I know Thomas will be awake and smiley!
So it will be interesting to see how both our little ones get on with this night time feed seeing as they are both so similar!
Keep me posted or PM me!
Lx
'you've got to take all you have and pour and pour...'