Totalling losing the plot !!!!! - Lost interest in 1st 7am feed

[niknak1976]

Hi

I would really appreciate your help and advise. 
I have been using EASY since pretty much the beginning and found the routine very helpful.  A few weeks back DS changed the goal post slightly and was working on a AEASY schedule.  Basically I think this is because he has a feed during the night of 3oz (this is aware from 3am through to 5am) so as a consequence this has been knocking into his 7am feed.  So we altered it to AEASY...which was fine up until yesterday when he then went to AES....not good at all.  I'm totally losing the EASY way and I don't know how to stop this from happening.
DS is 17 weeks tomorrow.

His routine yesterday was.....has been varying on a daily basis !!!

Woke at 7am
Activity 7.30am - 8.00am
Eat - 08.00 - 3oz's
Activity 08.20am (noticed he was VERY tired)
Sleep - 08.30am - 11.00am
Activity - 11.00am - 12.00
Eat - 12.00 - 5 1/2oz's
Activity - 12.30pm - 1.15pm  (went out to baby & toddler group - which didn't help matters I guess)
Sleep - 1.20pm - In car and once we got to baby group - Awake 1.50pm (30mins nap!!)
Activity 1.50pm - 3.40pm
Sleep in car 3.40pm - 4.18pm (let him sleep over slightly as he'd not slept well in afternoon)
Eat - 4.40pm - 71/2oz's
Activity - 5pm - 6.00pm
Sleep - Cat nap - 6.00pm - 6.30pm
Activity - Bath - 6.45pm
Eat - 7.15pm - 5oz's
Sleep 7.45pm

Dream feed 11pm - 51/2oz's

Night feed - (anytime from 3am - 5am) - Only offer 3oz's

Last night DS woke at 1am, 2am, & 3am because he bacame unswaddled - wrapped him back up again and he went back to sleep.

THIS MORNING am trying to start the day AT 7am - will be in all day

EAT - 7AM - 1 1/2oz's
Activity Time - 7.45am - 8.45am
Wind down time 08.45am - 09.00am
Sleep - Hopefully 9am  (not sure how long he'll go tho with such a small feed in him !!??)
EAT - 11am (may have to intergrate activity in before this if he wakes up !!)

We normally work on a 4hr routine, as any sooner and DS just will only take small feeds.
He's never slept through the night!!!!, although goes from 7.30ish through to early hours of the morning most nights (so that's not too bad is it !?!?)

Am totally losing the way with this and would be really grateful for advise or support. Feeling very low and lost at the moment and would like to sort it all out ASAP.

If you need anymore info please just let me know.

Thanks a lot !!





 

[litomi]

Would you like to try to make 3oz milk with just 2scoop of formula? Your LO feels feels half full and is willing go back to sleep, but with less calories. Maybe he'll be hungry by then.

[niknak1976]

Yes that may be worth a go tonight.  I've gone and also bought the other BW - Solves Your Problems.  Scanning through the pages....so far I've worked out that my daytime naps need to improve.

Currently he either has a brilliant morning nap and a poor afternoon nap or vice versa.  Consequently DS is then over tired...this then has a knock on effect with the rest of the routine.  Even the night sleeping I reckon.  So will concentrate on improving this, and yes will have a go at reducing the feed amount too.

I'm gonna attempt to Cluster Feed tonight at 5.30pm and 7.30pm and see if this helps....?!?!?

One more question I have is in the BW - SYP book it say's on a 4hr routine to cluster feed at 7pm and 9pm Would this 9pm one be a classed as a dream feed, then do the proper dream feed at 11pm like normal ?

Sorry - If I've posted this in the wrong area, but the feeding is a problem and also the naps....once we have these sorted I should be half way there....fingars crossed !!!

Thank you for replying to post.  I shall let you know how this evening goes tomorrow.

[VINEWEEVIL1]

I have a couple of suggestions.  I'm no easy expert but my 22 wk LO seems to be going off track too.   When I was still BF my LO was only taking small feed at about the same time as yours.  I offered him a drink of water instead of the breast (we were mixed feeding anyway) and he took a couple of ounces.  I did this for three nights then he didn't want any and was settled back to sleep.  It took another week and a half or so for him to stop the habitual waking but was sleeping through the night from about 3 months.

