My son of 7 weeks does not want to stretch his night feed out beyond 3.30am
I have a very sucky, hungry 7 week old big baby who does not want to sleep longer in the night. My son is struggling to get past 3.30am in the night- it has been like this on and off for the past 4 weeks. He has 6 oz of SMA white at about 10.45pm, having been woken at 10pm. He then wakes at 3.30/3.45am and sometimes will settle with a dummy for half an hour or so but then wakes again screaming for a feed. He is taking slightly more than the amount of formula for his weight during the day, and does not seem to want more during the day. I see that you advise that not more than 6oz should be given at the 10pm feed – but should I increase this to make him go longer? When he does feed in the night he is currently taking about 3oz. I have just started to decrease it from 4 oz and he then wakes again at 7am for a feed. He is much more settled during the day and will generally take all his naps. Should I keep increasing his day feeds and the 10pm feed? As he is so big I do not want to overfeed him.
My son feeds at 7am 6ozs, 10.30am 6ozs, 11.45am 1oz top up, 2.30pm 5ozs, 5.15pm 3ozs, 6.30pm 4/5ozs, 10.45pm 6ozs, 3.30am 3ozs.
He weighs 13lbs.
He naps at 8.50-9.30am, 11.45-2.15pm and 4.15-4.45pm. He is settled by 6.50pm.
It may help your son push on in the night if you split the10pm feed a little differently. If your baby can be awake for over an hour in the late evening, it may help him sleep for a longer stretch.
Start to wake your baby at 9.45pm so he is well awake by 10pm/10.10pm. Once he is wide awake offer him 4ozs of his feed. Let him have time awake and kicking under his gym until 11.15pm. To keep him awake take him into a light room where there is some background noise. Change his nappy at 11.15pm and then offer him the second part of his feed in a dimly lit room. Try giving him 2-3ozs for the second part of his feed and see if this settles him for a longer stretch in the night. When splitting a feed in this way it is best to offer it in two bottles, each one given fresh, so there is no danger of stale milk tainting the teat. Look at page 138 of The Contented Little Baby for a description of this feed.
Although your son is big, it is not unusual for a baby of his age to still be waking for this middle of the night feed. Continue to give him 3ozs at this feed until you notice him being less interested in his feed at 7am, even if he begins to sleep until later in the night before needing his night feed. Once he becomes less interested in the 7am feed, then begin to very gradually cut back the night feed. See page 149 of The Contented Little Baby Book which explains this.
At his present weight your son is taking about the right amount of formula for his needs, but you are right in thinking that you don’t want him to put on weight too quickly. Providing he is gaining a steady 6-8ozs a week then continue with the amount of formula he is having in the daytime until he shows all the signs of needing more.
If your son takes his feed very quickly you could try to slow him down in the daytime. Give him half his feed and then sit him in his chair with a dummy for 15-20 minutes to give him some “sucking time”. After this “sucking time” let him finish his feed. This may help him feel more satisfied than if he finishes a full feed in 10-15minutes.