Night feeds...how to stop them

[mumof1+1]

My son is 12 weeks old on Sunday and he's very fluctuating with his feeds, one bottle he'll take 5oz and others he'll take 3oz. Well, yesterday, he took 2 5oz feeds then took 3oz before he went to bed. I put him to bed at 8pm and he woke at 11pm for more, i tried to not feed him but he simply wouldn't settle so I gave in and again he only took 3oz. He then woke again at 3am, again i tried not to feed him but was so tired I had to give in and again he took 3oz. He did the same thing the night before - only taking 3oz before he went to bed but he didnt wake til about 4am. He seems to be sticking to his day routine at night althouhg some nights he will go longer.

I'm think of trying baby rice with his milk before he goes to bed, I had to do this with my daughter too. Will this be ok coz I know everything has changed. Im just totally desperate for some Or if anyone has any advice...

Thank you for listening and helping

xxx

 

[Janidog]

I dreamfeed my LO at 10pm, but he will still wake at 4ish, but too be honest it doesn't really bother me. I won't be giving him baby rice just to make him sleep through, if my LO wakes then he is hungry and i don't want to force him through the night if he doesn't want to, he will sleep through when he is ready

 

[cherryglitter]

I do think babies sleep through when they are ready. Jake started at 8 weeks but he was feeding every 3 hours in the day having like 6oz feeds and 7 at night. So he was getting his daily milk intake, in the day

 

[Eve]

Okay,12 weeks can be a big growth spurt, it happens. They eat more, and need more to grow. Could be that? 12 weeks is a little young to want to sleep through, or remove feeds...

A baby if wanting night feeds will need them until around 6 months of age, and trying to not feed them when hungry before then, well... it's best to feed your baby even through the night under 6 months. My doctor explained to me (when I was FF my son) that you can safely start removing night feeds once baby reaches 6 months old, and if baby was preemie or very ill, do not take away any feeds.

Baby rice is best to wait... and it doesn't help with hunger like that, like won't make them sleep through the night. It can make his tummy hurt as his body wouldn't be ready for it, and could even keep him up longer.

There is that hungry baby formula, maybe not where you are, as we don't have it here (I don't think) maybe you could try that I guess? Or just tough it out a week or two and see if it gets better. A growth spurt can be a few days or weeks I guess, depends on the baby. Knowing when a baby is most likely going to go through one can help avoid giving fillers like cereal too early.

 

[Eve]

Also the best thing for your LO would be more formula instead of cereal, as there isn't much in it nutritionally, and could constipate them, give them cramps and bowel/tummy problems later in life. More milk will fill them just as much, but also be way better for them!

 

[Mrs Doddy]

your baby is a few weeks older than mine, my lo is just starting to miss a feed out, I would personally just ride with what he wants, time will change things and he will soon go longer, if he wants more he obviously needs it, sorry its no help but he is still really small to be introducing baby rice ?

 

[mumof1+1]

You know what, you are all right. He is too young to be messing with his system and it should be he who decides what and when. Think tiredness made me selfish, thank you for putting me back on track ladies

xxx

 

[Odd Socks]

you're not selfish! it's hard to think straight when you're tired, especially if you hear a lot of other people talking about their babies sleeping through.
*hugs*
xx

 

[Mrs Doddy]

your not selfish - sleep deprivation makes us desperate sometimes to get them to sleep so we can sleep too xx

 

[going_crazy]

HI!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't got any real advice, but thought I'd stop by and send you and Curtis some huge

Hope you both get some sleep soon hun

Thinking of you xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[going_crazy]

p.s 12 weeks old
Your avatar is soooooo cute! xxxx

 

[mumof1+1]

Hi O.S.L!!!!!!!

Hope all's well your side She's looking very cute on your avatar huni

Thank you, that was when he was 6 weeks hehe, his first real proper smile we get chuckles now. Yes, 12weeks, hasnt the time just flown by....

I don't know what it is about him but it seems he takes approx 1oz less each feed... he started the day taking 6oz at 9.15am, at 1.15 he took just over 5oz and just now he's taken just over 4oz meaning his bedtime feed will more than likely be just over 3oz and he'll be up twice again thru the night...

Anyone else experienced this?? How can i change that...

xxxx

 

[mumof1+1]

Just a thought

Could it be possible that his tummy hasn't fully recovered from his bug, he was ill last wednesday and hasn't fed the same since, could that explain why he reduces the amount he eats as the day progresses? The reason I ask is because he poo'd again tonight and it was quite runny...and smelly!!!

Suppose that could explain it????

 

[ellaandcallum]

I totally understand that you are looking for a solution but to be honest the baby will settle when he is ready. My LO is 7 weeks, she goes to bed around 8pm and will wake between 2-3am which to be honest I cant complain about. She will then wake around 7am. In regards to baby rice, please hun dont do it, my daughter has celiac disease and early introduction of any solids can trigger it off, hence they say that not to wean until 6 months and defo no gluten before then. I think 6 months is a bit harsh to be honest. With her I weaned at 12 weeks which used to be the norm, and I cant help feel guilty that I triggered it off by not waiting until 4 months.

You will get there hun, is there anyone you can turn to for support? Good luck and all the best. x

 

[Sarah10]

You aren't selfish at all hun Theres been times where i feel like giving jayden some baby rice in his feed to fill him up, its hard isn't it. It sort of just changed over night with us, Jayden used to have 6oz every 2 hours day and night, then all of a sudden he went 3 hours the nights got better for a while. We then went through what i think was a growth spurt, argh, he was up every 2 hours again for his milk, this lasted 5 nights now he usually goes down about 8:30pm, wakes at 4:30am for a feed, then sleeps till 6 somedays it will happen when you least expect it xxx

 

[aimee-lou]

In the words of that song - You gotta roll with it!

Earl is over a year and still wakes at least once per night. Up to the age of about 8 months I would dream feed him before I went to bed (usually around 10ish) and that would ensure that he would sleep for arounf 4hours (up to 8 on a good night) and I would get a good stretch of sleep. About 8 months we dropped the dream feed and he now wakes on his own accord anywhere between 11 and 2 and then mostly goes through until 6.

The first 6 months all they are doing is eating and growing, and you're right to be looking at ways of getting more sleep for yourself (you'll need it for when they're mobile and it sets up a good precedent for later) but I would suggest rather than trying to get more into him, or baby rice you try either a dream feed or a cluster feed approach where you offer 2 feeds close together before bed (a lot of people do it before and after bath time) as this will often mean they will take 2 small feeds rather than 1 large one and will go longer (baby whsperer I think). You could try hungry baby milk too although this didn't work for us - I tried it just at night and he ended up eating more at night!

Good luck and try not toworry about 'sleeping through' - it's classed as 6 hours in succession, not going 12 hours from bed to morning. I think Earl has only slept through from bedtime to wake up once in his entire life, and when he did I panicked that something was wrong! lol

 

[mumof1+1]

Thanks for all the advice ladies. As for cluster feeding, he simply wouldn't do it, he feeds only when he is hungry and wont really take anything in between. I have decided against baby rice and Im not changing his milk either. I think at the moment he is just a little unsettled, what with the bug and teething. His nappies are constantly changing along with his intake of milk and to be honest because of his recent bug im starting to worry about him but i guess thats just the joys of being a mum. He has his 2nd lot of jabs tomorrow so will be mentioning it all then anyway.

Thank you ladies

xxx