Formula Feeding and Sleeping through

[Jollypops]

Calum is now taking 150ml (5-6oz) every feed, according to the packet this amount is to be given over 5 feeds during the day. So feeds would have roughly been at 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm, 2am, 6am, so the new amount i'm trying to get him to drop the 2am feed however this is not really working.

He sometimes has the 6pm feed and then goes through till 2am before wanting the next, so i tried waking him at 10pm hoping he would then go to 6am but that hasnt worked either. Even though he wakes i dont feed him but settle back to sleep again which will work for about an hour and then we have to do it all over again, so i'm awake more now than when i was doing 6 feeds aday.

Am i doing something wrong? Do i carry on and hope that Calum settles when he wants? Should i try baby rice in the evening?

 

[CoreysMummy]

Id feed him as much as he wants for the moment. Being only 3 months old and prem, hes technically a newborn still. And they feed offten. You willl find that he naturally drops the night feed/starts going longer as he gets old and is able to distinguish between day and night more.

If its better for your sleep to just feed him n he goes back to sleep, then I would do that til he drops/moves it back him self...

Edit - I would not advise giving him Rice until his corrected age is 6months, unless on the advice of a pead. OR after he is (correccted) 4 months, if thats the route your weaning is going down!!

 

[Sherlock]

Ditto about not giving rice so early. Weaning should not be done before 4 months old due to the body not being able to cope with it before then. Gving it too early is not good for baby. And as coreysmummy said don't give him any until his corrected age or on the advice of a medical person. He is far from ready for that sort of thing atm.

Also as he is still so young I'd be going with the flow and letting him feed as and when tbh. Much easier to feed and have him settle than have to be up awake for an hour trying to get him back to sleep only to wake an hour later.

 

[Llys]

We got Lewis into a routine of 5oz at 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 7.30pm... and he'd usually then go through till about 2am ... and I'd give him a 4oz then.

He'd have his bath at 7.00 and be dressed for bed, fed at 7.30pm then in bed for 8, when he'd be sparko.

In the last week, now he's nearly 6months, he's changed to 8oz at 8am, 12noon, 4pm and then the nighttime feed at 7.30pm of 6oz. He's a Hipp organic baby, and now has their special night time feed.

He's actually now slept through the night for five consecutive days - he'd only ever slept through the night twice before this week just gone!

Check the teets on the bottles you are using - Lewis was on a 2 for way too long, as soon as I changed it up to a 3, he was suddenly drinking a lot more - more appropriate for his age and weight!

Weaning for Lewis starts tomorrow with some organic baby rice

 

[LaineyG]

Have you tried a dreamfeed?

I used to give Mhairi her bedtime feed at 8ish, put her down and let her sleep. Then at 10/11, as I was going to my bed, I'd make up a bottle, lift her (sleeping) from her basket and pop the bottle into her mouth, she'd drain the lot whilst still fast asleep. I'd not have to wind her as she was so relaxed whilst feeding she didn't need it, but if you are worried you can hold him upright against your shoulder and sway about a bit to let any air travel up.

This saw her through until 5/6ish.

Or there is cluster feeding which you start mid afternoon and give him a few extra ounces in between his normal routine to fill him up.

Does he use a dummy? If so, I was amazed at the fact that when she was about 4/5months if I popped her dummy in when she woke in the night for a feed she went back over as she was actually just looking for a bit of comfort!

 

[ozzy]

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[Jollypops]

Thanks for the replies, seems as though i'll have to keep going with what i'm doing as this is what Calums wanting in the amount of milk and HV has said not to give him anymore. (He puts on 9oz-12oz a week)

I'm sure at somepoint the waking will stop as these are not waking/stiring for food.

His not really keen on a dummy but we are trying.

 

[JulesK81]

Hi hun, I would ditto the other advice given and say follow bub's lead. I formula feed my little girl (who is 12 weeks old) and she has always been a big eater. She has been sleeping through the night now for the last 7/8 weeks but I didn't do anything different, it naturally happened as she started to eat more and she fell into a routine herself. She has 10oz a feed every 4/5 hours, with her bedtime one between 9-10pm. I don't wake her for feeds or try to give her one when I think she should be eating - I simply feed her when she is hungry and let her sleep when she is tired! Good luck x

 

[joj]

Jessie takes 6 bottles of 180ml a day, she had started waking more during the night and wanting feeding so the hv advised rather than putting the amount up to give her last feed on the hungrier baby milk instead so she now has 5 feeds of 180ml sma gold and 1 of sma white, she sleeps at 7:30 wakes at 10-10:30 for her feed and then sleeps through until between 6 and 7, yesterday it was 8...lovely! Occasionally she wakes at about 3 but just takes a very small feed, about 70-80ml.

 

[babynumbertwo]

I think some premature babies can be weaned according to their actual age not their corrected age. Bliss do a good booklet advising how to wean a premature baby but it would probably be best to speak to your Paediatrician / Health visitor so they can take your babys development/progress in to account.

Sorry - I know this wasn't your original question so I hope you don't mind me posting this, it just seemed appropriate! Good luck with getting your baby to sleep through the night x

 

[Jollypops]

Calum slept through last night

Well as you know he wasnt sleeping through, I got told not to up his feed or try baby rice so the last 2 weeks have been abit of a nightmare he has been crying and moaning the whole time and its been very hard to settle him but yesterday he had his feeds as normally until 4pm when then 2hrs after his normal feed he wanted another then went the normal 4hrs after that feed, straight to sleep and woke at 7.15am after i managed to have a shower before he woke!

So for everyone else that still going through this keep trying it will happen!