How/when to drop a night feed

[Sparklesandglitter]

My DD goes down between 6 and 7pm. She currently wakes for a bottle between 11-00/12.00 then between 3.00-4.00am then at 5.30-6.00 then 7.30 when we get up.
She will take between 4 and 5oz bottles spread over 2hours during the day with a good 6-8oz in the 2hours before bed but at night she only takes around 2oz per feed. She won't take more despite encouragement (stroking her jaw) she will only ever eat what she needs.
She is very healthy and average weight so my questions are is she ready to drop some of the early morning feeds, I would be happy if we could even just drop 1! And how do I do it?
TIA

[jaggythistle]

I've no idea, but people will want to know how old she is :)

I've never really actively dropped a feed, just waited till they gradually stopped asking

hope you get some helpful answers.

[Whatevertheweather]

How old is she sparkles?

[Sparklesandglitter]

Whooops!!!sorry shes 11weeks

[Sparklesandglitter]

jaggy I was thinking that she would naturally just drop on her own but for the last few weeks she seems to have just settled on between an oz and 2oz but still feeding as much. Im just wanting to "tidy" up the morning feeds really!!

[Whatevertheweather]

Sounds like she is getting plenty of milk through the day though I'm not an expert as I'm ebf. She sounds similar to my dd who is 12 weeks but she doesn't wake for the 11pm feed goes from 7ish to 3ish.

I guess it's the 3am feed you want to drop, do you use a dummy? What would happen if you just gave a dummy or some cooled boiled water at 3am, do you think she would settle back off and eventually not wake for a feed at that time? To be honest though I think at 11 weeks she may still need that many feeds through the night.

Sorry if that's crap advise

[Sparklesandglitter]

That's what I was thinking, maybe she needs the milk so I'm slightly wary about giving water as she doesn't always have the recommended amount of milk each day. I guess I can try water and if she kicks off then give her milk. If she took 3 or 4oz at 4.00 then slept till 7ish that would be great it's just the hourly wake ups from 4ish!
Will she drop a feed on her own if left?she has slept through on the night of her jabs, she slept 11 hours but I figured that was a result of her vaccines?

[Sparklesandglitter]

By left I mean if I carry on as is

[SoulTrain]

Have you tried moving up a teat size? She might be having to suck too hard and can't be bothered to have more?

[Sparklesandglitter]

She's using size 3teats as she has comfort milk plus baby gaviscon so it's very thick

[SoulTrain]

Try piercing another two holes with a sterile needle? Also, what bottles are you using?

[lola88]

You shouldn't be taking night feeds away until 6mo i'm afraid. DS eat like that at night until about 7mo the bottle just put him back to sleep to fast. Try a bigger hole in the teet but please don't think about taking away night feeds or giving water for at least anothe couple of months.

[forevergreek]

I would wake and feed her at 11pm before you go to bed ( or 10pm if you sleep earlier), to try and break the habit of waking for food ( as you would have woken), this may reduce the further wakings through the night, but she is v young to just give up night feeds still

[MumToAManiac]

Try giving her cooled boiled water instead of one of her night feeds. I don't agree that shes too young to give up night feeds, my DS slept through the night without night feeds from 6 weeks old. He would have went down about 11ish and woke about 4ish, a couple of nights of having cooled boiled water instead of a feed soon had him sleeping on til 6.30/7. He's still a great sleeper now and goes down about 7/7.30 and that's him for a good 12/13hrs (I hope I haven't jinxed myself now lol)

[Namechangeforapropertythread]

We didn't drop night feeds until 11 months - but I think it shouldn't be before 6 months at any rate!