Not a great eater - waking up hungry at night

[mimi21]

Hi All,

My little girl is 13mths and has started being really fussy with her food, she will eat breakfast great, but we struggle with Lunch and Dinner causing her to wake up hungry about 4am!!

We have tried finger foods and me feeding her, have tried finger foods and ignoring her, she picks at the food before shaking her head and refusing anymore!!! 

any ideas anyone - its very stressful. She was so hungry last night, she had 4oz cows milk at 4am and then 7 oz formula at 6 and porriage with fruit at 7!!! i fear the best we will get all day.

[Lemonthyme]

Personally I would cut out the milk at 4am.  It's one of those things which becomes self fulfilling.  If she always has milk at 4am, she will always want milk at 4am.  I'd offer water.  Tough mummy me!  Maybe you could always try pushing it back bit by bit until it's at 5:30/6am?

I'd persevere with the food.  Offer several things, some self fed.  Offer her a spoon to use herself.  Offer a healthy pudding whether she's eaten all of her main or not.

Also could be teething?  First molars are often around this age.  Have you tried some pain medication? 

[mimi21]

Hi,

thanks for replying. I've only ever feed her at 4am recently as figured she must be hungry, usually try and wait till half 5!6.

Just wish she'd eat more through the day. She's never been a huge eater tho would eat more then she does atm.

[Lolly]

How much milk is she having through the day? You could also swap the formula for milk as formula is more filling than cow's milk. What's her routine like on a normal day?

Laura

[mimi21]

She has 8oz cows milk at 6ish, breakfast about 7ish, lunch at 11.45, dinner at 5 and bedtime bottle of formula about 7oz. She was having cows milk at this bottle but swapped back to formula to see if that made a difference as like you say its more filling. Not made much difference tho.

Lunch time today of pasta and baked beans, strange i know went down well :-) xx

[Lemonthyme]

My son has always been a big eater.  Kids do vary and that's normal.  At this age though I was giving him two snacks a day too.  Have you tried that?

[mimi21]

Yes, she was having two snacks but stopped this as thought it may encourage her to eat her main meals. Have reintroduced an early snack of a. Half a banana which she eats.

Have stopped giving water an hour before meal times. Not sure what else to try.

[Lolly]

How well is she napping at the moment? Early wakes in my house are always because of OT, as toddlers, mine haven't ever woken from hunger but if they woke early and I offered milk they would have happily taken it - and my DD in particular has gone to bed countless times after eating not a scrap of dinner .

The other thing like Lemonthyme suggested is teething - have you tried medicating to see if it makes a difference?

Laura

[Lemonthyme]

Good point.  Early waking tends to be poor napping or teeth for us.