I had a check-up with the healt visitor today. DS is 20 weeks old. Firstly she asked how much he is eating. I told her I make his feeds at the recommended 7 oz but he rarely finishes them usually only taking just over 5 may be 6 oz a time. He's fed at:
6.30 am
10 am
1.30 pm
5 pm
small top up before bed
1 am
He's a bit under weight and she said I need to try and get him to eat more. How the fark do I do that? He eats until he's full and leaves the rest. She wants me to go to 2.5-3 hour feeding which I will do but I am looking for some more advice first.
Next she wanted me to go through his sleeping which I thought was good although not brilliant. His sleep is like this:
6.30 pm in bed and lights out.
1.00 am dream feed by husband who gets in from work at this time.
4.30 ish he will wake. Get him out of cot and in with us and he will usually sleep until 6.15 am.
7.45 am in cot for 45 minute sleep
9.00 am in bed with dad for 1 hour sleep
12.30 45 minute sleep
3.30 45 minute sleep
6.30 bed again
The HV was not at all pleased that we lift DS into bed with us at 4.30 am but I promise you we have tried everything to get him to continue sleeping or to self settle but it just won't work.
She then said I need to try and get him to sleep longer than the 45 minute short naps he's getting. Again we've tried everything to do this. At home, dark room, white noise, silence, mobile, no mobile, ssshh pat before wakening, out in car, out in buggy - nothing will make him go longer than 45 minutes.
Yes, in an ideal world he'd stay in his cot until 6 am and yes he'd sleep longer but I thought he was doing really well. I cam e away from the HV feeling really flat and that I need to do more. What can you suggest. For information my surgery has 3 HV and I don't particularly like this one.
Is she talking out her arse? He's 20 weeks if I didn't mention above.