Cutting out the night feed Questions

[Jenny_Jen]

Ok I'm having trouble eliminating the night feed with my 4.5 month old.  His eating schedule during the day is eratic so it's hard to have a schedule with him (he's formula fed).  Also if he's not hungry he won't eat, no matter what.  My schedule lately is this:

7:30-8am - wake & feed usually between 4-6 oz

9:30ish - cereal (2 tablespoons)

10:30ish - nap usually 1.25-1.5 hours

12ish - feed usually between 4-6 oz

1:30ish - fruit lunch (just an oz is usually all he'll take)

2:00ish- nap - usually 1 hr

3:00 wake & won't eat

5:30-6ish - I try & give him a bottle, most times he won't take it or will only take 2 oz

cat nap

6:30-7 - veggies for dinner (2 oz usually)

cat nap

8ish - feed - usually he'll take 6 oz here & then off to bed.

3-4 am he wakes for a feed & takes between 4-6 oz

I have tried eliminating solids hoping he'll take more formula during the day but that doesn't work, and he likes eating solids so I don't really want to take that away anyways.  DFing doesn't work because he either won't eat or keeps sleeping thru it.

It's like he's missing that mid afternoon feed & making up for it during the night.  For 2 weeks we tried just not feeding him when he woke up in the middle of the night & popped his soother back in.  He will go back to sleep eventually (like last night) but for 2 weeks he just kept on waking at that same time for his feed & finally out of exhaustion DH & I gave up & just fed him.

I'm at my wits end trying to get rid of this night time feeding but have had no success.  I have had 3 people tell me to just give him water in the middle of the night when he wakes which I am about to try because I have no other options.

He's 14.9 lbs (was 6.7 at birth) so he's gaining weight fine.  How long should I keep trying to eliminate this feed or should I try something else in the middle of the night?

[Lana]

FWIW Bram woke for a night feed until he was 6 months old.  It could be that your ds still needs it.

[CLJK]

I agree - 4.5 months is a little early to be worried about no night feedings.  Personally I think it is a little young for all of those solids, too.  You really should start out once a day with solids for a few weeks.  I definitely would eliminate the afternoon solids.  Babies' primary food source for the first year is breastmilk or formula, and since he is not hungry for it during the afternoon, he may be seeking it out at night.  I think many moms want that star baby who sleeps through at 8 weeks, but that is the minority of babies.  Many babies are eating 2x at night at your son's age, so once is not too bad!

[Jenny_Jen]

I guess it's because most of my friends have babies that eat at 4 hour schedules no problem & are sleeping thru the night so it's hard to understand why mine isn't & why he has such an erratic eating schedule during the day.  Maybe I'm not reading TBW book quite right, but I find a lot of information on this board seems to contradict what the book says to do.  I've loaned my book out to someone right now so I can't quote it.

The Dr told me to start solids, that seems to be the norm here where I am to start at 3.5-4 months.  He eats nicely, enjoys sitting at the table with us & generally likes eating off the spoon so why take something away from him that he enjoys?  I never force food on him, if he doesn't want it then he doesn't eat it but 9 times out of 10 he eats his solids, it's the formula I have a problem with during the day.  I've always had this problem even before solids were introduced.  The Dr told me it's not normal for him to skip feedings during the day & go as long as he does but she said she couldn't really say anything about it because his weight gain is fine.

[LLLena]

Hi Jenny Jen,

Have you considered shortening his A time to just 2 hrs?  I have been told that being up for more than 2 hrs is just too long and with our lo, maybe even 1 1/2 - 2 hrs might change your world.  I am doing this now with my ds and it seems to be helping with his eating schedule.  Just a thought.  Hope it helps.

-Lena