when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

exhausted is not even the word!!! The girls were born at 35 weeks.. just curioius if your LO's started sleeping thru the night any later due to the fact that they were preemies?
So if your LO is expected to sttn at 3 mos, did it go by adjusted age?
This every 3 hour bit is really tough!!

I feel like zombie!!

Message edited 10/5/2012 3:11:29 AM.

when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

My girls were born at 36 weks. They started sleeping thru the night at 2 1/2 -3 months old. I was in shock that this happened. We always were on a strict schedule with them and never really went off it for the first few months. The every 3 hours is sooo rough and I can't believe I got through it. It will get easier believe me. Now at 11 months the girls are still sleeping thru the night. I hope it gets better for you soon.

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

I thought you only had to wake them if they were underweight or not gaining.
What does the Ped say?

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

Mine are 7.5 months actual and still don't STTN. Not sure where you heard that they will STTN at 3 months, but that's definitely not true for everyone!

I spoke with my ped. about waking them during the night and used her advice about when to stop. Once the babies were gaining weight appropriately after being home from the NICU, I was able to stop. When they hit their due date, their sleep patterns changed a lot and they woke up on their own.

Every 3 hours would be a DREAM! Mine are horrible sleepers right now and we are planning on doing CIO soon.

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

my girls were born at 30 weeks. We didnt get permission to let them sleep till close to their due date.
They were still up every 3 hours or close to it though.

They started sleeping from 10pm-5am at around 6 months adjusted.

We would wake them and dream feed them at 930-10 ish

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

Mine were born at 30 weeks and came home around what would have been 35 weeks. Even though they were doing great with gaining ped still wanted them eating every 3 hours round the clock till what would have been 40 weeks. Once we hit that I fed them every 3 hours during the day but let them wake on their own at night. In the beginning they were still waking up around 3.5 hours but it gradually got longer and longer and they were sleeping about 10 hours by the time they were 3 months (1 month adjusted).

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

1o hours overnight??? Holy moses! Thats amazing!

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

my twins were born right before 35weeks. spent a week in the NICU.
as soon as they hit 6lbs i stretched the night time to 6 hrs (per the ped) and as soon as they gave me the go ahead not to wake them at night anymore i didn't. i don't remember exaclty when i was but around 2 months.
they first few nights they got up between 4-5 hours and gradually it stretched out ... by 3 1/2 -4 months they were sleeping 8 hour stretches.

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

Mine were born at 35w4d. They spent 6 days in the NICU. I woke them every 3 hours until they were 2 months old. Then I woke them every 4 hours until they were 3.5 months old. At 4 months I started interval cry it out. By 5-6 months they were STTN 10-12 hrs.

ETA: The Drs told us they had to be fed every 3 hrs, and then every 4. Thats why we did this. I say go with what your ped says....

Message edited 10/5/2012 8:42:45 PM.

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

Thanks everyone!! This really gives me hope since the girls are gaining pretty rapidly.

One of the girls just SCREAMS when we feed her and I just think it's because she's not ready. We strecthed it to 4 hours (after I called and asked the ped if we could try it tday) and she woke up on her own just shy of 4 hours and was a pleasure to feed.

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

I haven't had a premie. But my DS didn't STTN until we did CIO out at almost 8 months old. And it wasn't even like he was on a schedule at night. It was random wakings and very tiring.

My girls (born 37w2d) STTN on their own at 6 weeks. (6:30-6:30) but were TERRIBLE nappers. They were born underweight (Juliana was 6lbs and Katelyn was 4lbs12oz). At around 4 weeks they were gaining weight really well so I stopped waking them to nurse. If yours are gaining well and not huge spitters I'd stop waking them and see how they do on their own schedule.

Re: when did you stop waking your preemies every 3 hours to eat?

This is hard for me to answer, since my girls were in the NICU. One for 3 weeks the other 6 weeks. My rule was always past three hours, once one woke up I would wake the other one up to feed them also. So, I would wait past three hours and then feed the other after the one that just woke up.