FF….what do you think I should do here?

[octonuddle]

DD has been FF practically since the start on her own schedule of 3.5-4 hour gaps between feeds and is 9 weeks now.

Around a week ago I realised I was waking her for the 2am feed out of my habit, so I started leaving her to sleep until she was ready for food…she still seemed to move into a different sleep pattern at around 2am (more unsettled…lots of wind) but remained firmly asleep.

If I pick her up and hold her on my chest, she sleeps soundly and seems to stop her wriggling (wind?) so I’ve been doing that a couple of hours a night between 4 and 6. I’ve then been waking her at 6am as I am scared to let such a little baby go longer than 8 hours without a feed – but she seems very cross when I wake her!

She takes about 150ml in her 6am feed. Since missing out the 2am feed she is getting around 100ml less a day than she was taking before. She is now on around 720ml a day versus 820+ before. She is 4.8kg so her intake is now on the low side.

Just not sure what is for the best? Should I reintroduce the 2am feed to make up her feed volumes or should I let her sleep even later than 6am as it seems she could? It is all very confusing…don’t know what to do for the best! Anyone have any advice? What would you do?

[JellyMouldJnr]

I am a big believer in not waking a sleeping baby.

[bettybyebye]

I am in a similar position and I am not waking baby to feed. DD is 10 weeks old and weighs just under 5kg. She feeds around every 3 hours in the day, has a last feed around 7pm and then tends to sleep from 8pm until she wakes for a feed, this is sometimes 3am, sometimes 5am, but for the last 2 nights has been 6am. She is gaining weight fine and following the same centile line that she was born on so I am not concerned. It has taken me a while to get used to as she feeds a lot less than her brother did at this age but all babies are different!

[CanIGoToBedNow]

If you're worried about the amount she's taking have you considered offering a dream feed about 10:30/11:00pm?

I personally would not wake her - try offering a bottle every 3 hrs during the day - that way you'll get the right number of feeds in. Sounds like she's getting herself into a nice little routine. I'd just go with the flow - she knows what she wants!

[nephrofox]

Never wake a sleeping baby. Is she following her line weight wise? If so then I would definitely leave her and enjoy the sleep. My DS was FF and slept through from 9 weeks .

[NickyEds]

What would I do? Thank my lucky stars! If you're concerned about weight I'd try and squeeze another feed in during the day-3.5-4 hours is quite a long gap. My dd is 10 weeks, I bf all feeds except a 10 o clock bottle (4 oz) when she then sleeps until sometime between 3-6am, but she feeds frequently during the day.

[octonuddle]

Thanks all....very reassuring...am a first timer so no clue really what I am doing!

I wish I could enjoy the extra sleep but I am too busy worrying about whether or not I should be lifting her to feed and listening out for her grumbles and gripes in the night..hopefully will get over that soon! I might try and squeeze in an extra feed...even an extra 50 mls would make me feel better. Will also get her weighed later this week to see if it is impacting her weight gain.

Her final feed is usually a big one at about 10pm anyway so a dreamfeed wouldn't really work...I might see if I can somehow get her to bring forward her last bottle so she might naturally wake up around 6/7 as it seems she wants to sleep longer. Thanks for your comments!

[randomsabreuse]

I'm EBF but I've found I can be dead to the world - DH can come in /go out etc- but easily wake to grumbles/pooping noises from my DD. Think we're attuned to them!

[octonuddle]

Someone IRL suggested increasing the teat size...might give that a go to see if she will drink more! She does seem to be only drinking 3/4 of her feed and then giving up. Will give anything a go!

[Shantotto]

My DS is 9 weeks and mostly formula fed. He sleeps from around 11.30pm - 6.30 and after a morning bf ends up with another bottle at say 7.30. He has around 170ml now. He seems perfectly fine going that long - he's gaining loads of weight!

He was having problems finishing bottles, so we went from size 1 to variflow and he now finishes most of them before he gets tired or bored.

Oh the midwife I spoke to yesterday and the hv have said no need to wake him for a feed. Definitely try the different teats.

[blacktreaclecat]

At 10 weeks, DS had a dream feed at 10.30/11 then slept through until 5/6. At 16 weeks he dropped the dream feed. I wouldn't wake a sleeping baby unless very newborn or worried about weight gain etc.