Dropping12a feeding advise..

laura3462

I talked to the ped at LO 4m appt. She said that at her weight (15lbs) and age she should be only waking once a night for feedings (if at all). I am struggling through so many different methods to train her to stop the 12a feeding.

I have tired: letting her cry for 5 min (after that I feel bad), putting my hand on belly, shhhing, singing, tell her its ok, picking up and holding, rocking etc. The only thing that works at this point is nursing her. She only feds (snacks) for less than 5 minutes. I don't think she is too hungry. My mother-in-law taught me a cool old wives trick to tell if she is full or not...gentle feel the soft spot area if it is sunk in they are hungry if it feels in line with their skull they are full. Weird but seems to be true.

 I nurse her to sleep at 7p-720ish she is down in her crib drowse (a little awake).  Wakes at 12a, wakes at 3a, up for daycare 630a. I have also tried the magic suit for 2 wks. Worked well the 1st night missed 12a feeding. But then always up at 12a & 3a. So I gave up with the magic suit.

I 1st LO (just turned 4) is up at 12a and 4a and we can't get him off of that schedule. He still sleeps in our room. I don't want to have the same issue with #2.

manna1212

Have you tried a pacifier? Sometimes DS will wake up and the pacifier will put him right back to sleep.

spinsoffresonance

I'm of the school of thought to feed a hungry baby. Because some babies of this age/weight don't need night feeding doesn't mean yours is one of them. DD1 ate every 3 hours until 8m old, then dropped all her night feedings on her own. What our pedi had recommended if we wanted to try weaning night feeding was to give a bottle of BM instead of nursing. Then start diluting the BM with water so they get less and less milk over time and get used to not getting nutrition at night. I never tries it though, I always let DD1 eat when she was hungry.

usernewname

If your kid is hungry feed her.

If she's just fussing then you can soothe/leave her.

DS sometimes fusses about an hour after I've fed him (usually around 7 to 730 am) and squirms and kicks in his bed. I wait for a cry or squawk from him to know he needs something. Otherwise he kicks until he falls asleep again.

Is there a cue you know she's hungry vs just fussing?

lfleming84

Every baby is going to be different bit what has worked for us is letting LO cluster feed in the afternoon. He will eat around 4 and 6 and then we give a big bottle of BM around 7:30 and he is in bed around 8. (Fresh diaper and PJs before the bottle) He now sleeps until about 5 uninterrupted most days. We feed and diaper change and then he will sleep until about 8. If he wakes before 5 the pacifier has been enough but sometimes I do nurse him. We are also working on breaking from the swaddle sack right now. Good luck!

frugalwife

I would send in DH to give a pacifier. Eventually he realized he wasn't getting fed and went back to sleep.

spacepotatoes

I'm firmly on Team Feed Hungry Baby. Even if it's a comfort thing, she will likely grow out of it. I'd keep doing what you're doing - offer other comfort first. Maybe even have your H do it instead so that LO doesn't smell food. 

 I have noticed that my LO's soft spot is sometimes sunk in when she's hungry but that's not a consistent thing at all. I wouldn't rely on it. And I really side eye doctors who look at the number on a scale and decide how a baby should eat. If they're hungry, they're hungry.

mrsbtobe20122

laura3462 said:

My mother-in-law taught me a cool old wives trick to tell if she is full or not...gentle feel the soft spot area if it is sunk in they are hungry if it feels in line with their skull they are full. Weird but seems to be true.

This is actually a way to assess hydration status. Along with # and colors of pee diapers....A sunken soft spot = dehydrated.

waldothewiener1

I personally don't see any problem with the schedule you described. LO sounds like a great sleeper, I would just keep doing what you're doing. Also that sunken soft spot thing isn't a wives tale, that's something my doctor mentioned to me so that's definitely true and a helpful trick.

ETA: damn mobile made me post too soon

caycelee

Our LO just dropped his second feeding on his own so no advice but I'm all for feeding if they are hungry. And he's still waking up at all hours but just to be Mr.Fussypants

laura3462

Thanks for all of the advise I will try the Paci. She does really care for typically spits it out but maybe at night she will confort suck. Otherwise I will just continue to feed her. Sometimes I have to trust my gut vs. what the doctor tells me to do. However, with a 4 yr old with the same sleep cycle I thought I should at least try something different with #2. Thanks again!

hbird0723

I think you're doing fine. My LO eats all the time now. She used to wake up once and then maybe nurse again an hour later but now she's up at 12,3,4,5,6... And she wants to nurse every time. I try other things and sometimes it works and other times she just gets mad about it. I'm not sure what all these wakings are about expect maybe 4 month wakeful period but I'm so over it. My pedi also said she was big for her size but what do you do when she won't let you do anything else?