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Getting into a feeding routine
Hi,
I'm looking for your opinions an advice on getting a good feeding routine/eventually encouraging Connor to sleep longer after night feeds.
As a lot of you know we had a fairly rough start after a traumatic labour, difficulty getting bf working and now I am on antibiotics which is giving us both diarrhea and Connor is being sick more often. (for an infected c section incision).
Initially once I had help with bf he was feeding quite regularly taking milk for 20 minutes in total over 40-60 minutes where I was trying to keep him on task as he gets a bit too sleepy on the breast. Then he'd have gaps of between 2.5-3 hours between each feed. We were also giving one formula feed at night around 10/11pm depending on when he was giving hunger cues. He definitely stirs a lot prior to being fully ready for a feed so I delayed starting a feed because otherwise he wouldn't take much at all.
But he started to take on too much milk and give himself a painful tummy (according to mw) so I stopped trying to keep him awake during feeds for fear he was taking too much because I kept bugging him. Then I got the infection and he's had a runny tummy instead.
Lately he has taken a massive amount around 8/9pm then again of either formula or expressed milk around 11/12 at night then taken very small amounts around 4am, 6/7am and 9/10am then a 'normal' feed at 12 and then slept for 4 hours after.
In fact I have to wake him during the day as he'd still sleep on otherwise. (Again mw's advice to prevent him sleeping to long in the day an not at night).
I'm wondering if all this sounds familiar and he's possibly moving toward an afternoon nap and a longer night sleep or if its just the effect of the medicine?
I'm starting to think I should be waking him more to take more milk again to avoid these shorter feeds but reading your bedtime routine post it makes me think I ought to go with the flow more but keep in mind I want to fill him before bed and not let him sleep too long in the day?
Any advice gratefully received!
I'm looking for your opinions an advice on getting a good feeding routine/eventually encouraging Connor to sleep longer after night feeds.
As a lot of you know we had a fairly rough start after a traumatic labour, difficulty getting bf working and now I am on antibiotics which is giving us both diarrhea and Connor is being sick more often. (for an infected c section incision).
Initially once I had help with bf he was feeding quite regularly taking milk for 20 minutes in total over 40-60 minutes where I was trying to keep him on task as he gets a bit too sleepy on the breast. Then he'd have gaps of between 2.5-3 hours between each feed. We were also giving one formula feed at night around 10/11pm depending on when he was giving hunger cues. He definitely stirs a lot prior to being fully ready for a feed so I delayed starting a feed because otherwise he wouldn't take much at all.
But he started to take on too much milk and give himself a painful tummy (according to mw) so I stopped trying to keep him awake during feeds for fear he was taking too much because I kept bugging him. Then I got the infection and he's had a runny tummy instead.
Lately he has taken a massive amount around 8/9pm then again of either formula or expressed milk around 11/12 at night then taken very small amounts around 4am, 6/7am and 9/10am then a 'normal' feed at 12 and then slept for 4 hours after.
In fact I have to wake him during the day as he'd still sleep on otherwise. (Again mw's advice to prevent him sleeping to long in the day an not at night).
I'm wondering if all this sounds familiar and he's possibly moving toward an afternoon nap and a longer night sleep or if its just the effect of the medicine?
I'm starting to think I should be waking him more to take more milk again to avoid these shorter feeds but reading your bedtime routine post it makes me think I ought to go with the flow more but keep in mind I want to fill him before bed and not let him sleep too long in the day?
Any advice gratefully received!
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Replies
She goes down to bed after her 8/9 feed but I do like her to wake for a feed between 11pm and 1am just so I know she has had enough to get her through the night. xx
my sister is anorexic so i don't want to force feed either of them... i figure if they want something then they sure will let us know!
Firstly, sorry to hear you have an infection in your csec scar. I can sympathise as I had this too but it has now cleared up. I did need two courses of antibiotics and I bathed it in saltwater regularly so just keep an eye. Also, watch out for mastitus as my GP said thatt. I my mastitus was linked to the infection in my scar.
Oliver hasn't really got a routine going as yet but I have a rough idea of when he should wake. He seems to be extending his night sleeps and will feed about 10 - 11 and wake at 2.30ish then again at 4.30ish. Sometimes he goes 3 hours sometimes 2. To be honest I was stressing about it but have decided to just go with what he needs.
