Sleeping and feeding - how long?
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Topic: Sleeping and feeding - how long?
Posted By: n00b_mum
Subject: Sleeping and feeding - how long?
Date Posted: 30 August 2011 at 8:26am
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Hi all,
My little one is on nursing strike - has been for at least 2 weeks now. It is a struggle to BF her and so I have started the weaning process to transition her to be a fully FF baby (can't express as it takes too much time and I'm already back at work part time) So here is my question: How often do you feed a 3 month old baby? I ask as maybe the reason she is not feeding is that she is not hungry and I'm trying to feed her too often. I feed her (or at least try) every 3 hrs. Then I try and get her to sleep for 2hrs. The routine that Plunket told me - up for an hour, down for two. Right now her day looks a bit like this: wake at 6am - feed - play back in bed by 7ish Hopefully she sleeps from 7-9 8:30/9am feed - play - back in bed by 10ish Hopefully sleep until midday 12 - feed - play - back in bed by 1ish Hopefully sleep until 3pm 3pm - feed - play - back in bed (or out in the pram for a walk) around 4ish Hopefully sleep until 6ish 6pm feed - play - back in bed by 7ish Sometimes I just let her sleep and she'll sleep for 12hrs straight - other times I worry if she hasn't fed much at the 6pm feed, so I'll wake her around 10pm if she hasn't already woken up. Often she sleep through the night (until 5 or 6am) Am I trying to get her to sleep too much during the day? She normally only sleeps for 45mins to an hour rather than the full 2hrs. Also am I trying to feed her too often? I don't wait for hungry signs I just offer the boob (or bottle) and see if she will drink. Any help with this would be ace! I've searched the net and Kellymom, but haven't got any real info I could use. Would love to know what you ladies have done. Thanks heaps, N00b ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/3872c1" rel="nofollow - My Ovulation Chart |
Replies:
Posted By: newme
Date Posted: 30 August 2011 at 10:28am
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Plunket advice is just a guideline - all babies are different, so just relax a bit and go with the flow! I think that advice about up for one, and then down for two hours is for newborns. Your baby is 3 months, so she might be able to stay awake a bit longer now during the day - just watch for her tired signs, and put her to bed then.
At 3 months if your baby is able to sleep through the night, then don't wake her!!! Let her sleep. I don't know much about FF, but I would just keep offering her milk frequently like you are doing. Sounds like she is a pretty content wee bub - sleeping well, you must be doing a great job as a Mum :) I know it is hard with your first baby trying to figure everything out, but just relax and enjoy it, stop stressing about routines. |
Posted By: luvmylittlies
Date Posted: 30 August 2011 at 10:44am
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I agree with newme. I very much let my baby guide me. If you can, let go of the need to strictly apply a routine. Yes, maybe base what you do around a routine (feed, wake sleep etc or whatever) but babies all grow and develop at different rates so applying one strict routine for all of them doesn't make much sense to me.
I'd offer my daughter breast/bottle every 3 hours during the day but if she didn't want it then she obviously wasn't hungry. I definitely didn't wake her at night, same reason. She'd wake if she was hungry - enjoy it! Kiara was sleeping through from 7pm to 7pm at about 14 weeks and was still chucking on the weight so obviously not short of food (obviously all babies are different though). My gal also went through a long phase of only sleeping for 45 mins each nap during the day. It definitely got better (as she slept longer she'd have less naps) but again, I just let her sort it out herself. I did let her grizzle a little after the 45 mins to see if she'd self settle, which I think is how she eventually got past it. Sounds like you're doing a good job, just relax a little and let your baby tell you what she needs (haha I can say that now in hindsight - I remember what it was like at the time though!  ). ------------- Adoring Mum to Talisin 8/9/11 and Kiara 18/01/10 |
Posted By: n00b_mum
Date Posted: 30 August 2011 at 10:56am
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Thanks guys,
I guess I'm stressing as everyone around me (plunket, dr's and midwives) have all been stressing as she was (and still is) a small baby and she is VERY slow to put on weight. They all said she couldn't go longer than 3hrs without food and I HAD to wake her, I HAD to express and top her up with that. In hind sight these past 3 months have been really stressful. I don't have any friends who have kids and I have felt really judged by the advice that the medical profession have given me. "Your baby is too small, feed it MORE!" "Your baby is not gaining enough weight, you must not be feeding her right, or you don't have enough milk" "Don't use formula, BF then express, then BF again!" Sorry for the rant. It is just nice to hear that people think the same as me and I'm not being a bad mum wanting to give my little monkey more awake time, more time between feeds and not force her to drink. Thanks heaps  ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/3872c1" rel="nofollow - My Ovulation Chart |
Posted By: InthemiddleMummy
Date Posted: 30 August 2011 at 2:35pm
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how much does your DD weigh?
