7 month old eating 2x overnight

[AdalynsMom]

My 7 month old still wakes twice to eat overnight. She takes a total of 12 to an absolutle max of 18 oz. of formula & 2 solid meals during the day. She doesn't eat a large amount of solid food, but we keep encouraging.  I have tried to get more solid food &/or formula in during the day without success. When she wakes she is smaking her lips and acting hungry. She takes a 6 oz. bottle and falls back to sleep easily. If she falls asleep before the bottle is empty the second she is put in the crib she screams. If you pick her back up & let her finish the bottle, she goes right back to sleep. I am so tried. Any suggestions for night weaning or words of wisdom for pressing on?

[* Paula *]

Hi and welcome to the BW Website.

Can you post your routine so that we can see what it looks like?

E - how much both milk and solids
A - how long
S - how long

What size teat are you using - do you think that your lo could be ready for the next size up teat?

Is your lo teething at the moment?  Does she seem in discomfort when she is taking her bottle?  If so you could try and rub a bit of teething gel on her gums a few minutes before a feed to see if this helps ease any discomfort.

[TDR'smom]

Just want to offer some {{HUGS}}.  Post your routine and we'll take a look!

xxx
Judy

[AdalynsMom]

Sorry for the holiday weekend delay in responding.
Our (general) routine

0730-8 Wake Zantac & Prevacid (severe GERD)

0830 as much fruit as I can get in, sometimes an entire stage 2, then 2-4 oz. bottle

1030 nap

12 just started trying a veggie goes OK then usu 4-6 oz. bottle

230 nap

4 our best meal usu. a fruit and veggie

6 meds again

630 6 oz bottle

7 bath

730 bed

use the stage 2 Dr. Brown's bottles. She seems to love her bottle, just doesn't take a lot in total from it. I can't find any evidence of teething. We also have to use hypoallergenic formula, can not have rice cereal and refuses other types of cereals even mixed with fruits or veggies. I waited til 6 months to switch to 4 hours, b/c it dropped a bottle and I was afraid of that but she has increased her intake so that it equals out and our schedule is much nicer on the 4 hour.

Thanks for your help!!!

[NikiJ]

Just bumping this for you.

I don't have any experience with GERD so I don't really feel I can answer this for you.  It does seem that your dd is getting enough during the day & that the 2 feeds are just a habit/prop.  I personally would only offer her water from a sippy when she wakes at night & try pu/pd to get her back to sleep.

Hopefully someone with more experience with GERD will be able to offer some advise though

[Archies mummy]

I dropped a night feed a few wks ago by cutting it down smaller and smaller thankfully ds managed well and took extra cals during the day instead. So now he just has the df. Could you gradually wean one of these feeds until lo doesn't expect to be fed at this time?

[* Paula *]

Looking at your routine, it looks like your lo is only on 3 daytime bottles - is this right?

I also see that you are offering solids before bottles, and this could be why your lo is not taking as much as she is filling up on solids rather than milk.

At this age solids are more of a taster, and not actually meant as a meal replacement.

I would aim for 4 bottles during the day, spaced 4 hours apart and then offer solids an hour later and see how your lo does.

You might also find that going up to the next size teat might encourage her to eat a bit more as she won't need to be sucking as hard for the milk to come out.  Definitely worth a try.

Does the reflux seem to be under control?  Does your lo seem in any discomfort at all?

[AdalynsMom]

I feel like it probably is a habit. Though everything I'm reading says at her age she should take in at least 25 oz/day.
She doesn't take a sippy cup well, but I have thought about trying to just put water in her overnight bottles and hope she doesn't think that's worth waking up for.

I think I will try weaning the oz.'s. I have considered this before, but backed out of doing it b/c sometimes if she falls asleep before she finishes her bottle the moment she hits the crib she cries, if I pick her back up & she finishes she goes right back to sleep. But I think I give it a try tonight. It certainly can't hurt!