I am going to start a bath and bedtime routine tonight at about 7.00 and I haven't been putting him upstairs til we go to bed but am going to start tonight.
Remember your his mummy and you are doing a fab job.
SB x
I think I am in a similar place to you now overnight with Connor - its bizarre how similarly our labours and now post birth/op time is going!? But in a way its reassuring to know someone else is in the same boat.
I've come to the same conclusion as you and will give it time. I still have the odd feeding wobble when I've not rested enough and to be honest there is still some discomfort/pain on feeds which they tell me is due to my fair colouring (I'm a pale and interesting redhead
I want to start a bedtime routine but just saw the midwife and she said there's no rush and no need to do it every night at this stage. Might be nice to start it when we can whilst there's no pressure.
Where do you put little one to sleep in the day? Connor is just in his moses upstairs as I can't lift it down...we did buy a nice carricot for his buggy so I'm thinking of using that for downstairs naps when he ought to still have noise and light around. Plus it means I can do more downstairs without coming up and down to check him. Due to the soreness in my tum still I tend to just rest upstairs at the mo which I'm sure isn't the best psychologically!
I think you are amazing to go through what you have and yet you moan so much less than me!
You are right though...we need to feel proud of ourselves and give ourselves a break. There can be several right ways of doing things as a parent x
Oliver seems to have decided to go three hours during the night so that is good. I started routine last night and he went down about 830. We have a light that projects onto the ceiling and he loved watching that so hopefully he will start to go down quicker once he knows routine.
Re starting Connor with a routine. I think it is up to you as I know I feel better thinking about what time I want to do things and if it takes longer then I am prepared for it. Don't forget Oliver is two weeks older than Connor and you are still finding your feet.
In the day Oliver sleeps downstairs in his moses basket and occasionally in his chair aswell as mummy cuddles. With the basket I either took him down and put him in his chair then brought the basket down, carried OLiver in one arm and basket in other and now I carry it with Oliver in if he is asleep as it isn't too heavy.
Don't worry about wobbles I was in tears yesterday as Oliver had terrible wind and was screaming out! I have bought a Dr Brown bottle which I am going to try tonight to help him and have been sitting him more upright when feeding. All ideas I pinched from Torch!
SB x
Ps Redheads are the best as Oliver is one!
Which projector do you have? We've looked at a few but not sure which to go with.
My sister in law swears by Dr Brown bottles so fingers crossed you find them as good. For us he gets the tummy regardless of the boob or bottle but its quite sporadic and I wonder if actually the antibiotics making him loose have temporarily masked things. Hoping he settles down now and I need to watch him eating too much!
Hopefully we'll start a routine at the weekend even if we just give it a try one night to see how long it takes etc.
Thanks for your advice and support re the wobbles. I'm starting to feel like I'm recognising more of his cries etc which helps xx
The 7.00/8.00 routine has gone out the window as he seems to settle better at the moment downstairs and then comes up with us and it may be a fluke, but last night I only had to get up to feed once!!!
SBx
Well done you!
Did Oliver take more before bed or just the same as usual?
We are getting into a pattern of feeds at 8/9pm then 11pm, 1-2am, 3-4am and 6-7am roughly. So its looking like a good time to try for a bath is probably ahead of the 9pm feed if he can go that long. The trouble is with my husband getting in at 6/7pm we still need to eat and sort the dishwasher formula/ebm bottle in time and then actually bath him and change him for 9pm or slightly before.
We had our first health visitor appointment this morning which was good. Lots more to read and more to do though. I'm sure in a week or so we'll feel more up to venturing out although I still haven't really done a public feed so will need to get over that! :roll:
Hoping it continues but not pinning my hopes. I know what you mean about eating yourself etc. Although, I managed to bath Oliver last night in about 10 minutes.
Also, the first few weeks Oliver would wake for a feed every time we sat down to eat no matter what the time was! but it does get better.
Oh and just to make you laugh...Oliver had a horrendous nappy earlier so I thought Ok i will just put him in the sink and wash it off. I did much to Oliver's disgust cue crying. Wash over with I lifted him out, dried him off and then he showed his disgust by weeing all over me!!!
SB x