8 months-Enough or Not?

[willowonyx]

We are dealing with some sleeping issues but I wanted to get some advice on our DD eating habits. She was not a good eater for a all time, and is just now about 15.5lbs. We are still doing a dreamfeed at 10:30. I have cut it down from 6oz to 4oz for a few weeks now. So I am wondering if the actual dreamfeed may be causing her to wake more or the cutting it down is causing the wakings. But either way, I will provide her sleeping and eating schedule.

6am:  Wake
7am:  6oz Formula
9am:  2-4oz yogurt
10am: 30-60 minute nap
11am:  6oz formula
12pm:  2-4oz veggies
1pm: 60-90 minute nap
3pm: 6oz formula
3-5pm: catnap somewhere in there
6pm: 2-4oz dinner (veggies, protein etc)
7pm: Bedtime 4-6oz formula (depends on how much she eats at 6pm)
10:30pm 4oz dreamfeed

Is it time to start getting rid of the dreamfeed? Any ideas, advice, comments, questions VERY WELCOME!

[Texomamama]

I am not sure this is really advise, as much as observations.  Looks like your LO is getting plenty to eat, esp in the formula category.  You are still doing 5 bottle feeds, and until this weekend, so were we.  Perhaps that is the reason yours wants less of her DF?  I still do a DF at 10:30 and I have absolutely no plans to drop this.  Some nights, mine takes only 4 oz, other nights, she takes all 6.  I have found that a lot of it has to do with where in her sleep cycle she happens to be when I feed her.  If she is pretty much fast asleep, she takes the bottle really easily and drains it.  If she is more alert, she does not seem as interested.  Maybe you can slightly play around with the time you offer it and see if it makes any difference.  Also, maybe you can space out the bottles during the day from 4 hours to 5 hours and thus drop one of the bottles.  Instead of 7, 11, 3 and 7 you could try 7, 12, 5 and then just the DF.  I only suggest that because at 8 months, 5 bottles is a bit much, and it seems like yours is getting plenty from the amounts you are offering.  Plus, she might start to increase her appetite for solids (mine currently takes about 4 oz three times a day).

Not sure if these changes are going to help with the sleeping issues you are having, but I certainly wanted to say that from what you describe, I don't think I would describe her as "not a good eater", but I know exactly how you feel b/c DD1 was (and still is) really tiny.

[Texomamama]

Oh, forgot to add my LO is 7.5 months, so it is a realtively apples to apples comparison.

[willowonyx]

Thank you Texomamama.

It is not that she isn't interested in her DF bottle, we actually purposely cut back her bottle to 4oz because it was affecting her morning bottle. She drains the DF bottle with a gulp.

She used to be not a good eater until maybe with the last 3 weeks.

I would definitely like her to eat more solids.....and I definitely think she is too full from her bottles that she eats less solids, she acutally takes 3 bites sometimes and then slams shut her mouth, even on feeds she loves....and then of course she is starving for her next bottle.

[Texomamama]

Yep, that is kind of the reason I decided to transition from 5 to 4 bottles this week.  I remembered that DD1 was only at 4 bottles when I transitioned from BF at 7 mo.  I thought to myself that even though milk/formula is the most important nutritional need up to 12 mo, that after about 7.5-8 month mark, I really wanted to gear her towards solids since it is not just about nutrition- it is about the social cues, learning taste and textures etc.  I figure as long as she is still taking in 22-23 oz range, all is well.  Not to mention, the less bottles, the less prep and cleanup.

[Lolly]

You could always stop it for a few nights and see what happens. If she wakes more she probably still needs it, if she sleeps better then maybe not. My two weren't good with the DF, they woke more after one than if we just let them sleep and wake when they were hungry. We weaned DD's nightfeed at 8 months by reducing then offering water when she woke.

Your DD is getting plenty of milk in the day, the minimum is 20oz and that can include the milk in food so she won't be going short without the DF.

What do you think?

Laura

[willowonyx]

We cut back to 3oz last night. It was another really bad night of her waking numerous times from 1:30am until 6am......we do not think it is related to her not getting enough food...she is going through something else right now. BUT she did wake up 20 minutes before we normally do the DF but fell back asleep until her 1:20am waking.