bedtime bottle

[*Becky*]

Hi,
My LO recently transitioned from 4 to 3 bottles. All seems to be going fine but I have noticed that although he guzzles the 6.30am (8oz) and the 1pm (8oz) bottles it can be a bit of a struggle to get him to take the last one at around 6/6.30pm (8oz). Sometimes he takes it but more often he leaves 2-3 oz and tonight he left 4! It makes me really anxious as he has not had a night feed for around 6 weeks and I really do not want to start again but I am worried he is going to wake hungry.
I think some of it is due to tiredness as we are trying to cut the catnap so on the nights he does not have it he just wants to go to sleep but I was wondering whether I should cut an ounce from the other 2 bottles to try and encourage him to take more.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Becky x

[~ Vik ~]

Hi Becky

Don't know how much help I can be as I bf, but we had a similar problem with ds fighting his bedtime feed for awhile: he would arch his back away from me and cry Looking back, he was definitely OT. We hadn't found bw yet, so we would AP him to sleep and he'd wake within the hour, feed, and go right back down. I wouldn't cut back on the other bottles and potentially reduce his milk intake further. What I did was offer ds his bedtime feed about half an hour earlier and that seemed to work well for us. Even now, if he has a short pm nap, I make sure I feed him earlier so he takes a full feed.
HTH
Vikki

[*Becky*]

Thanks Vikki - uggh stressful...what do I do if he wakes hungry??? Really don't want to feed him but he only took half a feed.
Guess we will have to keep the catnap for a while.
becky x

[* Paula *]

Hi Becky,

I agree if he is tired, this may be the cause of it, and perhaps try feeding a little earlier.

Also what time do you offer dinner, could he be filling up on solids, and this is why he has reduced his milk intake a bit?

[spanna]

Hi,
 Not so long ago we went from 4 to 3 and we also found that Eva took less milk at bedtime, however, it didn't cause her to NW hungry! She sorted things eventually, don't even know what we did differently... but yes widening the gap between solids and milk might help or shifting the feed a little earlier if you think it is due to tiredness.
Just a thought, I have also found that she will take more formula if from a tetra pack ... so have been known to offer that instead of powdered formula if I think that there is a chance that she won't take her full feed...... might be worth a go even if only for a little whilse uhntil this phase passes

HTH and gives you some encouragement..........

[*Becky*]

thanks everyone. He did not wake for a feed last night - phew! I gave him tea at 3.45pm today and milk at 6.15pm and he drank it all although I had to position him so he could fiddle with the curtains etc. Typical spirited boy eh...bx

[spanna]

although I had to position him so he could fiddle with the curtains etc. Typical spirited boy eh...bx

I hear you DD is spirited too ;0)

Excellent news about the sleep thru
Anna