Transition to whole milk causing bedtime hunger?

[Tweakster]

Finn is 12 mths on Friday    Where did my wee baby go?

Anyway, we have started transitioning him on to cow's milk by doing 4 oz formula and 2 oz cow's milk - we were doing 8 oz bottles of formula but really we were trying to cut back on formula anyway and in reality he wasn't drinking the full bottles at most sittings since we were doing bottles after solids.  So we just decided to go to 6 oz bottles and do it all at once.

It's been 2 days on the transition and he's taking to the milk just fine.  But last night he was screaming after bedtime, we had bedtime refusal which we never have, so we didn't know what to do!  We knew something was up.  It seems he was still hungry.  DH made him up a bottle of just formula and he took another 3 oz in addition to his bedtime bottle.  I am guessing the cow's milk is not as filling for him?

He's getting 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, he's getting 3 bottles and also I am giving him whole milk in a sippy with his snacks.  He's still not eating a lot of solids, not much to make up a meal really.  He's kind of gone off spoon feeding and is happier to pick at stuff on his plate.  So we are not doing purees but mainly whatever we are having for lunch or dinner.  He's eating but really it's 'bird eating'.

Should we be upping the amount in his bottles while we introduce cow's milk?  I am confused about how to get him eating more solids and drinking milk vs. formula but also not starve the poor kid.  The basic recommendation from the paed is to just cut back on the formula so they will be 'hungrier' for solids...but after bedtime we don't offer solids...and that seems to be when he realizes he's hungry! 

[Peek-a-boo]

bumping this up for you

[*Liz*]

Y'know, I've been wondering this with J as well, but don't know the answer.

He is drinking his milk and going to bed with no issue BUT we are getting wretched EWs again and I just wonder if he is peckish  . Especially as he didn't eat at all with the mouth ulcers he has just had.

I am trying really hard to stop thinking of milk as food, and to start thinking of milk as a drink (just a good nutritious one that will make his bones strong  ) but it is tough.

One thing I am trying ATM is giving him his dinner a bit later so that he has a tummy full of food before we even think about bedtime milk - as I think the solids will get him through the night better anyway really.

There is a BIG GS at 12 months - perhaps that is the issue?

I would just go back to the 8oz bottles but continue the transition to cows milk regardless.

[Tweakster]

Hi there, it could be a GS but I think he already had that.  He's very hungry though, but cries when we try to spoon feed him, it seems like his molars are bothering him and he doesn't want that spoon in his mouth.  He eats finger foods but not enough to really be a full meal.  So I am just offering snacks when I can.  He's been crying for his bottles which he never does.  We moved to 1/2 & 1/2 but he wasn't finishing them so I went back to 1/3 now and it seems to have stabilized.

We are giving him dinner right before bed these days - and that is how it will remain now that he is in daycare. 

He will be getting milk at daycare, maybe they will have better luck getting him to drink it lol

He has his 12 mth appt. tomorrow evening so I am sure the paed will be on us about the milk lol

[Mashi]

Wendy I seem to feel that whole milk and formula is about the same calorie-wise.  You'd have to double check your tin of formula to see, as maybe formula brands are different, but whole milk is 67 cal per 100 ml -- curious what your formula is?

[MLK]

Would he take a smoothie at bedtime or lunchtime - eg add banana and yoghurt to the milk? Not sure how that would go calorie wise compared to just plain milk but bananas always seem filling to me. Or else you could add cream to the smoothie if you wanted to up the calories.

Theoretically that's not increasing his solid intake but you have to do what you have to do, right?