Which night feed to drop?

[LadyOttoline]

Hello! I would love some advice on ye olde classic new mum fantasy - when will the little precious drop the graveyard shift?

I have a 9 week old who is formula fed. He eats every 3.5 hrs in the day, goes down after bath and bottle at around 7.30pm and sleeps well until we wake him at 10.30 for another feed. He then sleeps til 4, we feed him again and he’ll wake sometime between 7 and 8 for the new day.

He is given 5oz for each feed and usually has all of that or a bit less (sometimes only 3).
Should I be looking to offer less at the 4am feed?
Should we be leaving him to wake himself and seeing what time that is for the 10.30pm feed?
I’m just not sure if what we’re doing is right (although he does sleep well when he’s down, usually!)

Would love any tips. I’d thought I was being a bit premature but my other mum mates have 11pm - 7am sleepers (they’re 3/4 months) so apparently not. Thanks! X

Do what works for you! I always fed before I went to bed and then left them til they woke. Maximised my sleep time!

Could you see what time he wakes if you don't wake him? Then decide which works better. I never reduced feed amounts or cut out feeds I followed babies lead.

Your baby will sleep through when he is ready. Remember it is normal for a child to need an adult at night up to the age of 7. Your baby sounds perfectly normal with that number of wake ups and even on the ‘easy’ side of normal.

Personally I would not wake a sleeping baby but there is no right or wrong.

And those 3 month olds who are sleeping through - that will probably change at the 4 month sleep regression.

Why are you waking him at 10.30??

I would try not waking him and see what happens :)

At 9 weeks baby is still tiny and needs the feeds. 11-4 it’s a fantastic stretch of sleep for a 9 week old. In the nicest way possible- I think your expecting too much too soon. Every baby is different. You could try not waking him for the dream feed and see what happens but I wouldn’t be doing anything to actively drop night feeds at such a tiny age.

Interrupted sleep is the worst- we’ve all been there but it’s not forever OP

I started working on dropping night feeds when DD was 8 weeks. I was comfortable she was feeding well during the day and gaining weight.

DH and I used to wake DD for the "dream feed" at 11pm and feed as much as she would take between 11 and midnight. We then tried to resettle her without feeding (by shushing and patting) between midnight and 5am. We then slowly extended the stretch to 7am.

By 10 weeks DD stopped expecting feeds between midnight and 6/7am. She started "sleeping through" (7pm to 6.30/7am with one dream feed at 11pm) every other night. By 12 weeks she "slept through" consistently. I never needed to offer her milk during the night after that (with the exception of the dream feed). DD was consistently following the 95th percentile for weight so I was comfortable I was not depriving her of essential nutrients. We kept the dream feed until DD turned 8 months.

To be honest, I am happy I was able to (1) stop night feeds quite early and (2) replace feeding to sleep with shushing/patting. It was hard work for 2 weeks but for my family it was 100% worth it.

Thanks so much, everyone! He seems to stir for a feed around 11.15 anyway, but following your advice I'll leave it and see where he gets to.