my dd was 10lb at 10weeks, 11lb at 14wks, she was feed 3hourly by 12wks I had droped the dream feed at 9.30 and last feed was 7pm (she slept 7-7 so just like yours 12hours just an hour out) So yep I would feed approx 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 6.30pm down for night at 7pm I changed to mix feeding at 8months and found she didnt drink what she was "supposed to" like at that stage was meant to have 200ml, she was having 100-150ml on her FF and normal 10mins 1 side only on BF at 7am & 7pm (days were FF) The best thing about waking them and keeping feeds 3hourly during the day is that they learn the diff between night and day and there body clock/digestive system ajusts to know night & day and hence sleep thru the night knowing when their next feed is. Id say at this stage keep her on 3hourly during the day and certainly dont wake her at night time. With my DD I didnt go onto 4hourly feeding until they were on solids |
Posted By: InthemiddleMummy
Date Posted: 30 August 2011 at 2:39pm
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Also up for an hour and down for 2 is good advice for 3month old. once they are on solids its up for 2 and down for 2 (or there abouts)
if she wakes before her 2 hour up, if she is happy in cot leave her there and just keep the feed at the regular time. IE if she wakes at 11.15 and not due for milk until 12 then unless she is screaming in starvatino keep the milk till closer till 12. anwyay hope this helps Im a firm believer in the babywise method of parent directed routine feeding many are against it. but that is there choice. we are parents to our own babys so do what works for you |
Posted By: pudgy
Date Posted: 30 August 2011 at 6:38pm
As long as baby has wet/ dirty nappies, meets milestones and is in good health I would try not to let the 'experts' get to you. I'd relax and go with tne flow too  as bubs is a slow gainer I'd go with feeding her to her cues rather than a strict feeding regime.
I would also research babywie before implementing any of the techniques. So you make a fully informed decision ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 30 August 2011 at 6:43pm
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My lad point blank refused to do the one-hour-up, two-down thing. I just got stressed out trying to make him and worrying that I would break him if I didn't. He fed pretty much two hourly for ages, and hasn't come out any the worse off. So I wouldn't stress too much if she doesn't manage it.
I could be wrong, but I thought it was mostly about how much formula they had in a day, rather than how often they had it? I breastfed, so have no idea, but I imagine there's some guidance from Plunket or on the formula tin on how much they should be drinking on average? -------------   
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Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 30 August 2011 at 7:12pm
| Mine certainly never did 1 up 2 down in his life and it'd be more trouble then its worth to force him. My advice would be to stress less about what she 'should' be doing and just go with the flow. I would take a long hard look at babywise before getting into their routines, they are linked to babies becoming seriously dehydrated and failing to thrive which sounds like the last thing you need. |
Posted By: Keolyn
Date Posted: 30 August 2011 at 11:45pm
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Hey Noob - chat more on thurs, but A only has 2 sleeps during the day now.. she's up at 7:30-8am.. feed, long play, feed then if shes not showing tired signs then I let her play again.. top up then nap time which is normally around 11am. If I only had her up for 1 hour she probly wouldnt take the next lot of boob cos shell be to busy being a nosey wanting to see everything!lol.
She throws up alot too (does H still do that?) so sometimes I think giving her an extra top up helps her with her naps. After a 2 hour naps at 11 she doesnt have another one until 1-2ish and sometimes another shorter one before bath at 8. But if shes in her capsule, she can sleep up to 4 hours in the day, so who knows! I thnk just go with the flow... I know lots of people who dont stick to the 1 hour up, 2 hours down thing, and I wouldnt stress about feeding her at night. But just go with your gut... keeping feeds at least every 3 hours in the day would be a good idea, but if shes hapy and content, then why force her (and you!) into something that isnt working and stressing you out! Big hugs anyway chick, you're doing awesome
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