Hmmm

For the last month or so, we have been doing "sucky patrol" at the night time feedings. Our concern was that the girls really didn't NEED 2 bottles at night and that it was just starting to become a habit. Our schedule is this:

We start the process anywhere from 7'ish-8'ish (depending on last feeding)
Bath
Bottle
Bed

Then, during the night, we find that Paige wakes up the first time anywhere from 1:30-3:30... instead of feeding her we give her the sucky. She will wake up anywhere from 30 mins to an hr later, and then we'll give her the sucky again. Until she cries 5-10 mins after giving her the soother we will not feed. Is this a bad thing to do? I know you aren't always suppose to stop crying iwth food... but then part of me feels so guilty just giving her the soother. Both girls have been gaining weight well... Paige was born at 5 pounds and was 13 pounds 8 oz last Thursday... and Brooklyn who was born 5 pounds 9 oz was 14 pounds 14 oz. Should we be feeding when they wake up at night? Or are we doing the right thing by "holding them off" with the soother.

AHHH! Thanks in advance for the advice!!

 

I always tried the paci and if they cried for more than a few mins with that then I fed them, especially if they woke soon after, to me that was a cue that the paci was not what they needed. At this stage in the game you can not do any wrong by feeding them.

 

^^ ditto. 3 months is still really young. Most likely the waking is because they are hungry. There is no reason not to "stop crying with food" at this age. When they are over 6 months, approaching a year and really doing it because it is a habit, and not hunger, it is a different story.

 

When you offer them the bottle at night are they drinking it? I knew it was time to start offering the paci at night when my girls stopped drinking the bottle in the night. Then the way I did it is I'd offer the paci once, if they woke up a 2nd time they got a bottle. I didn't want to get up 100 times a night to keep re-inserting the paci. Even if they only took one or two ounces but then they slept for 3 or 4 more hours then it was worth it to me!

 

I echo what Aimee said, If they are getting up soon after having the paci reinserted, then try a bottle. They will let you know when they no longer want a bottle at night.
Babies, especially twins are a lot of trial and error but you are doing a great job! Good luck!

 

QUOTE(excitedk @ Dec 28 2008, 01:02 AM) [snapback]1123563[/snapback]
I always tried the paci and if they cried for more than a few mins with that then I fed them, especially if they woke soon after, to me that was a cue that the paci was not what they needed. At this stage in the game you can not do any wrong by feeding them.



ITA

 

Mine needed a bottle or two a night until 6 months.

 

We used pacifiers to help test whether the boys were hungry as we were trying to encourage a little more sleep after 4 months, but I found that if they were waking at the same time every night, it was almost always from hunger (and around 4 months there's a growth spurt so a lot of the other wake-ups were hunger then, too.) But the pacifier ended up working best when they woke at odd times, so I'd just go in and feed them if it was a 'normal' time (usually within a half hour of the same time each night) - it was just so much quicker than getting up ever 10 minutes with the binky.

 

All pedi's I know will tell you to feed during the night till at least 6 months. Some books, like the HSHHC wil tell you some babies need to be fed during the night until 9 months.
At 4 months of age, I would definitely feed them

 

same with everyone else. at that age i did the paci, if they spit it back out 2x i figured they were hungry

 

Ditto to the PP's about feeding them. At 4 months mine were still eating at least twice a night.

 

Sounds like they'll let you know if/when they're really hungry. If they're still happy and gaining, I'd just follow your instincts. I know everyone is different but Evan stopped eating at night at 10 weeks and James was about 12 weeks. They always ate frequently during the day though - every 2-3 hours. They were bottle fed breast milk and formula.