Author Topic: These darn night feeds have taken over! (Read 793 times)

Jenn+Ethan+Emily · « **on:** November 30, 2011, 16:59:30 PM »

Little miss Emily is almost 5 months old

She is EBF and usually eats between 3.5-4hours during the day. But she isnt really that interested in the feedings. The issue is, at night time, she wants to eat, eat, eat! She doesn't have her nights and days confused but it's like since my supply is larger in the middle of the night, that's when she eats. What can I do about this? It is very tiring feeding her 4 times a night!

Erin M · « **Reply #1 on:** November 30, 2011, 17:08:07 PM »

At 5 months, my general rule of thumb was not to feed more often at night than during the day. So, if she can go 4 hours during the day, she can go 4 hours at night. We do a df, so for us, it ends up looking like df around 11, nf around 3, wake up time around 7-8 (sometimes I actually get an extra hour in there!). If she's taking in so many calories during the night, she probably isn't interested during the day.

Is she a 2-sided feeder or one? With the girls, I used to be able to get away with only feeding from one side if they woke at night -- or would try to get by with a small feed. You could also go the pu/pd route, not sure how you feel about that....and remind me, does she have reflux? PU/PD and reflux don't work so well together. Any luck resettling her any other way? Sometimes with James, I find that it's much easier to settle him in his crib, as if I take him out, he's immediately thinking he's going to get fed.

What's her day sleep looking like? Do you think it's just hunger that's waking her at night or is she waking for some other reason and needs to nurse to go back to sleep?

shivi · « **Reply #2 on:** November 30, 2011, 17:12:08 PM »

the other thing is, maybe during the day she has more important things to be doing, listening to or looking at?

My two were awful from this age, if not earlier, at getting small, low cal, distracted feeds in if we were out and about or anywhere apart from in their room, in the dark. With E it was essential that I fed her on wake up or just before she woke from a nap to get ANY decent feed into her....otherwise it was lots in the night.

S x

Jenn+Ethan+Emily · « **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2011, 19:56:15 PM »

She appears absolutely starving at night. Empties both sides. Simply will not calm without eating. Doing a DF gives me an extra half hour but that's all so I rarely do one because I usually in bed since I'm awake in the night so much. I completely get that she's not hungry during the day because she definitely eats all night. She does have reflux so PU/PD probably won't work but she does respond well to shhpat. I try every feed and she is literally screaming herself hoarse wanting food and then empties both sides.

She is feeding as soon as she wakes up so maybe I will try and feed her in her room in the dim light and hope there is less to distract her. Her big brother doesn't help out much there

The way she acts, I would say its huger in the night. Her daytime sleep has been decent these past couple of days.

shivi · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2011, 16:46:51 PM »

How about feeding her while she's still asleep in the day?

S x

Jenn+Ethan+Emily · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2011, 23:22:42 PM »

She literally has no desire to eat during the day. After 4 hours, she won't even latch.

So she woke at 5am and had a full feed and then didn't go back t sleep

9am feed but latched foraybe a minute and this is right as she woke and in the dark in her room.
Then 12pm I tried to feed her. She wouldn't even latch.
Now at 4pm she pretty much did suck swallow suck swallow and that's that.
So basically that's 7 hours and she still didn't eat. No wonder she's up all night feeding. SO annoying. I tired when she was still asleep but she just woke up and smiles at me and wants nothing to do with my boob.

Then at night she will eat at 7 which still is neer a good feed. Then wales up at 9:30 starving. Then she wants to eat at 12am and 3am and 5:30 typically.

Wth?

becj86 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 02, 2011, 01:45:57 AM »

Rascally little night owl! Is there something different at night (beyond the darkness)? Is it quieter, cooler/warmer? Are you more relaxed? Are you wearing more/less/different fabric? Do you smell different?

I'm really clutching at straws here, but maybe she's sensitive to something that happening during the day... how about dinner for breakfast and a pyjama party day?

Erin M · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2011, 01:58:26 AM »

So, I think she's reverse cycling, which usually happens when moms go back to work and the baby doesn't want to take bm from a bottle, so instead just nurses all night to make up for it. It's nice to know she has the potential to go long stretches without eating, just unfortunate she's picked the wrong time to do her long stretch.

OK, so what you need to do is shift her calorie intake from night to day. (Much easier to type that than do it, I know.) So in theory you either need to reduce the number of nursings or reduce the length of the nursings so she's taking in less calories. It sounds like she's very resistant to not nursing -- maybe try only nursing one side -- or starting on one side, popping her off quickly, and then popping her on the other side so she thinks she's getting both sides? (I've been trying to figure out if that would work for James as he's pretty insistent he needs to eat at night too, but not to the same extent.)

Would dh try to settle her for one of the feeds? It seems like you've got a lot of calories to shift, so you probably don't want to do it all at once! Maybe start by trying to push that night feed back later?

