anyone done Little Ones Sleep training? AIBU thinking feeds are too close together?

[Peterbishopssarcasticsmile]

Downloaded this a week ago and DS has responded really well to the nap times. Bed time I cant manage to get as early as they suggest but everything else going ok

The only thing is the last two feeds of the day are scheduled really close together. DS normally formula feeds every three hours, and the schedule has a feed at 5 and then a feed at 6.30

I've put off doing this because it seemed to me he would be too full, but he's been showing tiredness cues earlier so I thought I'd give it a go tonight. Fed him at 5 and at 7, slowly, and when I took him up he was quite wriggly and writhing about and unhappy - clearly shattered and trying to fall asleep but obviously uncomfortable :(

After an hour I've managed to get him down and he's sleeping but AIBU thinking those two feeds are way too close together? Did you use little ones and did you follow this particular feeding schedule? I've noticed Gina Ford is the same and am a bit baffled by it

Could it be a split feed? I have friends used to do this - half at 5 and then the rest an hour or so later. Their babies suffered from reflux so it helped with that from what I recall.

If your ff you need to pace feed so you don't over feed the baby then he won't be uncomfortable (unless reflux or some other unavoidable reason)

It specifically states a full feed each time
Ill see how he goes tonight maybe I will do a two and a half hour gap tomorrow and see how he gets on
I feel terrible that I might have overfed him and caused him discomfort :( he's just been responding so well to the routine and looking ready to go to bed earlier that I thought I'd introduce the earlier feed

Last night I put him up before his last feed as he was falling asleep, thinking I'd feed him when he woke and he would go back.down but that failed as he thought it was morning after I'd fed him and was up all night unable to settle

@lockdownparty I do pace feed as he's a real guzzler otherwise but my issue is that the gap they are suggesting seems too.small - especially with paced feeding as we obviously slow him down a bit

It specifically states a full feed each time

You should only ever offer a full feed though. Not make them drink it if they're showing signs they're full.

How old is he?
It's quite normal for very small babies to feed every 2 hours and 'tank up' in the evening.

He's six and a half months
I never force him to eat but he's a little piglet and never turns food down!
Maybe I need to get better at the paced feeding.

Thanks for replying by the way. I was feeling really.good about things as he was getting on so well and now I feel.really crappy and like I'm getting it all wrong

At 6.5 months I'd probably be spacing his milk feeds out more than 3 hours anyway as he'll be eating very small meals now too. So that does seem like a very small gap at that age.

So like
7am Bottle
8am Breakfast
11am Bottle
12pm Lunch
3.00pm Bottle
4.00pm Dinner
6.30/7pm Bedtime bottle
10pm Dream feed / top up

This is what I thought. Currently he's on one meal a day at lunchtime

We do three hours because he gets hungry otherwise and is getting grouchy etc asking for it but I was imagining as we introduce more solids this will change and become more spaced out

We've been doing
7.30
10.30
Little bit of puree at 11.30
Milk feed at 2
Milk feed at 5
Milk feed at 8

Which seemed to be working aside from the fact he was falling asleep a little before his last feed then waking up for it around 8 and increasingly hard to settle afterwards

I'm a bit baffled as to what to do for the best - earlier bed time and try and persist with a dream feed or try and keep him awake for that 8pm feed

I think I'll be following a schedule similar to yours when he's on more food but I wanted to start slowly and not have him eat too much as he LOVES milk and food and really guzzles if I don't pace him

I'd honestly give him 3 meals, just very small amounts of food and after hit bottle so he doesn't fill up on food first.

I'd go for a 7pm bedtime. At that age ds had 4 naps a day waking no later than 5pm from his last nap. Then dream feed at 10pm when I was going to bed. Unless teething he slept til 7am.

I know they're all different but worth a try.

Stick with any change you make for a week before trying something else though.
Also consider teething for why he might have been uncomfortable.

If you click In the 5pm solid feed info it explains how to troubleshoot it. Split feed, offer more food, drop bottle

Thanks I think I'll.try that I don't think I'm going to feed him that close together again
I'm now worrying that I'm over feeding him he has 7oz at each feed which our GP said was the correct amount for his weight at 6 months
I just hope he realises he doesn't HAVE to drink everything when we introduce more.solids

I'm finding feeding and weaning so stressful!

Thanks @jubaju I just figured he would scream the place down if we only gave him half but maybe he will surprise me

Offer full milk feeds before food. The food isn’t as important as milk at 6 months > 1yr

I wouldn't worry too much about over feeding a 6 month old as long as you're pace feeding.
Try giving him some finger foods so he's in control of how much he eats of solids.

Thanks for the advice
Going to read up again on pace feeding to make sure I am actually doing it right

A lot of people haven't even heard of pace feeding op so you really do sound like you know what you're talking about.

A lot of people haven't even heard of pace feeding op so you really do sound like you know what you're talking about.

And I used to worry about over feeding, it's only with the benefit of hindsight that I think you shouldn't worry.

I used this program and I'd just offer baby a full feed each time and let her eat as much as she wanted. Before the 6 month mark they recommend offering just half a feed at 5 and then a full feed at bedtime, whilst from the 6 month mark it's the other way around. So if he's having a full feed maybe he'll only need a top up before bed.
If he looks uncomfortable/difficult to settle are you sure is because he's too full? At this age they tend to sleep better with a full tummy. I agree with paced feeding and being aware of fullness cues, bit also keep an eye on overtiredness maybe? Mine always does better going to bed before 7.
Good luck, OP!

Thank you so much you're all so kind and helpful

I presumed it was him being too full because he kept stiffening up and wriggling his legs about and half crying half grumbling
He kept half falling asleep then suddenly jolting awake and writhing a bit
It could have been wind or it could have been frustration at not being able to sleep/over tiredness. I'm not brilliant at spotting over tiredness