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Parenting

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Original poster

(whisper) Help with GF routine please

32 replies

mummygow · 08/12/2005 14:16

I know that not everyone is GF fan but I like it so please dont shout at me!!!!!!

6 week old is waking twice in night for feed (bottle) - help!!

OP posts:

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walkinginawinterBundleland · 08/12/2005 14:17

sounds pretty good to me. what's the problem?

Enideepmidwinter · 08/12/2005 14:20

even GF says babies will wake at least once in the night at this age

Original poster

mummygow · 08/12/2005 14:21

I dont think its bad but I know (as have dd 3 who was GF baby) and seen several debates about it on here that its not really popular ( well it didnt used to be - dont really know now!!

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walkinginawinterBundleland · 08/12/2005 14:24

doesn't really matter whether it's popular, it's whether it suits you and your family

Original poster

mummygow · 08/12/2005 14:24

once\would be great

OP posts:

walkinginawinterBundleland · 08/12/2005 14:25

if the baby only wakes once it won't be getting enough nutrition, imo

Normsnockers · 08/12/2005 14:27

Message withdrawn

harpsiheraldangelssing · 08/12/2005 14:28

once in the night at six weeks ?? well it depends what "the night" means I suppose
7-7 or 12am to 7?

bakedpotatohoho · 08/12/2005 14:29

two questions.
a. are you doing the dreamfeed around 10pm?
b. how hungry is the baby for the first morning bottle?
if very hungry, I think bundle is right, and s/he needs those night feeds. If not very hungry could you shrink the night ones by a few ounces?

Original poster

mummygow · 08/12/2005 14:35

yes feeding at 10.30pm and no not starving in the morning for 7am feed - waking 3am for about 2 or 3 oz then between 5 and 6am for another 2 or 3 oz - did try to offer water for last feed but no way. My other concern is he is having too much as he is taking between 27 to 30 oz from 7am to 11pm - he weighs about 11lb 7oz

OP posts:

Bozza · 08/12/2005 14:39

Last question is pretty easy to answer. If he was having too much he would be sick - he would bring it back up. I don't believe you can overfeed a 6 week old baby.

On the other one I think you have to be patient or try and reduce the second nighttime feed.

pablopatito · 08/12/2005 15:35

Our DS (7 months old) would argue that 5am is not the night, its daytime!

Queenmab · 08/12/2005 15:40

Can you get more than 3oz in him at 3am to try and see him through abhit longer? Or is that all he will take?

OComeOliveFaithfOil · 08/12/2005 15:41

I loosely follwoed Gina Ford and nearly ended up divorced and/or depressed. I threw the book at the wall. But I know some people love it.

I b/fed and I think both were still feeding more than twice a night at that age. Settled down and at 4 months ish, went through.

I don't think your baby will get into the habit of waking and expecting a feed, is that your worry?

yingers74 · 08/12/2005 15:56

Hey, I followed it with first dd and it worked a charm although yes it drove me insane and turned me literally into a routine prisoner!

for my second, also 6 weeks, have been trying very loosely to follow it and unfortunately she is not falling into it at all! she wakes twice a night or once or several times!!!!! I think i now realise that each baby is different! also with two I need something less regimental & more flexible which Gina will never be hence am looking at other advice now.

keep going mummygow, it will get better but don't get too hung up as this stresses you out and makes the night feeds ever harder

good luck

merrymarchhare · 08/12/2005 15:57

Mummygow - and where in GF book does it say you are allowed to have time to yourself and come on MN?

Queenmab · 08/12/2005 16:01

We did GF with DS (now 8 momths) worked well but took a while to get into. At about 6 weeks he was being fed at 10.30, then about 3ish and waking at 5-6ish but we didn't feed him until 7am - it seemed to be that he was just waking up naturally then rather than actually hungry. As he got nearer 3 months all of a sudden he started sleeping until nearer 7am on his own. Not sure that's any help...

pablopatito · 08/12/2005 16:20

merrymarchhare, its in GF:
Page 86:

"Week 6, 2.15pm: Spend 4 minutes (but strictly not more than 5 minutes), posting on mumsnet. Your baby will be asleep during this time (he must be asleep, do not allow him to be awake)."

AwayInAMunker · 08/12/2005 16:21

Pablopatito, is this whilst drinking a big glass of water?

NannyL · 09/12/2005 00:15

As long as your baby is taking full 7am / 11am / 2 pm / 6pm / 11pm (ISH) feeds there is no problem.

IF your baby is not having a full feed at 7am GF would say hes being given too much milk in the night time and not wnough in the day, so maybe you could half his 2nd night feed so he takes a full 7am feed.

All the while he feeds properly in daytime 7am - 11pm feeds he can take what he wants (and NEEDS) during the night

Jen28 · 09/12/2005 01:59

Twice a night sounds like a good deal at 6 weeks! I know GF holds out that golden promise of a (bottle fed) baby that sleeps through the night provided you get in enough calories during the day and structure the naps etc. etc.

Keep going with GF if it's generally working for you, but don't stress the detail and think that you are doing something "wrong" just because your baby isn't 100% compliant. (Why should he be 100% compliant? Does GF offer a money back guarantee? Is it really so easy?) One problem with GF is that she creates expectations which may not be realistic for your baby and her sleep solutions are pretty limited: more calories, structured naps and controlled crying. Plenty of mums have done that and still have a baby that wakes up. Other mums have an angel baby that sleeps no matter what.

Your baby is an individual and is asking you to meet his individual needs. We know it's tough - we've been there, you've been there (or was dd a textbook GF baby?). Chin up!

FWIW compliance does not necessarily equate to contentedness, in my book. If you work at it hard enough, and can bear the crying, you can train a baby to be compliant to anything. Think of the orphanage babies who can't be bothered to cry because it doesn't change anything. Do they sleep through the night because they are contended?

harpsiheraldangelssing · 09/12/2005 07:48

can someone tell me pls because it's a long time since I read GF - does she advocate controlled crying at this stage? i.e. six weeks
I would agree that waking between 5-6 is not waking in the night, it's the morning...

NannyL · 09/12/2005 09:25

I think at this age she wouldnt call it controlled crying... more settling themselves to sleep and generally tiny babies who are tired fall asleep quite quickly any way, thus learn to fall asleep alone from an early age

harpsiheraldangelssing · 09/12/2005 09:40

hmmm
that's ok then as long as you don't call it controlled crying...

rickshaw · 09/12/2005 09:53

GF talks about "allowing" a "crying-down period" of up to 20 minutes. I always found it interesting that she uses the word "allowing" - as if your baby is saying oh pleeease mummy let me scream my little heart out to sleep, it's what I really want to do....
(sorry for saracasm but I agree with Jen - if you've got an angel baby who's happy with GF then great, but if you haven't then it's a nightmare to get them to "comply" imo).

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