After struggling with breastfeeding at around his 2 week mark(growth spurt)and having a baby who would wake up screaming 1/2 hour after every feed, squirming with what looked like pain in the belly (colic??), I resorted to bottle feeding and a piece of advice from a column written by Dr Howard Chiltern.
I haven't looked back after swapping to the bottle, knowing exactly how much my baby was getting and giving him fuller feeds which meant longer sleeps and a more settled baby and a less stressed out mum!
That's not to say there weren't times when I'd have to go in 1/2 hour after he was put to sleep due to him spitting the dummy out and crying- most babies will wake after this time period but you need to persevere and try and settle them back to sleep and train them to sleep for longer periods. Use picking them up as a last resort. Don't start a routine that is difficult to change. I would wrap my baby firmly-regardless of hot weather(use a muslin wrap)and re-wrap if I went in and he was undone, lie him on his side with a small pillow support front and back and lay his head on a towelling nappy, pushing a small amount of cloth under the front of the dummy to keep it from popping out, them when I have to go into him, I don't talk to him, make eye contact, I fix the dummy if need be or pat him gently on his bottom then leave BEFORE he falls asleep. Train them to soothe themselves to sleep. Also Dr Chiltern said to recognise the tired signs before your baby becomes overstimulated and therefore in a state of screaming and body curling(which is mistaken for colic). I have only ever experienced this a couple of times when I let him grizzle a little too long, he works himself into a state screaming and the only thing I do is put him straight to bed with the same routine. I may have to go in a couple of times but he settles with a few good pats and calm words. Since reading his column about settling your baby to sleep, my 3 month old has SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT since 6 weeks (7-8hrs) and now 3 months old he sleeps 12 hours a night-with 4 feeds four hourly during the day- he also sleeps about 7 hours a day with small periods of play in between. Work out how much they need to drink each day(for bottle fed) by multiplying their weight in kgs by 150 then this total amount can be divided between how many bottles they normally have a day. I find 4-5 good solid feeds works well a day. I know so many women who perservere with breastfeeding when it is quite obvious that there baby is hungry constantly and always unsettled and screaming- I know I sat through 7 breastfed babies at Mothers Group- constantly unsettled and screaming and needing to be fed. There are alot of people who can breastfeed successfully, I am talking of the ones who have starving, unsettled babies- like myself- don't feel guilty, it is better for both you and baby if your not stressed and worked up by the whole breastfeeding process!! Hope this article is of help. He has a book called Baby on Board which I am yet to buy!!
I haven't looked back after swapping to the bottle, knowing exactly how much my baby was getting and giving him fuller feeds which meant longer sleeps and a more settled baby and a less stressed out mum!
That's not to say there weren't times when I'd have to go in 1/2 hour after he was put to sleep due to him spitting the dummy out and crying- most babies will wake after this time period but you need to persevere and try and settle them back to sleep and train them to sleep for longer periods. Use picking them up as a last resort. Don't start a routine that is difficult to change. I would wrap my baby firmly-regardless of hot weather(use a muslin wrap)and re-wrap if I went in and he was undone, lie him on his side with a small pillow support front and back and lay his head on a towelling nappy, pushing a small amount of cloth under the front of the dummy to keep it from popping out, them when I have to go into him, I don't talk to him, make eye contact, I fix the dummy if need be or pat him gently on his bottom then leave BEFORE he falls asleep. Train them to soothe themselves to sleep. Also Dr Chiltern said to recognise the tired signs before your baby becomes overstimulated and therefore in a state of screaming and body curling(which is mistaken for colic). I have only ever experienced this a couple of times when I let him grizzle a little too long, he works himself into a state screaming and the only thing I do is put him straight to bed with the same routine. I may have to go in a couple of times but he settles with a few good pats and calm words. Since reading his column about settling your baby to sleep, my 3 month old has SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT since 6 weeks (7-8hrs) and now 3 months old he sleeps 12 hours a night-with 4 feeds four hourly during the day- he also sleeps about 7 hours a day with small periods of play in between. Work out how much they need to drink each day(for bottle fed) by multiplying their weight in kgs by 150 then this total amount can be divided between how many bottles they normally have a day. I find 4-5 good solid feeds works well a day. I know so many women who perservere with breastfeeding when it is quite obvious that there baby is hungry constantly and always unsettled and screaming- I know I sat through 7 breastfed babies at Mothers Group- constantly unsettled and screaming and needing to be fed. There are alot of people who can breastfeed successfully, I am talking of the ones who have starving, unsettled babies- like myself- don't feel guilty, it is better for both you and baby if your not stressed and worked up by the whole breastfeeding process!! Hope this article is of help. He has a book called Baby on Board which I am yet to buy!!
Mel, NSW, Riley , Flynn & Ethan