How did you drop middle of night bottle?

[Spainintherain]

I have a 14 week old who wakes for a 2-3am bottle and a 2 year old who wakes around 6am and is non stop. My problem is I can't get back to sleep in time before my toddler wakes and I feel so terrible now three months in. We have only recently stopped having him in pain in the night from reflux now he has correct treatment. I would like to now stop this bottle so much! Please can anyone advise how?

Your baby is tiny. They will eventually drop this feed naturally.

Have you tried a dream feed? I used to give DD a bottle at about 10pm as I was going to bed. I’d keep it as dark as possible and not wake her, just pick her up & feed her in her sleep until she wouldn’t take anymore, then put her straight back down, and she would sleep through until morning.

Its normal to still have a feed at that age. I would expect a night feed until at least 6 months

I agree with PP about the dream feed. I started it as late as my exhaustion would allow, about 11pm and then slowly brought it forward. Once it was at about 9pm I dropped it. He did start getting up earlier for a bit though which was a killer. But you have to pick your battles.

At 14 weeks your baby most likely still needs that feed. My DD is almost five months and most nights takes a feed about 3am.

A dream feed at 10/11 might help but I found it a bit hit and miss as sometimes she would still wake for that 3am feed anyway. She does 7-7 with one wake-up most nights which I think is pretty good for her age.

What time does he go to bed?

Can you try feeding more during the day?

He is so not tiny for his age. He is fifteen pounds. I tried doing it in the dark last week at 10pm but he hardly had much. I tried doing it with full lights but couldn't get back to sleep myself so I just have the lamp next to me. My daughter was sleeping through the night by now even though she took less milk and had been through all the reflux too.

My DC needed that early hours feed until they started weaning at 6 months.

Neither of mine slept through at that age. Ds was 8 months old. I think you have unrealistic expectations

Sorry he goes to bed between 7 and 7.3pm and we wake him for the 10pm feed. I want to drop the middle of night first as I'm basically wake from 3am every day and feel sick with it all. I have no one to help me get a bit of sleep in the day except when my husband takes a day off every week - and he does the weekend night feeds.

Could you try waking him around midnight for a night feed instead of 10? He then might sleep through until 6

You could night wean by reducing ounces in the hope it transfers to daytime but I don’t think I’d recommend it. They’ll probably just wake up for 2 feeds.

I’d work on falling asleep again after the feed. Are you staying off of screens at night?

Maybe try something like meditation to help.

Can DH do the morning hour with dc1?

I didn't think of midnight feed. Thank you. My husband is doing all he can to help. He is staying home in the morning til about 6.45am when he should leave half hour earlier. I do have trouble falling back asleep which is why I struggle so much with newborn stage

It’s far too early and baby will drop the feed when it is right for them. Only one feed a night at 14 weeks is very rare.

My 4 month old is a bigger baby. 91st percentile. She has an extra ounce in her bottle before bed and an extra ounce in her first one of the morning.

She sleeps from 7:30pm to around 6am now.

Thank you. He doesn't drain the bottles last thing or first thing though but I can try.

I do sympathize OP because my two both dropped the middle of the night feed by this stage. They weren't going to bed for the night though until about 10pm at that age. So would go 10-6. They did it of their own accord though and I didn't do anything to encourage it.

Personally, what I always found best in the first few months was going to bed when the DC did. So personally I'd be in bed for 8pm in your position. At least then you're getting a good chunk of sleep.

Why do you struggle to get back to sleep? Could you try something like nytol to help you drift off?

I just always struggle to get back to sleep if I wake in the night and by the time I do my daughter wakes at 6am. I do take nytol but it has stopped working well. I have to start my daughter at nursery soon and am just a zombie.

My baby was 5 weeks. Cluster feed at night time. I feed between 8.30-10.30 he can have anything amount he wants he usually takes 7-9 oz ( he’s now 9 weeks) offer a bottle at 8.30 then at 9.30 then at 10 it worked for me x

Your baby is still so tiny and will need feeding every few hours.

My nearly 10MO still wakes most nights at about 2am for a feed

My dd just turnt 3 months and for past 3 weeks been sleeping right through the night, i try bath her between 8-9pm then have cuddles and feed to sleep and she doesn't wake till 7 or 8 has a feed then sleeps another 2/3 hours completely dropped her 2am feed but i only started with this as she fell into her own pattern I didn't force it on her just incorporated baths with bed time. Shes small for her age drinking 4-5 ounces every feed and currently teething but every baby is different you will get there

Why don't you go to bed at 7pm and wake for the day at 2-3 am? Then you'll get 7-8 hours' sleep. Your "evening" to do what you want while kids are asleep can be from 3am-6am

Your husband can do the 10pm dream feed

He's too little - you don't want him to stop yet. I'd agree about going to bed when he does and your husband doing the 10pm feed, at least until you feel less tired.

I know they are all different. It's just so hard with the toddler too. She can take til up to 8.25pm or 8.30pm to get to sleep finally. I have woken now in the night and the baby is asleep so I've taken two nytol. And I will get offline now!!