Another thing we have now had to do is bring the dream feed forward.  It is now at 10:30 as LO didn't want much at brekkie. We are going to reduce the DF quantity a bit now also as he has lost interest in brekkie once again.

HTH

[niknak1976]

Thanks for the help.

Last night wasn't too bad, basically DS woke up at 3am, I shushed him for 30mins and he went back to sleep OK without a feed.  Until 5.10am....with quite a loud shriek !!!  Used a dummy for 20 mins to see this eased/got him back to sleep, but in the end caved in (I know !!) and gave a feed 90mls....and you guessed it when he woke up at 07.15ish, I went to start his day at 7.30am - he took less than 1 Oz - (25mls) practically refused the feed altogether....have tried to stick to EASY as best as possible today and so far my day has been like this

05.30 - 90mls
07.30 - 25mls
08.00 - 09.15 - activity time
09.15 - 09.30 - wind down
09.30 - sleep (used PU/PD twice & sssh pat - 5 mins in total for DS to settle)
11.00 - Awake
11.00 - Tried to feed him as he'd not had that much from 05.30am today - but again not interested had 45mls
11.30 - 12.45 - activity
12.45 - 1.00 - wind down
1.00 - sleep (used PU/PD once & ssh pat - a few mins to get off to sleep)
2.15 - awake
2.30 - 205mls !!!!
3.00 - 4.00 - activity
4.00 - 4.15 - wind down
4.15 - sleep, only sssshhh'd for a few mins
5.00 - awake
5.00 - 1st Cluster feed (wish me luck !!)
5.30 - 6.45 - Activity time including Bath
7.00 - 2nd Cluster feed (again think of me !!)
7.30/7.45 off to bed

Dream feed normally at 11.00 - but yes will bring this forward and see if this also makes a difference to his sleep pattern.

So far am pleased with the day's naps !!!
Looks as if he's trying to drop the wrong feed though !!!!! 

Should I just go cold turkey tonight, because if we do the same as last night, and I can hang on an extra 30 mins we could possibly start our day 6.00am !!?!???!   and then DS may take a fullish feed - Or is this wrong altogether. Cause he's definitely not consuming the amounts Tracey recommends, although if he takes a good cluster feed and dream feed, we shouldn't be too far off....already he's on 365mls

I guess the other alternatives are like everyone has kindly suggested water (should this be warmish or cold ??) or reduce the amount of feed mixed and say to myself anytime before 3am feed any time after don't ?!?!?!?!?
   
Thanks again for your replies, I really appreciate it !!

[yaya]

Can I just offer you soem HUGS forst of all, dont depair! I know how it feel for it all to fall apart and you feel liek you have no control! Dont worry we will sort it out!
Have you thought about adding a tiny bit to each daytime feed and slowly reducing the nightfeed? A lot of babies are just not hungry when then first wake up but it could be that the nightfeed is 'fiiling him up'.
I'm not sure about the giving water, I do with DS but hes 11.5mo and on solids so its a bit diff, will get back to you on that one but is he wakign the same tiem every night for his feed?

[niknak1976]

Hi Yaya,  Thank you for the hugs !! - They are much needed !!  I really appreciate the help.  Am trying to stay positive - honest.

Clusterfeeding went well tonight, and DS went off to bed with no problems this evening - phew !!

Due to dreamfeed earlier tonight....see what happens.

In answer to your question, no DS can wake anytime from 3am onwards to 5amish really......so it's not a habitual waking, although last night when he woke at 3am it  took 30min and then he did settle back to sleep again without the feed ?? 

[Mum to Ethan]

When my son was 3 1/2months old he was waking at about 3am for a feed then when he got up at 6.30am he wasn't very hungry. So i started just giving him one side (he's bf) at 3am and added a dream feed at 9.30pm which meant he was more hungry at 6.30am, then a week later i resettled him without feeding at 3am and 2 nights later he slept through. After a week I dropped the dream feed and he is still not needing to be fed at night. He is now 5months old and only wakes at night if he rolls onto his tummy and gets stuck.

Maybe you could try giving your baby less at night and more when wakes up? Then drop the nightime feed altogether if your bub will settle without feeding?

[yaya]

I agree with PP , maybe check out the Bf boards for more info on that!