Something else that was suggested in some of the stuff I was just reading, is to wear her some during the day or do some skin on skin so she's reminded that she really does want to nurse. Would that be possible?

Jenn+Ethan+Emily · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2011, 18:46:57 PM »

Thanks Erin. That is super helpful. I did a bit of that last night and it was slightly better, however, today she has had no appetite again.

Erin M · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2011, 19:59:24 PM »

I might think it would take some time for her to flip her feeding schedule - I'd just keep at it, as little fun as it is.

Jenn+Ethan+Emily · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2011, 20:01:40 PM »

I definitely agree that it will take a bit. Probably for my supply too. I have just been encouraging her to nurse often today.

Little toes · « **Reply #11 on:** December 05, 2011, 13:20:12 PM »

Woke up today asking the universe for help.....haven't been on BW site in a long time, but I'm here now and I'm following along....I'm in the same night time bf boat.

Jenn+Ethan+Emily · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2011, 13:24:29 PM »

Hey sweetie! Haven't seen you around for a while!

Slowly this is working, I think. Still getting lots of NWings but I'm not letting her nurse for as long. We will see how much I can get her to eat today.

Little toes · « **Reply #13 on:** December 06, 2011, 03:34:48 AM »

I know, it's been a long time! Haven't been on since the july/aug thread. Had a healthy boy, now he's keeping me up constantly at night so I can relate entirely to what you wrote. I'll try to do a shorter feed at night but he only takes one side so not sure how that'll go. And he's really hungry, freaks out if he doesn't eat. Then all morning refuses to eat.

Jenn+Ethan+Emily · « **Reply #14 on:** December 06, 2011, 04:01:46 AM »

Ugh. Yes that's what is happening here! It's so frustrating! Emily is getting a bit better though just by me not letting her finish nursing. I basically have to let her nurse at this point or else she screams the house down but I'm not giving her a full feed. She actually took some feeds during the day today so there is hope!

Congrats on your little boy!!! That's awesome!

Erin M · « **Reply #15 on:** December 06, 2011, 12:50:42 PM »

Yay Jenn! Glad to hear you're getting somewhere!

Little toes · « **Reply #16 on:** December 07, 2011, 14:32:20 PM »

Yesturday I tried to be consistant with feeding him every 3hrs during the day. Not full feeds, but ok. Then last night I did DF, but only 2hrs later he woke up wanted to feed. I tried to hold him off, used paci, but that just made him cranky. I also tried to pull him off sooner which made him scream til I put him back to finish feeding. This went on every 2hrs. I feel lost, not sure how I'm gonna turn this night feeder around. Maybe it just takes time? Don't know... big sigh....

Jenn+Ethan+Emily · « **Reply #17 on:** December 07, 2011, 15:57:18 PM »

That's how my first couple nights went. Then she took one good daytime feed and that night was better. Then the next day was better. It still isn't perfect by any means. She wakes at least 6 times a night

(((((hugs))))) its completely draining.

Little toes · « **Reply #18 on:** December 14, 2011, 03:27:01 AM »

I'm still working on it. Thought of you today, he went 5hrs without feeding.

But I'm keeping positive that we'll get there. Just gonna keep trying!

Jenn+Ethan+Emily · « **Reply #19 on:** December 14, 2011, 03:34:36 AM »

Keep it up!!

We are back to full feeding during the day! I mean, she still wakes every 2 hours during the night but I can calm her now without feeding her!

Little toes · « **Reply #20 on:** December 15, 2011, 04:06:34 AM »

Yay for day feeds!! Tonight the boy ate like a pig so we'll see how the night goes. I'll keep you posted.

Little toes · « **Reply #21 on:** December 15, 2011, 21:55:52 PM »

Ok, I need some help here. Last night he had trouble settling, but ate well, boobs and bottle. At 11ish I did DF, took only 1oz. So I thought I'd get some hrs of sleep. He woke at 1am, I resettled him by holding and paci. But then he woke after 2am hungry! Again at 4am hungry! Then he didn't eat til 830am, barely cuz his sister was screaming in the same room. Ate again at 11am, 1245, woke from nap hungry 145pm. Grrr.... I know it takes a while but I want the change now! I know I know, be patient. I'm just not sure of this. Am I on the right track? I try to fill him with formula at night, do DF....then hold off his feeds. Some reassurance pls! Thank you!

Jenn+Ethan+Emily · « **Reply #22 on:** December 16, 2011, 04:49:56 AM »

(((((((hugs)))))) Do you think he might be going through a GS? He's right around that four month mark which is typically a big growth spurt $:-\$ Is he taking good feeds or just snacking? I'm not really sure what to tell you because with Emily she wouldn't eat during the day. She only wanted to eat at night $:-\$

It sounds super frustrating! Keep up the good work though! Holding him off a bit at night should help with the length of the next feed.

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Author Topic: These darn night feeds have taken over! (Read 793 times)