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North Carolina Babies
Reverse Cycling or Growth Spurt?
I've been back to work for 2 weeks now and pumping/nursing is going pretty well. I can pretty much keep up with DS, but I'm not sure about his intake. Here is our schedule: 530/6am Nurse, 7am Pump, 930am pump, 1230 pump, 330 pump, nurse at 530/6pm, nurse and bed at 7pm. The past few nights he has not been too interested in nursing in the evening after I return home from work, but it's like clockwork every 3 hours through the night. At first I thought would was reverse cycling, except DS is taking anywhere from 14-17 ounces while I am at work. Is there a growth spurt at 5 months?
I have read Kellymom that most EBF babies take approx. 25 ounces a day. He is getting 15 ounces from the bottle, then nursing an additional 5-6 times between 6pm and 6am with only one session being a "snack."
I have tried to instruct my parents to not over-feed him, but he screams for more and took 7 1/2 ounces at once today. I typically send three 5 oz bottles and he eats every 3 hours. Should I try and decrease this by sending only what I pump? I'm just afraid I will not be able to keep up with him and I'm already pumping 5 times a day, pumping in the am on the weekends in addition to nursing 5 times a day.
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Re: Reverse Cycling or Growth Spurt?
Can you still send three bottles, but up the ounces. I'm pretty sure by 5 months J was eating close to 8 oz at each feeding (when he was given a bottle).
ETA: I might have misunderstood what your problem was. Maybe it's time to up his intake as well as spread out his feedings. Every 3 hours seems pretty frequent for a 5 month old, might try to stretch it to 3.5-4 hours. This might keep him fuller and he won't want to nurse so much later.
Does he get up every 3 hours to eat at night as well? If so, I would probably try to increase what he is eating during the day, if you can. My DS is a few weeks younger than your DS and I think he has hit a growth spurt, which may be what your DS is experiencing. I asked his pedi about it at his 4 month check up today and she said they hit a growth spurt every 6 weeks or so. I nurse and give formula. Right now, my DS gets four 4oz bottles of formula a day (16 oz total) and I nurse 4-5 times a day (once is overnight). I asked my pedi if I should up his formula to 6 oz a bottle and she said no, that b/w 15-16 oz a day is good, so I don't know if that applies to BM bottles as well (if you are giving bottles of EBM and nursing?) But I know sometimes I will mix BM and formula (maybe 6-7 oz total) and he will chug it down. Have you started solids yet? Our pedi gave us the green light to start rice cereal, but I am not sure if I am going to start or not. My DS is 19.6 pounds, so he may be ready for some solid food
Good luck, I hope he can cut out some of his overnight feeds, I know that must be exhausting
Maybe he is ready for rice cereal? I can't remember when they say you can add rice cereal, but I am pretty sure we did at 6 months and then went to puree about a week later. He is right on the cusp, so you may talk to your pedi and see what they suggest. It could also be the 6m growth spurt.
I know that Jocelyn at that point was having around 5 feedings of formula a day at that age, I think she was eating just as much, but it was spread out a bit more, including 1 night feeding. Good Luck.
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Do you think maybe he's waking up so much at night because he misses you during the day now that you have gone back to work?
Not that you asked about solids, I'd be cautious about starting them before six months (especially if you have a family history of allergies), as recent research shows that a baby's digestive system doesn't fully mature until then. Also, if it is a growth spurt, then he really would need more BM and giving him something like rice cereal would fill him up with something less nutritious.
Could he be teething? DS started teething last week, but before that he was up only 2 or 3 times a night, now it can be 6-7 times. I can see and feel the darn tooth under the gum and want it to just break through already! I guess I don't really have any advice for you, except to roll with it; that's what I do. I figure there's always a reason for him to be doing something out of the ordinary.
Really?? I don't know if you're a SAHM or working mom...but I find this statement a little offensive.
Nothing like giving someone a guilt trip b/c they work.....
Bens-I agree with previous posters to increase the amt of bottles but spread them out a bit more. You're close to the 6 mo mark, so adding some purees might not be a bad idea.
Wow, that wasn't meant to be offensive in any way. I've read that if your LO has been used to spending all day with you and then you've suddenly gone back to work that they can do this for awhile until they adjust. I'm simply throwing ideas out there to help her understand why her LO might be waking up at night more frequently all of a sudden.
Sounds very similar to a growth spurt DD just went through. She was hungry all. the. time. She would take her normal bottle 4 oz bottle and an hour later be screaming to eat again. So, we began offering her 6 oz at every meal and she usually drank most of it. But, in the past few days, she's pulled back from eating so much and is generally only taking 4 oz at a time again. And, if we try to give her more, she refuses. So, I think she's keeping us from overfeeding her and just getting what she needs.
I would just have your parents offer him larger bottles and let him drink what he wants at each meal. But, if he keeps eating a TON for several more weeks, you might want to just check with your doc at your 6 month appt to make sure there's not some larger issue going on.
Good luck! I know it's hard when you have everything figured out only to have DC change their schedule!