Sleeping help please/Eating schedule

My girls are going to be 5 month old soon and are still not sleeping very well. They are getting up about every 2 hours.

At daycare, they are sleeping about 5 hours per day and eat anywhere from 12-18 oz. They have always been really slow eaters and don't eat very much at a time. They probably normally eat 4 to 6 oz at a time.

I am losing my mind over here. DS slept through the night at about 12 weeks.

I try to put them to bed drowsy and early. We have started shutting off all the lights. We used to have a closet light on so we could see when we had to go in there. I have the heat turned up in the room so they are not cold. They kick out of their blankets now so swaddling doesn't really work. We have a white noise machine. I am not sure what else to try. I don't think they are eating enough during the day, but I am not sure how to get them to eat more at a time.

What should an eating schedule look like for a 5 month old? I know they should be eating 2.5 times their weight. The girls probably weigh about 12-13 pounds now, so they should be eating 30 to 33 oz per day. They were 3 weeks premature and weighed 4 lbs 11 oz and 5 lbs 11 oz at birth.

I need to start writing down when and how much they are eating at night, but it is so hard to remember to.

6:15 - Me up and shower
6:45 - If they are not up already, I wake them up to get ready for daycare
7:10 - Start the process to get to daycare
7:30 - Drop off at daycare

What daycare says they do.
8:00 - Eat first bottle
Then sleep for 2.5 hours
12:00 - Eat
sleep for 2.5 hours
3:30 - 4:00 pm - Eat


Around 430 to 500 pm - Pick everyone up from daycare
Then I get dinner ready, try to feed them some cereal, play, bath nights on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
6:00-6:30 - Try to head downstairs and feed bottle
7:00 Try to get them to sleep.

Then they wake up at about somewhere between 9 and 10 pm, midnight, 2 am, and 4 am.


Does anyone have any help or advice??
Sorry if this is sort of long. It was a really long night last night.

 

Oh hugs!! I remember those days. What worked for us is to first make sure they were eating enough during the day. I made sure they had at least 30 oz by bedtime and then I would give them a top off dream feed. Then if they woke up I would give them a pacifier, because I knew they ate enough. It took a few weeks but finally worked. My boys are big so I know they are eating enough. Good luck.

 

How do I get them to eat more during the day and more at one time? I work M-F. So on weekend I can try to feed them more often.

 

It's not so much how much they are eating as much their weight and how much they are sleeping during the day. I noticed that they are sleeping quite a lot during the day--it might be taking away from their night sleep. According to the "Heathly sleep, happy child" book, sleeping more than 3 hours during the day will start to work against you in the night. My girls didn't start sleeping through the night until 5 months (6 months for the second baby). They both at that point were formula fed and were eating about 15-20oz a day (no solids at that point).
5 hours a day is quite a lot, and they are probably making up for what they don't get during the night. Maybe you can check out the book...don't worry you only need to read the first few chapters from 0-5 months! GL

 

Crud, I have the book! I guess I never really focused on reading the nap secition. I just thought he said that more sleep during the day = more sleep at night. I think I have some more reading to do tonight.

 

QUOTE(rebecca_lynn78 @ Apr 30 2009, 12:53 PM) [snapback]1295101[/snapback]
How do I get them to eat more during the day and more at one time? I work M-F. So on weekend I can try to feed them more often.



You can make sure they eat every 3 hours during the day. Also ask that the daycare people don't give up as soon as they seem done. Give them a mini break and try again. The reducing naps might work, but honestly there are days were my boys get 6 hours of naps and it doesn't effect their night. For us the food made a difference. They were eating just as much at night as they were during the day, so once we switched that it helped.

 

Mine weren't STTN until 7 months, but they only got up twice at 5 months. Your schedule at night is pretty tight, but can you try getting them down at 6:30? I found that just that 30 mins helped a lot. My boys were not big eaters either and I stayed home with them. I couldn't do anything to get them to eat as much as the dr. recommended (I think 25 oz). We were lucky to get 20oz in. I would check out the Healthy Sleep habits book, but I'm pretty sure his theory was sleep begets sleep. So more sleep during the day didn't hurt nighttime. Honestly, I found the book very contradicting of itself but it still gave me a guideline.

 

It sounds like they're not eating enough or often enough during the day. Could you wake them up earlier and give them their first bottle at like 6AM? That way, the first daycare bottle would be their second feeding of the day. Try to get at least 5 feedings in, more if they only take small feedings. At daycare, can the feed them more often? And I agree w PP - sounds like they're getting too much sleep during the day.

mine are 4 mo, they eat 5x a day, and sttn approx. 10-11 hours; total daytime sleep of about 4.5 hours...

 

The BEST advice I can give you (and good advice that works) is to try a different formula!!! It sounds wierd but it makes sense. I started my two off on Enfamil w/ Lipids. They were eating every 2 hours (sometimes 1 1/2 hours) around the clock. Then I noticed they were really gassy and would grunt alot (and I mean ALOT! for hours at a time in the middle of the night). I got a sample of Similac Sensitive formula. I tried that and they started eating every 3 hours around the clock. That was fine but they were still up eating twice a night at 3 months old and at 12lbs. the doc said to stop feeding them in the middle of the night but I figured if they are screamign to eat then they are hungry! Well I tried other types of formula that claims to be more sensitive "gentlease" (did nothing and was the same effect as Enfamil regular, similac Soy-nothing better than the sensitive similac. so I was like ill be destined to 3 hours of feeding schedules! I even tried giving them cereal (which helped break it down to one time wake ups which expanded their sleeping for 5 hours a night - from 8pm-1am woohoo!!!). Then I shop at Diapers.com and was searching their formula section. They sell a formula called Bright Beginnings. It is made from whey proteins (similar to good start which had the same effect as similac sensitve). However, they have a type called GENTLE made from Bight Beginnings. Its whey protein (supposed to be easier on the tummy) but broken down to be digested easier (like what similac sensitive does). So its basically broken down whey protein. I am not kidding you when I say they have been sleeping from 8pm-6am ever since like clock work!!!!! :banana: I am SURE it was the formula switch. If you think about it, babies dont know how to communicate but by crying. if their tummies are gassy they will cry. they may mistake the pains for hunger and want to eat all the time!!! It doesnt hurt to give it a shot. AMazon sells it too but it is cheaper at diapers.com. plus its a cheaper formula anyway which has saved me money! its only 19.99 for a 25 oz can! I buy it by the case at diapers.com. they have free overnight delivery so I buy it anytime i need it! you can get $10 your first order by using "Diapers4Da" coupon code. they have other great stuff too! try it! it doesnt hurt to try! and you may end up with sleepy babies! :blush: