Hungry at night?

[Lizjjackson]

My daughter is 13 months old.  She has never been a fantastic eater but is on whole milk (about 18 ounces per day) and then eats solids, but never a consistent amount.  My question is..  When she wakes at night (usually between 2-4am) is she waking because of hunger?  She is always VERY wet (I think because of all the milk she has during the day) so that may be apart of her waking, but she will cry sometimes and act hungry.  My concern is that she is not getting enough solids during the day and filling up on milk which is not sustaining her through the night.  Could this be possible?  Can calories from mostly milk throughout the day sustain her through the night?  Do I need to cut back on milk to make her want solids more? 

I also wonder if she is just getting up because she knows I will come in and change her and hold her for a couple minutes.  This is why I want to know if it is hunger or just her wanting me. 

Thank you for your help.

[debo620]

I definately think that too much milk can interfere with solid intake. I think our reccomendations for milk prior to 12months is btwn 16-24oz---but this may drop after 12months, and solids definately become more important. You could talk to your DR or nurse to see how much milk is reccomeneded at her age and work at upping her solid intake.  I read somewhere that protien and carbs are important at supper time to help sustain them overnight.

[Lizjjackson]

That is really what I am confused about.  She was underweight at her 1 year appointment, so my doctor said to let her eat whenever and whatever, to help her gain weight.  Therefore, I have no real meal schedule.  I know that I have created a "snacker" and I am unsure as to how to change that.  I want her to eat a good three meals a day, but so far, that has not been happening.  I worry then that she is not getting enough food so I give her 4 - 4 ounce bottles of milk a day, plus she sips on her milk sippy cup throughout the day.  So she is getting more than 16 ounces.   Do I need to do bottles of milk or should I just be serving the milk only with meals and snacks?  What does a good schedule look like?  She is always really hungry when she wakes and wants that bottle of milk, but should I push her to eat breakfast with a sippy cup of milk.   I think that if milk and cheese was I offered her she would be content.  After playing for awhile she will come to me whining and just want to suck down a BUNCH of milk.  Anyways, I am a mess with this eating thing and have no organization to it.  Please help, I would appreciate your insight. 

Also, what are doublers???  What makes me think that she is hungry at night, is she will point at and whine for a bottle if I have an empty one in the room.  I will try tonight just putting her back down after a diaper change and seeing what happens.

Thank you!!!!

[zahids mum]

my son is now 19 months old. From 6 months he stopped drinking milk in the day.i tried to give him milk in beaker but he totally refused but i kept trying every few days and still am!!Anyway, he has always been a very fussy eater but his weight has always been average. I think this is beacause he would wake up at night and have 3 to four bottles of milk. two weeks ago I decided it was time to make some changes and this is what i did. Besides putting him to sleep in his nursery I cut down on his milk from 3 to 2 bottles.Before he falls asleep he has 8oz.Over the past 2 weeks he has sometimes woken up a few times at night (but not asked for milk)just a habit he still has.eventually this has started to get less.He sometimes has 5 to 6 oz milk at 6am. The good result we have observed from this is he has started to eat more amount of food and prepared to try different things that he would usually take out of his mouth asap.He even had baked beans for lunch to day ....now thats a first!!by reducing the night time bottles slowly the appetite is the best its ever been.my only worry is to get him to drink milk in day time in beaker as he still needs to have milk intake in his daily diet....and changing it to cows milk. yesterday my hubby even made zahid a banana and choco smoothie....and tried to give it to him in his glass and beaker but he just refused....what do we do now?lol

[debo620]

Liz, this is my son's eating routine---it may or may not work for you. my son eats quite well.

6:30am sippy with 7oz milk, usually only drinks 5-6oz, drinks this while eating breakfast---handful cheerios, 1/4c oatmeal with fruit mixed in
10:00/10:30 (after nap)--1/4c full fat yogourt with motts unsweetened fruit sauce
12/12:30 lunch---ie. toast with cheese, 3tbsp peas, 1/4 avocado, fruit---he'll eat all of this
3/3:30 sippy with milk 7oz---he may drink 6 or 7 with handful gerber puffs or cracker
5/5:30 supper whatever we are having cut up, similar amounts to lunch minus the fruit.
6:30---7-8oz milk.

[Gippie]

Liz - I could have written your post!!!!!!!!   

Our DD is almost 14 months and for the last month (just about) she has been waking at night and I think - as I look back, I had been feeding her as the only way to get her b2s.   This past week, I have put the ol' foot down and here is what I did - not in the books....but so far it worked.     I did a Dreamfeed at about 11:30pm  - so when she DID wake, I could shhhh her an I KNEW she was not hungry(thats HALF of the problem - not letting THAT fear make you cave).   When she did wake for the day, I gave her less milk....but still some.     Over the past 3 nights, the amt of the DF decreased and I watched her solids and her morning milk went back to normal.     Today she ate SOOOOOO well....like a new kid.     Interestingly - last night, we did not do a DF OR a night feed - so although she DID wake - there was no night milk.     I am interested to see what happens toninihgt.

We are also in the midst of the 2-1 switch and I am carefully watching her bedtime and all.     It is such a detective mission.  I have been charting her nap/sleep and wake times for 2 weeks now.     It IS helpful.

I will update what happend tonight.    I cannot do w2s as her wakes are all over the place.

Stacey

[Lizjjackson]

Thank you for all the input.  So it seems that doing breakfast with the option of a sippy cup is how I need to start my day.  My next questions is.. what do I do if she barely eats any breakfast.  Some mornings she may only eat 3-4 bites of oatmeal, then I worry that will is not getting enough food so I give her that big bottle of warmed up milk that I know she will down.  Should I just stick to the schedule, like the one you posted, and continue with my day.  She will eat when she is hungry right?  I have been just offering her food often during the day, which I see now was really bad and causing her to not be REALLY hungry ever for a meal of real food.  Our children are about the same age... how many ounces does your lo take of milk??   THANK YOU ALL!!

[Lizjjackson]

Yes, we have been battling spoon refusal (didn't know it had a name) since she was 10 months old.  She will only feed herself.  Rarely will she let me give her a little yogurt but the max is like 4 bites and then she refuses.  I have been doing only finger foods.   She does not eat a variety of foods.  I have tried fruits for breakfast like bananas and strawberries but she just smashes them up.  I really do think that you are right, she is good to go for the day with all the milk that she has and just does not have a need for meals because of the milk and the snacking that I let her do.  I am going to try to not give any milk tonight if/when she wakes during the nighttime and just start off tomorrow morning with breakfast and a little sippy of some milk.  I will know then that she is hungry. 

So ONLY offering milk in the sippy cup with meals or a snack or right before bedtime is what I am shooting for?  When I sense that she is thirsty, offer water???  Also, if she gets up tonight and seems hungry (or so I think) should I offer a little water and then put her down.   She will probably cry a little bit but she if she will settle back down and sleep that means she was not hungry, right??  Oh and what are doublers?  Thank you!|!!

[Lizjjackson]

Great.  I will give this all a try.  Comfort bottle at night sounds right.  Can I buy the doublers at like Walmart? 

One more question....  If she does not take what I offer for her for a meal, what do I do?  Do I make her something else and play the guessing game of what do you want to eat??  or do I just offer one thing and wait it out until she is hungry enough to eat it, especially if it is something that I know she likes..  What do you do?  I appreciate it!

[Lizjjackson]

ok, sounds good.  I do pretty much the same by offering 2-3 options.  Hopefully, I can work some of these issues out by just reducing the milk and increasing her hunger.  Thank you again for all of your help.