A few feeding niggles...

[IheartR]

You know when you've got a few things on your mind about something and then something happens to make you decide to do something about it?! Well that's what I've been thinking about DS' solids. Last night he woke up hungry and hence this post!

DS is 8mo in a couple of days. He took a while to get used to solids but seemed to be enjoying them, and then we went through a period when he went off them when he had a cold and then was teething pretty much non stop for about a month (6 teeth through in this time) so his appetite went up and down. Now he isn't teething as far as I can tell and he is eating again but pretty much only wants to eat fruit! I know babies go through phases with their eating and I'm trying to stay calm and keep offering him new foods but seem to struggle to find savory foods he will eat. And now I'm concerned he's not eating enough to get him through the night. PLease tell me to stop worrying - I don't want to become worry mum!!

So, he has baby cereal for breakfast and sometimes some pieces of toast and butter. He usually eats this pretty well and doesn't make any fuss going into his high chair. Lunch and dinner I offer him a savory food and some fruit, plus some finger food to start. We have tried a range of foods but he is quite limited in what he eats. I've added fruit to vegetables and he seems to eat a bit more but I'm running out of combinations! He will often fuss and cry when putting him into his high chair for lunch and dinner, don't know whether he is very hungry and impatient for food or whether he isn't hungry and doesn't want food! Finger food wise, I keep offering him different foods but he only seems to try and eat the dry foods like rice cakes. Anything wet or squishy he just plays with. He's getting a bit better with chewing but still gags a fair bit and sometimes brings up some food - I realise gagging is normal.

Milk wise, he has 8oz at 7am and 2:30pm and at bedtime he has been wanting to drink between 10-15oz. He is quite a big boy - on the 91st centile.

Last night he actually ate quite a lot for dinner, although he hadn't eaten much for lunch, he had chicken with apricot (the first time he'd had chicken at dinner time), a bit of butternut squash with apple and then peach with baby rice. He seemed to be full as didn't want anymore fruit. He then drank 11oz of formula before bed. He woke at 12 with a hungry cry. I didn't want to feed him at night so as not to get him into a bad habit and make him less hungry during the day (managed to wean him off night feeds about a month ago after getting into a night feed habit while he was teething) but he woke up every 1-1.5 hours and I couldn't take it any more! He downed 8oz.

So I know this is a lot of info!! I just wanted to get all those things that are on my mind down to see if anything makes sense! I guess my main questions are - should I fill him up on fruit if he refuses the savory food? Should I continue to feed him at night if he is hungry or stick it out so that he is hungrier during the day? Shall I continue as I am with offering foods? Give him more milk?

Sorry for going on! i hope some of it makes sense!

Thank you
El  xx

[~inbalance~]

Hello.    Let me see if I can help you with some of your questions.

I really don't think filling him up on fruit will help alleviate the night time hunger as there really isn't much substance to it, so I wouldn't go overboard offering fruit.  Offer what you usually do, but don't start trying to get more into him.  If anything, eating only fruit might give him a tummy ache!

Sounds like you're doing the right things by offering a good variety of foods, different tastes and textures.  Keep offering, and keep offering the finger foods.  It's ok if he plays with them, that's all part of the process.  As long as you are giving him lots of opportunities to eat, then he will get it eventually.  What he eats though, is really up to him.

If he is really, genuinely hungry at night, then you could feed him.  It's up to you really.  If you feel he is eating adequately during the day but is still hungry, then I would feed him.  It could be a growth spurt, and may pass after a few days.  Of course you don't want to create a feeding habit at night, so keep an eye on it. 

It looks like he's already at the high end of milk intake, so I would be inclined not to offer him more milk during the day.  I think the normal range is around 24-32oz, so I wouldn't go much past that or else he may eat less solids.

Hope that helps for a start. 

[IheartR]

Thanks very much that's a help! I wondered whether it was a growth spurt as I've completely lost track of when he's had them. At least I know if we do get into a night feed habit I can wean him off it as I've done it before. I will keep going with the different foods.

Thanks again xxx

[~inbalance~]

Sounds good!  Hope everything levels off soon and he starts sleeping well again.