Yes, we are down to three bottles. She was doing 4 on the three hour routine, up to six months. When we dropped down she took larger bottles so the oz's equal out. I have been doing solids first and pushing them at the recommendation of her MD (per the GERD). Of course her MD also encouraged conting BF as long as possible for GERD and out of desperation we tried the hypoallergenic formula which was lifechanging. Yes, I do feel like with the combo of meds and the formula her reflux is controlled and she is not in pain anymore! I think there is one more size I can go up on her bottle also.
Thank you all so much!

[AdalynsMom]

Archies mummy-
How quickly did you wean the night time feed? Please tell me more.

[Archies mummy]

I agree with Paula, I would try an extra bottle during the day if you can. Do you dream feed before you go to bed at 10/11 ish? This may help her sleep thru.

I weaned it gradually over about 3 wks. To start with I would offer a full feed but as soon as ds started to look around or 'play' with the teat I would take the bottle off him. Where as during the day I would persist and try and get him to finish it. He was a good fortnight of only taking 2/3 oz so then I stopped giving it. Instead I just changed him and settled him back to sleep. The first 2 nights were tough not because ds was hungry just that he expected a bottle. After that he sttn and has pretty much since. She says touching wood!

[* Paula *]

Another way you can wean the feeds from the middle of the night is to cut down the oz that you offer by 1 oz every 3 days, and try to increase them into your lo's daily feeds.

[*Liz*]

It is often a difficult situation with these reflux babies. I was about to post about my los eating habits when I saw your post  . My DS still takes 2x bottles at night and I just don't seem to be able to increase his daytime calories  .

We are currently doing
7am Bottle (3-4oz)
8.30am Solids (1oz oatmeal and 1oz fruit)
12pm Bottle (2-4oz)
1pm Solids (hardly eats anything here)
4pm Bottle (4-5oz)
5.30pm Solids (1oz veg)
7pm Bottle (6oz)

Then has a 6oz bottle at midnight and often wakes again at 4-5am looking for more. I am trying to give as little as possible at this wake up so I can still feed him at 7am.

So on a bad day he only takes 15oz of milk during the day, but even if he takes 20oz of milk he will still wake for night feeds.

I don't know what to do as I worry that his reflux is not under control and that is limiting his daily intake, but 2 nights feeds seems such a lot for a 7 mth bottle fed babe  .

[* Paula *]

What is your lo on for the reflux?  If you do not think it is under control, have you chatted to your docs about upping your lo's meds?

I do think that the night feeds are interferring with your lo's intake and that once those feeds are gone, your lo will start taking more during the day.

Have you tried the DF before?

[*Liz*]

He is on omeprazole and under a GI paed. Recently increased the dose to 10mg sustained release. I'm not due to see them again until June. He does still spit up loads after a feed, and gets very windy. Often if he only takes 2oz and I push him to take more I just end up with it all over me  - so I do have to trust him to a degree.

I agree with you that the night calories are interferring, its just deciding how to tackle it really. I guess if he was hungrier he might be a little more focused when he eats. I am hoping that a little more solids will help to keep things down as well as a weaning diet can often help reflux. He has done very badly with purees and refused most of them, but seems to be doing a bit better on lumpy foods.

I never did a DF as I couldn't get the hang of it whilst BFing and am a bit nervous about trying to impliment it at this late stage, especially as DS is a very light sleeper.

[AdalynsMom]

Liz-
Thank you for posting here. I'm sorry b/c I feel your pain, but thankful to know someone else understands.
I love all things BW, but never got the DF either.

Her first wake is usu 1030-12 & second 230-5. I would like to eliminate the second first & will try the decreased oz's (in just a few hours). Say a prayer for me (& her).
She "wakes" purely to eat. Her eyes aren't open just crying & flailing. I usu don't even change her unless she feels super wet. She isn't comforted when she is picked up until the bottle is in her mouth.
My first baby was an angel/textbook who made transitions quickly, easily & usu early. She didn't have GERD. Also slept 10 hours at a strech by 6 weeks old. This wonderful miracle baby has been a learning experience for me to say the least.