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Suggestions for nighttime feeding

mamadcbmamadcb member
in January 2016 Moms
I breastfeed but have started pumping to have a stash of milk so that my husband can help with a nighttime feeding on the weekends. We tried it for the first time tonight. What normally takes an hour (diaper change, reswaddle, feed, burp, feed, wait for him to be sound asleep) took my poor husband 2+ hours! He did all the things I do: no lights, no talking, change first, etc. I can only assume that being w/ a different person, drinking from a bottle (which he does fine with), and the different milk temperature were the causes. My husband said the baby was wide-eyed awake the whole time, whereas for me he's very sleepy through the whole feeding. 

For those of you that normally BF but do this on occasion... any suggestions?
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Re: Suggestions for nighttime feeding

  • rah938rah938 member
    We bought a bottle warmer that has a holding temperature it keeps it at. My daughter has dysphasia and needs the milk thickened, so it takes a while to make a bottle. Meanwhile, she is screaming and really getting awake and also waking her twin. Because you getting to the baby is so much quicker than warming the bottle, he isn't as awake for you. The bottle warmer works great--it is safe to make 3 hours ahead, so we just have the next feed always ready during the night. 
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  • kwentelakwentela member
    This happened for my husband too the first night I had to work. I think he was used to the routine of nursing to sleep vs he didn't get that from a bottle so he was super confused by the routine change but the 2nd and 3rd nights were better as he got used to it so I'd say don't give up after one night, he'll adjust to the routine change 
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  • thoughtfulmommythoughtfulmommy member
    I'm sure it was the change in routine for your LO. Maybe after a few tries with your DH, it will be more successful.

    There is some research that shows that breastmilk has more melatonin in it at night. Maybe try feeding with milk pumped at night. 

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  • SDaniels19SDaniels19 member
    We had the same issue. My husband finally put a paci at chest level and turned LO in position as if he were nursing and he calmed down to sleep that way. We haven't been able to repeat since I woke up in some pain from engorgement and decided it wasn't going to work for us just yet, though the sleep was great! Good luck!
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  • mamadcbmamadcb member
    @SDaniels19 I got up with them and pumped for that same reason... sort of defeated the purpose of my husband doing the feeding but at least I was only up for 20 min instead of an hour. 

    Thank you ladies for the suggestions! We'll make some modifications and try again next weekend. 
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  • kmo8986kmo8986 member
    I have replaced a feeding with a bottle once a day, but we do it first thing in the morning because I have noticed little one is wide awake after a bottle feed also.  I think because it takes so much less sucking that she doesn't get tired out.  As much as it sucks, it isn't worth it for me yet to try to replace a middle of the night feed because of it.  Little one is 7 weeks and I have 7 more weeks before I go back to work so hopefully by then there will be no middle of the night feed to worry about. :-D
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  • mamadcbmamadcb member
    @kmo8986 that's a great idea, especially since my husband generally wakes up very early. He could take the first morning feed while I sleep a bit, and then they can have some special awake time together. That sounds more rewarding for Daddy too. I will suggest it to him!

    Related question: any idea how the number of ounces they eat in the morning compares to night or afternoon? I've only done one weighted feed, and that was 6 oz at midday. 
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  • kmo8986kmo8986 member
    mamadcb said:
    @kmo8986 that's a great idea, especially since my husband generally wakes up very early. He could take the first morning feed while I sleep a bit, and then they can have some special awake time together. That sounds more rewarding for Daddy too. I will suggest it to him!

    Related question: any idea how the number of ounces they eat in the morning compares to night or afternoon? I've only done one weighted feed, and that was 6 oz at midday. 
    I have no idea.  I have been giving her 3.5 oz no matter what time of day and she always seems satisfied enough after some pacifier time afterward.  She is 7 weeks old 
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