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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Getting baby to sleep through night- FF night feed amounts?

35 replies

PossetFeatures · 12/04/2011 12:43

My DS is 9 weeks old and has been FF exclusively from 2 weeks (couldn't breastfeed Sad ). From about week 2 he has pretty much got the hang of day and night, going down at 10pm and waking only for feeds and going back down to sleep, and since 6 weeks old has been having bath, feed and cuddle and then going down to sleep at 7pm. He is then woken at about 10.30pm (if hasn't woken before) for a nappy change, cuddle and feed, and then goes back to sleep, usually waking between 3 and 4 am for feed, before going back to sleep until 6-7am.

I know this is really, really good for a 9 week old, but was wondering how we can start to stretch him so he goes until 5am in the night, until he's fully sleeping through the night? His current feeding schedule is as follows:

7am - 180mls
11am- 180mls
2.30-3pm- 150-180mls
6.30pm - 150-180mls
10.30-11pm - anything from 100mls - 180mls (hit and miss depending on how tired he is!)

I guess what I want to know is: am I feeding him the right amounts at the right times, and how much should I be feeding him at his night feed in order to get him to eventually sleep through the night? Not sure whether I should give him a full feed when he wakes at 3-4am, or whether I should give him a smaller one i.e. 100mls then? Confused

He naps for 45mins-1hr in the morning, 2 hours over lunch, and about half an hour late afternoon.

What do other people do? Not in any big hurry, but would be nice, as i'm often not sure if his 3am waking is habit now or hunger!

Will post this in parenting too!

OP posts:
cassnstar · 13/04/2011 21:29

My ds didn't sleep though until he was 3- years old, now that's a horror. I always figured that you didn't get a child going through the night until they were having solids in the day..... but then I am 12 years out of date and there seem to be so many more theories flying around. When my third arrives in October I'm resigning myself to six months of lack of sleep. Better than that and I shall be delighted!

MoonFaceMamaaaaargh · 14/04/2011 07:08

cass i know a three yo who doesn't sleep through too. Tis not uncommon. You just don't hear about it much as people fear being judged and lectured by the parents of those who randomly sleep through from 3m.

As for solids i think that's a myth too. It just happens that some lo's are developmentally ready to sleep through around the time solids are introduced.

Zimm · 14/04/2011 08:10

Hmm I'd leave your routine well alone OP! your routine is fantastic for a nine week old and your baby DOES still need to feed at night, my 8 month old feeds at night! As your DC sleeps so much during the day you have a chance for an extra rest if you need it. I have killed for a baby who slept this well at 9 weeks and I wouldn't change a thing.

wigglesrock · 14/04/2011 08:25

cassnstar dd2 is 3 and last week she just started to sleep through in her own bed, she was a great sleeper if she had company in our bed!!! Dd3 is eight weeks old and I never thought I'd be having the best sleeps in three years with a newborn in the house Grin

Dd3 sleeps from about 8.30pm, gets up between 12 and 1am for a feed, then gets up at around 6.30ish for the day and I am chuffed with this, think you are doing really well. I formula feed but I feed on demand so some days she can eat like a monster then not so much. I tried everything with dd2 to help her sleep, different cot, leaving her, shushing, hungrier baby milks etc but nothing worked, although she is an absolute delight. Dd1 was the best sleeper ever, right through from 9 weeks but not sure how or why, no routine was followed, just never able to replicate it with dd2.

gallicgirl · 14/04/2011 10:08

@moonface You mean me, don't you? Grin

This sleep deprived mum would like to take back her comment about DD sleeping as she kept us awake until after 2:30 last night!

theborrower · 14/04/2011 10:44

Moonface what is this four month sleep regression that I keep hearing about on Mumsnet? I've never heard about it anywhere else, and my DD started sleeping through at just over 4 months Confused I think it passed me by

MoonFaceMamaaaaargh · 14/04/2011 14:13

galicgal it wasn't aimed at you (or anyone on here) just based on my observations in rl. Smile

The few people i know who's lo's slept through early on (and seemed to think it was their doing Hmm ) all had a hard time with the four month sleep regression (and some with the nine month one too Wink ).

Theborrower tbh i don't know that much about it as ds didn't have that much sleep to regress through iyswim. Grin Have just heard about it from those who, having got used to a good night's sleep, had to get un-used to it. I think it was worse on them tbh!

RitaMorgan · 14/04/2011 14:15

I don't think it effects all babies, but is quite common. Lots of people seem to have babies that sleep 8+ hours a night from 8-16 weeks and then it all goes wrong - it was certainly my experience!

theborrower · 14/04/2011 21:26

Ah, well DD is just over 8 months - if there is a 9 month one I'll be watching out for it :(

MoonFaceMamaaaaargh · 15/04/2011 08:23

sorry borrower, didn't mean to rain on your parade. Fingers crossed for you. Smile

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