First morning feed - advice needed!

[Jim_bear]

Hj ladies - so my lo is 19 weeks tomorrow and he tends to feed between 3.5-4 hours. The past couple of days we have been feeding at 6:30-7am, 10:30-11am, 2:30-3pm and his last feed between 6:30-7pm. Although he is usually always asleep by 7pm. He has 8oz in his bottles but takes anywhere from 4-8oz.

So here's the thing. He will wake at night anywhere from 11-4am depending on how much he takes from his last bottle. With this night feed he guzzles the whole 8oz bottle. If he feeds between 2am and 4am he will not have his morning milk which is really frustrating and then messes up his routine for the day as it doesn't coincide with his naps etc (which we are struggling with too!)

I've tried reducing the amount his drinks during his night feed but he screams the place down...
I've tried moving his bedtime back but he is super tired and still wakes up at his normal times...therefore not having as much sleep and being super grumpy the next day..
I don't want to introduce a dreamfeed. I don't want to disrupt his sleep when he is down for the night. Also he would totally wake up!

Anyone have any suggestions.....? It would be much appreciated!

X

 

[Pennyb]

We do a dream feed at 11pm it does not affect his sleep sometimes he wakes up for the feed sometimes not. After the feed we put him straight back in his cot and if he is awake he is asleep within 3 minutes.

 

[Indi84]

No great advice really except mine did exactly that, but when he hit 6.5 months he started dropping the night feed on his own and started sttn, the only thing different was being in his own room and age really!
Have you tried reducing the feed one ounce at a time?.I did that also, and spent weeks at a time on that, before the next one dropped, it was so slow he didn't notice
. Now if he wakes, I feed him 2 ounces and straight back to bed.

Edit, I never dream fed, the two times I did he slept horribly, so I agree it doesn't work for all babies, it just disturbed mine.

 

[Soph n Chris]

It was the dream feed that worked for us. He always woke for it but went straight back to sleep after.

Might be worth a go once, if it doesn't work you don't have to try again?

 

[Jim_bear]

Thanks for the reply pennyb an soph & chris. Re the dreamfeed I forgot to mention when we have tried it before. He doesn't take the bottle just swills the teat around his mouth then gets super grumpy like why have I woken him?! Lol thanks tho

Indie84 thanks for also replying I think I will give this a go. Like you say if its that gradual he won't notice so much!! Fingers crossed anyway!

 

[LilyValley]

This was/is my LO lol, we decided that his routine was so good during the day that whatever happened at night could not interfere. I reluctantly introduced a dream feed at 10.30-11pm to stop the night feeds interfering with his 7am bottle and it worked, at first he could be a little unsettled afterwards (he struggles with wind quite a bit) but after about a week he would stay asleep completely. He started to take less - from 8oz to 6oz, then eventually 2oz. I kept offering it until one night I thought I'd give it a go without the dream feed and he didn't wake up wanting food. He did used to stir around the time the dream feed used to be (for about a week after we stopped) but he doesn't now (about a month since we stopped, LO is just 6 months).

The daytime routine works, I'd ensure it stays that way. Give the dream feed a try, you can always go back to feeding on demand if it doesn't work. I was very reluctant too, good luck!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

My daughter is the same. She will go about 6pm till 4am usually but then wont be fussed by a 7am bottle at all x

 

[Jim_bear]

Update : mil Looked after our ds yesterday and basically messed up his routine...(I won't rant lol) so his last bottle was at 8pm and asleep by 8:30pm. He was so exhausted he fell asleep in our bed just before I wrapped him up! Never seen him so ready for bed! So anyways he slept solidly until 6am. He then fed 8oz (woohooo) but I treated it like it was still nighttime (no talking no lights etc) and he went back down at 6:30am. Still asleep now at 7:05 (he usually only naps for 30min!) I want him to go until 8-8:30 so he's had his 12 hours (wishful thinking?) I don't really know what my question is tbh...lol

Do you all think this later bedtime is working better for him so a longer solid sleep? Not ideal as I know usually they say an earlier bedtime is better...? Also he did have a good 'first morning' feed...
Or he could have just been that exhausted he slept longer...?

Any opinions welcome x

 

[Jim_bear]

Bump...

Anyone?

 

[xLaura]

It might be suiting him better ... Or it might just be a one off. It might be worth trying it again tonight if its something your prepared to do, as its the only way to find out.
Personally I'm all up for baby leading the way (to a certain extent) when it comes to bedtimes while there still young, as most will let you know and change accordingly to suit them (ano it's not for all tho)

My LO has always had a 'late' bedtime because he just never seemed ready for bed before this, generally going sleep 10ish then forward to 9ish by himself. It's suited us because my OH works late so he was getting to see him when he gets in from work, so this was another reason I didn't push an earlier bedtime. Which I did try btw but he just wouldn't settle.
Anyway last few nights he's been getting really grouchy and falling sleep earlier, so I bought it earlier last night and he settled ok.

He had a bath 6pm bottle 6.45 then was asleep at 7.30. I only put him down in his Moses basket downstairs because he kept stirring so was able to catch him quicker and shhh shhh ect. Anyway as he would miss his last bottle I dream fed him 9.30pm, he had that woke and went straight back sleep. He woke at 4am (which he doesn't normally) so just cuddled and he fell back sleep. Same again at 6am. And he finally woke at 10am.
Wow! Lol. He always slept till 9/30 anyway.

So after boring you with my LO routine what I'm trying to say is ... Give it ago it may just supprise you. It might not stay later forever he will sort himself out but go with what works best for you both. Goodluck

 

[Jim_bear]

Thanks xlaura! Will try it again tonight to see what happens. Think I'm too much of a control freak and like to know what's what...need to realise having a lo I will never be fully in control!! Lol ! Wow he slept for so long!! That's amazing ... J don't think my ds has ever slept that late lol x