want to put off weaning a little longer, advice please!!

[saraendepity]

Ok i'm ring o think of a way to say this without offending people or inviting mahoosive arguments.....

Daisy is no 21 weeks and 2 days and i really really want to leave her weaning till at least 24 weeks, for many personal reasons which i won go into as i know where it will probably end up anyhoo the past couple of nights she hasnt been going down to sleep too well when she normally goes down at 6-7 ish and sleeps straight away and goes through till 7-7.30 ish and yesterday and today she has had a couple of night wakings - lastnight i was up with her 5-6 times at least!!!! she did go straight off once i comforted her but she was WIDE awake at 5 wanting a feed this is so unlike her and i could understand if it was a growth spurt but i didnt think they had any around this age??

Daisy is combination fed - mostly formula now but i'm hoping to get more BM into her over the coming weeks her feeding is usually something like this (she is demand fed but has kinda found her won routine!!)

7 ish wakes n comes into bed for BF
10 ish has a little more BF and somewhere around 4-5 oz of formula
12 again small BF and around 5-7 oz
2, 4, 6 as above!

we make up 7 oz bottles and she rarely takes all of them but we have just upped them to 8 oz just incase

well this morning i had to give her her bottle at 7 ish, she took 3 or so oz and has just taken about 2 oz (probs even less) and is now hard and fast asleep !!!!!

ok i know that was one hell of a ramble but wanted to get everything in....so really just wanted some advice on what you think i could do to try to get just a couple of weeks out of just milk!!!!! i dont mind night wakings etc etc but i really think i couldnt possibly get her day feeds any closer together


thanks in advance

sara

xxxxxxxxx


oh and she is on C&G Stage 2

 

[Plumfairy]

I'd say just keep giving her milk like you have been doing throughout the day and maybe try and get her to take her afternoon nap a little earlier, or wake her up a little sooner, just so she's more tired for bed. Other than that Im not sure hun. We had just started weaning at that stage and she was still waking through the night so its not always a hunger thing. Probably just wants mummy cuddles. xxxxxxxxxx

 

[faille]

What about adding a dream feed just before you go to bed?

 

[Plumfairy]

What about adding a dream feed just before you go to bed?

Ooh good idea!

 

[saraendepity]

tried doing DF and she just wakes up and starts playing !!! lol that was a few weeks ago tho so i might have another try gonna put my food* down tonight and make OH not let her sleep too late.....he let her fall asleep at 5.30 so that could have been the case never thought of that !!!!

* that was meant to say foot...can you tell i havent had brekkie yet!?!?!?!

 

[Plumfairy]

tried doing DF and she just wakes up and starts playing !!! lol that was a few weeks ago tho so i might have another try gonna put my food* down tonight and make OH not let her sleep too late.....he let her fall asleep at 5.30 so that could have been the case never thought of that !!!!

* that was meant to say foot...can you tell i havent had brekkie yet!?!?!?!

I read that you shouldnt really let them go past 3.30 as it will affect their sleep at night. That way they are properly tired for bed. I left Layla until 4.30 a few days ago and she was hell that night. Yesterday I woke her from her afternoon nap a bit earlier and she slept much better xxx

 

[saraendepity]

Daisy is a really funny napper...she will only have about 1 hour MAX a day she usually has one about 10.30 ish for 15-20 mins, a teeny one somewhere after 2 then another 15-20 mins somewhee around 4

 

[kirsten1985]

Freya started waking during the night at about 19 weeks, and seriously she has woken 2-6 times a night since. Last night she managed to wake up once and went straight back to sleep after she had fed - it was the best night in months!!

Apparently a lot of babies do this and weaning doesn't make them sleep better. I am knackered but glad we waited 'til 6 months, I reckon you should just see if you can cope with the night wakings, if you start weaning sooner than you really wanted to and it still doesn't help her sleep you might regret it!

I miss the times when Freya used to sleep all night.

 

[kirsten1985]

Also, just to add, since it has been getting darker earlier Freya has been napping later, she only really sleeps well when it is dark, and it hasn't affected her bedtime. She will nap anytime right up to waking at 5.30pm and still go to bed fine at 7pm. It's later on in the night that she usually decides to wake up!

 

[princess_bump]

maddi wasn't weaned till 6.5months, and i believe it was truly helped by switching to hungry baby formula. she has also slept through the night since 6weeks, but i think that has been helped by a very strict routine with regards to food and bottles, she used to feed every 3hours in the day, say 8-8 then sleep 8-8. i also used to not let her nap too late. and perhaps put in another feed after 6pm hon.
it could be a growth spurt too rather than wanting weaning or could she be thirsty? i no you combination feed, so you could offer a little water too? xx

 

[saraendepity]

thats exactly the thing Kirsten, i really wanna wait till AT LEAST 6 months and i'm determined not to wean, and can cope with the night wakings, i was convinced i'd seen somewhere that they started waking at round 6 months but i wasnt sure if i was making it up thanks carly, i think i'm gonna give it tonight and see how it goes and be really strict with her night routine again(rob is so soft with her and i feel guilty telling him off as he doesnt see her much as it is!!) and if tonight is the same i think i'm gonna have to add another feed in somewhere after 6 ish thing is she didnt even need feeding thru the night either, just a bit of shushing or a dummy and she was back off within 10 mins, its just so unlike her i have been dreading this stage soo much incase she started showing 'the signs' and i got pressure to wean but i am sooooo determined not to!!

 

[sublime_ivy]

i never understand how you keep a baby awake, if i try that dex goes mental by 5.30. he naps anywhere up until 7pm some days but it hasnt made a difference to his sleep. i did try the other day to put him to bed at the time when his nap was and he woke up 30 mins later and was up till about 9.30. d'oh.

dont feel pressure to wean, dex has been night waking since 3 months and food hasn't helped us. i waited till 6 months.