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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

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15 replies

Juicylucytoo · 27/01/2008 16:32

Right, I haven't had more than 4 hours sleep in one stretch since he was born in June. I exclusively breastfed for 6 months. Then around Christmas I started to introduce Formula. He gets Formula (7oz) at 3pm, 7pm and 11pm. I then breastfeed at 2am, 5/6am, sometimes 9am and then again at Midday.

For about the last 2-3 weeks I've noticed that he is only snacking at his lunchtime and 3pm feeds.

So, I have finally decided to give up the nightime "on demand feeding" thingy (normally 2am-3am) and started last night with only offering water and trying to rock him to sleep.

At 4.15 I gave in and fed him.

Am I doing it right?

Do I perservere to get him on the right sleeping / eating pattern?

Please share any experience / advise.

Feeling like a mean mum by not feeding him, but now extremely knackered

Thanks

PS Have also posted this under sleep

"here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/5/465848"

as wasn't sure where best to post

OP posts:

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 16:34

surely if he is hungry in the night, water and rocking won;t suffice, surely it is easier to give a breastfeed and get him straight off to sleep

at 7 or so months old, it is quite reasonable for him to feed in the night

far less tiring to just feed him than try to soothe him for an hour or two?

fletchaaarr · 27/01/2008 16:36

Can you take him into bed with you when he wakes up in the night and feed lying down. That way you can get some rest and sleep.

BabiesEverywhere · 27/01/2008 16:37

I agree, easier just to nurse and pop back in bed. You'll get more sleep that way.

Original poster

Juicylucytoo · 27/01/2008 16:44

That's what I've been doing. I just have the feeling that he's got his feeding pattern wrong and if he were eating more in the day wouldn't need the 2am feed.

He stopped letting me feed him lying down about 2-3 months ago, but I do bring him into bed with me when he won't settle.

He only went into his own room at the beginning of January.

If I continue to feed on demand at night will he change to sleeping through on his own any time soon?

OP posts:

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 16:52

if you feed on demand, then sooner or later he will find his own pattern , it is pretty much impossible to force a baby into a pattern, especally when they are so little

tummies are still very small, and need filling frequently

Original poster

Juicylucytoo · 27/01/2008 17:00

I thought with the change to formula he would sleep longer, but he just seems to wake at 2am whether he gets the formula at 10pm, 11 or 12.

It nearly broke my heart last night not to feed him, but I could really do with some more sleep

OP posts:

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 17:09

formula is actually slightly less calorific than breast milk....IIRC

can you rest in the day at all?

if he is hungry, he needs feeding, and it will be easier to feed him than try to soothe him ... can you try co sleeping again or lying down to feed again?

Original poster

Juicylucytoo · 27/01/2008 17:18

I can rest when my DH is home (he works away and is home 3 wks in 5), and during the day if I have to. I just thought I should try to help adjust his eating / sleeping pattern.

I read somewhere at his age he should be able to sleep through the night. I would be happy if he managed 11-5am. I also think he's not sleeping a long enough stretch as well. He wakes at 11pm, 2am, 5/6 or 7am and then will sleep again until 8/9 or even 10 depending when he last woke, so I do get enough sleep in total. It's just we want to try for a second baby as I will be 41 in June and it took 2 years to get a successful pregnancy the first time.

OP posts:

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 17:20

lots of babies of this age do not sleep through.. what they should be doing according to the book is not always the right way for each baby.. you might well find things settle themselves soon anyway.... sure someone else will be able to advise more !

Original poster

Juicylucytoo · 27/01/2008 17:21

...and so to explain better - our desire to TTC is zero and if I do get pg, I think DS1 will need to be sleeping through by then...or not?

OP posts:

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 17:24

i seeeee

you could TTC in the day time when you feel more rested? you might also need to try thinking about it in terms of DS not sleeping through and working out strategies to cope with that, if that is the case....

lots of mumsnetters are good with non sleeping baby advice, i am not!

good luck with it all

Original poster

Juicylucytoo · 27/01/2008 17:25

Thanks for your advice Lulumama - sorry I'm not being very clear!

OP posts:

twelveyeargap · 27/01/2008 21:09

Juicy - I can only give you my experience with A, but she did a bit of this feeding in the night thing. I started doing a schedule of feeds, instead of on demand and it seemed her regulate when she ate.

I offered milk every 3-4 hours in the day. At first she wasn't fussed about the middle of the day feeds, but she got into the swing of things after a bit and so I managed to "bulk her up" in the day time. After this, she started the "snacking" at night (I knew because by this stage she was FF at night, but you can offer expressed milk if you prefer) and I then felt confident to stop feeding at night as I knew she wasn't properly hungry. After two nights of a bit of mooching around (with me listening at the door!) she just settled herself back to sleep.

Now it's go to that she's not actually hungry until about 7.30 or 8am, having had her last feed at 6.30pm!

We feed milk 7.30am, 12.30pm, 3.30pm, 6.30pm. She has "food" at about 11.30am and 4.30pm. She just has absolutely no interest in breakfast so I don't push it on her. I figure as she gets bigger she'll increase her solids intake.

I found that she responded very, very well to being put on a schedule. DD1 was much more laid back and didn't need it, but DD2 is a slave to schedule and I wished I'd realised it sooner.

It may or may not work for you, but it might be worth giving it a shot for a few weeks.

This said, the paediatrician who wrote the "sleep bible" which has helped me so much, and who firmly believes in "cold turkey" for sleep problems, (ie not going to children if they have a waking habit), that you shouldn't consider night feeding a problem until after 9 months.

Not I'm sure, what you wanted to hear, but the end is in sight... Good luck.

cinnamontam · 27/01/2008 21:52

Juicy - Tild is doing exactly the same so watching this thread with great interest.

TYG - you are an incredibly wise woman. I'm going to try the routine thing and will let you know how it goes

Original poster

Juicylucytoo · 28/01/2008 19:52

Thanks TYG. I want to try breaking his sleep pattern. If it doesn't work and he's still starving at night I'll go back to feeding him as long as I have to. (Must admit to being total CC wimp )

O's daytime routine is as follows:

9.30 Breakfast of porridge (biggest meal of day in terms of volume)
11.30 Breastfeed (not full feed judging by time)
1.00 Lunch Some veg (not alot)
15.00 7oz Milk (not always all drunk maybe 5oz)
5.30 Tea - Normally toast with something
6.45pm 7oz Milk
11pm 7oz Milk
Nighttime feeds of 2/3am and 5/6 or 7am then follow (and maybe 9am if last one was 5am!)

Good luck with what you try Tam. I've posted over on the sleep page what I'm going to do:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/5/465848

OP posts:

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