Babies: 3 - 6 Months

Back to work and reverse cycling? (Long)

DS has been sleeping from 8pm to about 5:30 or 6am for about a month no and is putting himself to sleep (when we put him down asleep but drowsy about a third if the time)... However I just started working again and he's woken up around 2am the majority if the last week and a half.

DH and I have been leaving him alone unless he starts fussing and generally realize we've all fallen back to sleep because we wake up to a sleeping baby a few hours later.

My paranoid FTM question is this: is this reverse cycling and should we be getting up to feed if baby isn't fussy? We EBFed until I went back, so I don't know how many ounces DS was eating before but now his typical 10 hour day is 12 ounces from the bottle plus nursing in the morning and at night before bed. He's also had less BMs (which I thought I read was normal) but plenty of wet diapers. He'd cry if he was still hungry, right?

Sorry if its a crazy question - but I just need some reassurance.

Re: Back to work and reverse cycling? (Long)

  • ETA: awake but drowsy (otherwise no wonder it works so well :))
  • How old is he? So he is taking 12 oz plus nursing twice in a 24 hour period? Most breastfed babies will take between 19-30 oz of milk a day so it sounds like he may be on the very low end of that. Of course if he is younger that isn't surprising. To me that doesn't sound like reverse cycling. Reverse cycling is generally when they start taking almost nothing throughout the day, usually when they are with a care provider and then want to nurse lime crazy when reunited with mom and throughout the night to make up for missed calories throughout the day, if he is having plenty of wet diapers and is still growing well I would stick to what you are doing. If he is getting fussy or you notice he is trying to eat his hands (sucking, rooting etc) then I would feed him during that wakeup.
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  • I wouldn't wake him up to feed me. He will definitely let you know if he's hungry. Get some sleep, mama.
  • Could just be a form of the wakeful period. My DD started waking up around that time but wasn't fussy, just babbling/giggling/rolling around.  If he was hungry he'd let you know!
    BabyFetus Ticker Little Riley-our first little girl coming March 1st, 2013 (or sometime around there;)
  • Thanks - maybe it is a wakeful period. He's actually eating about 12 oz and having about three nursing sessions (I forgot about the one right after I get home from work) so I think he's at least getting his 19 oz and he's three months today, so hopefully that makes sense. Like you said he does have lots of wet diapers. I'll have to start weighing this week to make sure he is still gaining weight.

    Thanks for making me feel a little better!
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