7month ready for 3 daytime feeds already?

[arseneau]

My DS is 7 months old. Has been on 4hr easy for a while. BF for his 3 daytime feeds + formula before bedtime. 1 -2 nightime feeds, BF. I don't know how much milk he takes during the day, as I'm BF, but he would normally take about 6 onces at bedtime for about the last 2-3 months. About 2 weeks ago, he started only taking about 1 once, 2 at the most. He seems to be able to go longer streches during the day for his feeds, about 5 hours sometimes in between. I think maybe his last feed before bedtime is too close to his bedtime feed. We just also started to drop his catnap, so he goes to bed quite early.

Here's his current schedule:

6:30-7 awake.
7: BF
8:00 cereal and Pears
9:30-11:00 Sleep
11:30 BF
12:00 Vegetables
2:00-3:30 Sleep
4:30 BF
5:00 cereal
6:30 Try to give formula
6:30-7 Sleep

Nightime feed: sometimes once, around 1am.
Sometimes twice, 10 and 4am.

I even tried to reduce his solids, feed him every 4 hours, every 5 hours... Not sure what to do. He may be teething. Not sure either.

Any advice?

[*Natasha*]

I would say that he may be teething and perhaps try a little teething gel on his gums before he is due to feed. I would try and keep those 4 day feeds for a little while longer especially if you are still feeding at night.
The other things is he may be to tired to drink to much at night if he has just dropped the catnap. Also try decreasing the solids he is getting at 5pm.

[brenda2]

if you're still having night time feeds i don't think you want to drop a day feed.  if you stop a night feed, then he'll take more during the day.  you could water down a bottle over night (this will fill him up less and he'll take more during the day) or reduce amount of minutes at the breast or cut it out completely and do pu/pd to replace the feed.  i think you could definitely do this for 1 of the night feeds (i don't think he should need 2 overnight at his age)  otherwise i would fiddle with the timing of day feeds....do feeds at 7, 11, 3:30 and 6:30 before bed.

[arseneau]

Thanks for your replies ladies. I did think it wasn't a good idea to drop a feed since he still wakes at night to nurse, but I'm not sure how to get him to take his last bottle. I've tried using teething gel before his last feed, but hasn't seemed to help. He is obviously tired before he takes it, but I don't think this is why he's refusing it, as he's always taken his bottle before bedtime, and would sometimes fall asleep while drinking it. Actually, that's sometimes how I'd get him to take the full 6 oz. I've started to reduce the amount of time on the breast at night, but it hasn't made any changes yet. I don't understand why he wouldn't be hungry for his bedtime feed, since we've reduce the milk at night and daytime solids for the last few weeks.

I've tried tweeking his feed times. Currently, he only demands his milk every 4 1/2, 5 hours. I find if I try to feed him before, he's not very interested. It's so frustating, because he does a long stretch, between his 4:30 feed and his first night feed, around 11 at night. I'd like for him to drink at 7 and then do his long stretch.

Hopefully this is only temporary. Any other suggestions are welcomed.

[brenda2]

hi
i would continue to reduce your night feeds, working towards eliminating it altogether, this will make him want to take in more during the day.  also, do you think he's too OT by bedtime?  this may be causing your NWs as well as he's too tired to take his last night feed.  does he need more/longer naps or an earlier bedtime?

my other suggestion is because the 4:30 feed is close to the bedtime feed you could offer less at this feed so he's hungrier and will take more at 7 when you want him to take more.  what time does he have dinner solids?  can you move it as early as possible so he'll take more at the bedtime bottle?

[arseneau]

Hi Brenda, thanks again for your help. My DS is definetly OT some evenings. I try to put him down 12 hours after his morning awake time, but it's hit or miss. Do you think I should put him down at 6 every night. this is when he first seems to show tired signs although he sometimes sleeps until 8am. I'm working on eliminating the night feeds right now. Also, I've pushed back dinner time to about 4;30. We used to do 5 or 5:30, same time as the rest of the family. Probably too late, right? Not sure if I should cut down his 4pm BF. he nursed about 2  min. on each side right now. Quite efficient eater, even at night, feeding 2 mins./side only. I'm thinking maybe this is the only way to get him to drink more at bedtime. Also, I've noticed there's not really any correlation between the amount of milk he takes at bedtime and night feeds. For example, one evening, only took 1 oz., but only had 1 night feed. Next night, took 6 oz, but ate twice that night. Maybe I shouldn't try to get him to take more at bedtime. But, I feel he should consistenly in order to eliminate night feeds. oh, sorry for all the questions, I'm a little depressed with the problems i'm having to put him down at night. We were starting to do so well.

Thanks again.

[brenda2]

if there's no correlation between how much he eats in the evening and # of NWs then maybe it is more of an OT thing causing your NWs?  just a guess...  i agree you want to have him take as much as possible at the bedtime feed though to rule out hunger waking him up.

i would try reducing the 4 pm feed time to get him to take more at bedtime and put him down earlier for sleep to avoid OT, 6 pm is fine.  give it a try and be consistent for a few days and see how it goes.  how many times is he up and how long is he nursing for the night feed now?

keep me posted