How do I cut down on night feeds? Clueless first time mum here

[sedgiebaby]

My baby is 18.5 wks. Almost on the 75th centile, so a good size baby and in recent weeks has been a very fussy eater so any chance to get calories in her I have been taking.

I have noticed the morning feed is one she habitually refuses. I started to think that she did not need to feed so much at night (x2)

I combination feed BF and top up at every feed, although increasingly she falls asleep at the end of the night bf's and the top up goes unused.

Recently she skipped the 2nd night feed herself, and ate 'properly' all the next day, including first thing. No fussing or refusals. Then she went back to the two feeds and we were back not hungry in the mornings then me not sure when to feed her etc etc

How can I in a loving way refuse the 2nd night feed, I feel quite sure it is time she dropped it but is going to keep holding on.

Can I suggest going to the feeding boards to post this too.

I am no expert but she is still quite young so may still need the night feeds. Also wonder if there is a reason you 'top up'. You could just BF and feed on demand. This may help her sort things out a bit.

If she's starting to skip the 2nd night feed already then I would think it will become more regular without too much intervention on your part. You could try just offering a little 'shush & comfort' when she wakes up - see if she nods off by herself.

Thanks fifitot, I was thinking the same - I may post over there. Long boring sob story about combination feeding she is about 2/3 ff. Related to feeding problems as a newborn(long since addressed) which very sadly had longterm affect on my supply (despite prescription drugs et al to increase)

chil1234 I have started to do this if her wakings are less than 3 hours since last feed, I'm resettling, and she has been going down. Its early days but I was thinking of extending the period. She was waking 11 and 3 forever but the times are very random (10 and 5; 1.30 and 3:00 or 4.00, 00:00 and 06:00) so I think she is a bit all over the place but still expecting a boob when waking and I really dont think it is helping the appetite in the day. I actually do not mind feeding her twice a night, but if her feeding the the day is all over the place because of it then I will be motivated address it. The fact that she has skipped a feed recently and been 'better' for it has given me something to think about.

Her weight gain is more than good - in excess of the high end of what is expected at last weigh, and HV said at this age it would be expected to even out a little so once again a consideration for me.

Hi sedgiebaby, I am a first time mum with a 10 week old DS. I ebf up to a few weeks ago and he was always waking twice a night. I started giving him bottle of formula feed after bath and then as a last feed between 10 and 11. Now he sleeps through to 5ish where he stirs but doesn't wake. I offer dummy which he takes and may go off again till 6/7ish. If he doesn't want dummy I feed a short bf (he tends to fall asleep) and he goes off again. Some nights if he won't take much feed at 11 then he may wake earlier but on good days he goes to early morning. This is just what works for us so thought I'd share.

lovelybb thank you I'm thinking about doing something similar, I'm quite soft normally. But I think it may be better for her to go longer between feeds at night. I want to do the right thing in the right way, and your approach seems good. I can't quite get her to take a dummy but I dont need to feed her to settle her so I may try to see if I can settle her instead and see what happens.

Have you thought about giving a little bit of solid food before bed? I did this with my boy when he was 4 months old. He slept from 7- 11 then 11:30-5.

:)

lovelybb - I am also considering an eve ff (13 weeker) what has happened to your milk supply? do you express in eve? overnight? Sorry to hijack!

Gummymum- at first i began to express at the late feed while he had bottle but then realised that when i was giving him that bottle the following day i wasn't using that supply up (if you see what i mean?!) so for a few nights i just didn't express, I just ff him at 11 and went to bed after. I woke up very full and for a few days leaked horrendously but went to bed with a flannel tucked down my bra (yummy!) and managed to get through it. It wasn't fun but he got a good feed in the morning and now after a couple of weeks my body knows i don't feed at this time and has adjusted. I still wake up full but not to the point of leaking. It has been a god send giving him the formula at that time as he has a great stretch in the night whereas when he was bf then he would only go 2/3 hours max. Hope that helps!

IMissSleep Yes I have thought about it but I just dont know how to make a good decision about it, there are so many opinions about when and I'm dead confused.

I started dead on 4 months, just a little bit of baby rice mixed with breast milk before bed. By 5 months he was on 3 meals a day and had cut out 2 day time feeds and a night feed. He was waking up 3-4 times a night, since he's been on solid food he only wakes twice at 11pm and 5am. (feed at 11pm, 5am just fussing a bit!)

You know your baby and only you can make the decision, but I thought leaving it till he was 6 months was a bit late. The baby food jars in the shops are from 4 months! :)

IMissSleep Thanks for explaining more. May I ask if little one could sit up unaided (She's nearly there, I was thinking this would be a good idea??) and if you saw an immediate improvement in sleep? A lady at my Clinic has done exactly the same, at 16 wks and said she did.

Since started to not feed baby at night if less than 3 hours since last feed (settling using other means) and had a couple of nights with dd eating at midnight and then not again until 6 or 7 so I don't know if this is an indicator that things are going to improve anyway or not. But introducing solids is something I was also going to do before 6 months just not sure how soon before.

He could hold his head up but not sit unattended. I was told as long as he can hold his head up and he's interested when you're eating then give it ago. Sleep was much better, still woke up a few times but not for feeding, just for dummy. Give it ago, nothing to lose! :)