Wimpy nighttime feeding

So, my girls have gotten really bad about waking between 3 and 5 for a nighttime feed that consists of 1-2 ounces when they used to take 3 or 4, then they get up around 7 or 8 and take another half a bottle. I'm wondering if they really need that early AM feed or could they just wait and take a whole bottle a little later? I think maybe they wake with wet diapers and think they have to eat out of habit. Should I try to just put them back down after changing their diaper or continue to offer them a bottle?

 

Personally with NICU babies that were small I would continue to feed them. I felt like I had to feed them all the time if they wanted it. They need the extra calories. But there is nothing that says you cant change them and put them back down and see if it works.

 

QUOTE(TwinsInFL @ Mar 26 2009, 10:54 AM) [snapback]1245220[/snapback]
So, my girls have gotten really bad about waking between 3 and 5 for a nighttime feed that consists of 1-2 ounces when they used to take 3 or 4, then they get up around 7 or 8 and take another half a bottle. I'm wondering if they really need that early AM feed or could they just wait and take a whole bottle a little later? I think maybe they wake with wet diapers and think they have to eat out of habit. Should I try to just put them back down after changing their diaper or continue to offer them a bottle?



If you can put them back to sleep then try it. I know my smaller twin who is now at least 12 lbs still wakes b/t 2 and 4 for a feeding. The larger twin who is at least 15 lbs dropped that middle of the night feeding a few weeks ago and is STTN about 8-10 hrs. I did notice he started to only take about an ounce in the middle of the night and then all of a sudden he just stopped waking up for it. They may just drop in on their own. You may have to just hang in there. My NICU babes needed a lot of feeding as well.

 

My DD did the same just before she dropped her night feeding. At that age they were still using paci's so I gave that to her and she fell back to sleep? Then she stopped waking up for it. I don't rmember if I changed her or not, I was putting bigger diapers on them at night at that point so they wouldnt soak through them. I think I left her an didnt change her so I didnt further wake her up.

GL!!

 

Ditto everyone else. However, I generally avoid changing a diaper at "night" unless it's poopy. I find it wakes them too much...perhaps you can just try patting their bottom or giving back a paci and see if they drift back off to sleep.

 

Give it a try. I know with mine it helps them relax when they wake during the night even if they only get a few oz in their tummy. Mine still wake once each a night though [every week or so they STTN]. They might also be going through a growth spurt and need the extra oz at night.

Also I change them before giving them the bottle so they don't wake up from it later. If it's been more than 3 hrs since the last change [and they wake up at night] I'll go ahead and change it. I know when I wake up during the night I go pee, I'd imagine they'd be the same way, lol. Mine poop at night like 1-100 times [actually not since 4 months old].

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Mar 26 2009, 11:49 AM) [snapback]1245331[/snapback]
Personally with NICU babies that were small I would continue to feed them. I felt like I had to feed them all the time if they wanted it. They need the extra calories.


I would ask the ped.

 

They're both gaining weigh beautifully though my little Aurora could always stand to have another meal. It's not that they're adding in an extra feed that wasn't there, rather that they are not really drinking during what used to be a full bottle feed. They fall asleep before taking more than an ounce, two at best so I wonder if it's just a soothing technique for them. I definitey change their diapers when they wake during the night b/c Aurora hates wet diapers so much that she starts crying to have it changed WHILE she is peeing and BK soaks them so well that they weigh as much as she does when I change her!

I'll give it another week and see if they drop the feed on their own and then I might try switching to the paci.

Thanks ladies!