BFing Mums, STTN and eating habits.

[karinothing]

IMO sleep training will not help for this issue. Your DS sounds like he is reverse cycling which is VERY VERY normal when mom's first go back to work. As sad as it sounds, he misses you and wants to get in all the nursing he can and to him that means nursing at night. I guess what I am saying is, the problem is not just about wanting to eat at night, it is about wanting to be with you (which is why I think that sleep training won't work).

What I do think will work is giving it a bit more time for him to work out the fact that you went back to work. It will be okay! This is really very normal for BFing babies.

And yes, I would ignore the nurse (but my kid still wakes up at night too). I also probably wouldn't start solids, becuase I think 4 months is a bit young, IMO. But I am sure there is no harm if you do (but I wouldn't count on it to get him to STTN or anything).

Good luck! I know going back to work is hard.

[Deleted]

Kari said everything I would say. Look up "reverse cycling" and just have DH keep trying with the bottles when you're gone. It will probably improve over the next few weeks. You could try restricting feeds a little overnight... but it will cause a lot of stress and crying. To me, that's not worth it. I'd rather snuggle in with the baby.

But I'm also still up twice most nights. So perhaps I don't really know what I'm doing either.

[karinothing]

Aug 8, 2012 12:25:33 GMT -5 @246baje said:

Thanks token I appreciate the advice.

Oh DH also gave him cereal yesterday because that was the only way he'd eat anything. He was just working himself into frustration when he kept trying with the bottle.

It may sound silly, but we got DS to start taking bottles when DH fed him bare chested and cradled against his chest. I think he missed the comfort of the skin/skin contact. Maybe your DH could try that? After a bit he would just take the bottle no problem.

[sewpinkgal]

I am SAH with my son, but everything Kari said sounds about right to me. We did sleep training to get my son to fall asleep on his own at night at 4m, but this just sounds like a whole different issue. I also kept feeding him at night until he dropped feedings on his own.

FWIW, we started rice cereal at 4m per our Pedi recommendation to get him ready for real solids when he turned 6m. (He is tiny and I was fine starting cereal a bit early) It didn't make a lick of difference to his sleeping habits at night. He was still up 3-5x/night until 6.5m when he dropped to 1 feeding a night. I don't think it's bad to start the cereal, but I'm glad you're not expecting it to help the nighttime wakings.

GL!!

[Ashley&Scott]

I agree with everyone else, it sounds like reverse cycling. Try to encourage cluster feeding in the evenings. Those first few weeks I after I went back to work DS nursed nonstop from 5-8pm.

[Deleted]

Make sure to dream feed before you go to bed, so at least that 2-3 hours comes after you go to bed, not right after you get to sleep. Hopefully it will get better quickly.

[livinitup]

When I returned to work DD didn't eat much during the day and did cluster feedings when I was around. I was freaked. I loved, loved, loved her eating habits and then just hated that it changed at the very moment I wanted it to go soooo smothly.

It's only been a few days. Give her some time to adjust. You, too.

[Deleted]

Glad the dream-feed helped! Sometimes it's hard to remember we can wake them (a little bit), too.

[fortmyersbride]

Both of my kids were (DD still is) reverse cyclers. The first week I was back at work when DD was 4 mos old, she would go 6 hrs straight refusing a bottle. She's gotten a little better but still BFs thru the night. She sleeps next to my bed so I haven't really tried to discourage it. Also, for some reason she takes a bottle better when it is cold.

[Ashley&Scott]

Glad things went better last night!

Hang in there, I'm sure he'll get the hang of it. Also try different feeding positions & milk temps. DS went from taking 3oz per day to 9oz at daycare