Author Topic: Milk decreasing appetite?  (Read 4795 times)

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Offline Little toes

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Milk decreasing appetite?
« on: April 06, 2011, 07:55:18 am »
I'm not sure I have this in the right spot so pls move if I don't. Thx.

Ok, so dd is 16mo and has always had a bad habit of eating at night, which started with bf. When I switched to formula at 9mo I tried to extend the time between feeds and have been somewhat successful. But now ever since she had a stomach bug she's been dreadful for feeding. Tbh she drives me nuts. If it's a good night and she only has bt, midnight and am bottle, then she'll eat well during the morning. But I find after her nap - she takes 6oz, she'll barely eat. It's so frustrating cuz I know if she doesn't have dinner she'll be a hungry pain in the butt all night, eating every couple hrs. I'm due in a few months so I really need help getting her appetite back up. I'm thinking the milk is really decreasing her appetite, especially since most nights she'll load up on it.

A few questions. I've read that giving pediasure (tho I'm not sure if it's added or if it's a whole suppliment) at bedtime might help fill her so she doesn't wake as often. Not sure if that's a good idea for those days she barely eats. But then during the day for her nap I'm wondering if I should water her milk down a bit? I should also add that she's gluten and lactose, so she gets almond or rice milk. Also wondering if there are any vitamins or suppliments that'll increase her appetite during the day.

Hope that made sense. Thanks.


Offline lilisuze

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2011, 10:06:12 am »
LT, that seems quite a lot of milk feeds for 16 months. I think by this age DS was down to 2, one in the morning, with breakfast, and the other before bed at 6.30pm?

I'm no expert but I think it totally is possible that she is overdoing the milk in favour of solid foods. Is she still having a night feed?
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Offline Lissybits

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2011, 10:44:30 am »
Leo has milk in the morning, afternoon after nap (just a little bit in a sippy) with his fruit and then at bedtime.
Too much milk will certainly take the edge off her appetite - it's a tummy filler!
At this age, she doesn't need a night feed - is there a reason why you feed during the night?

Have you tried giving a snack on waking after nap instead - or as we do (Leo loves his milk!) a smaller amount of milk with a piece of fruit? That would probably give her a bigger appetite for her dinner.

Leo has his main meal at lunch time - he always eats better and more at this time of the day -just a thought. And if he has anything else between meals (aka from our neighbours ::)) he's not really interested in his next meal :P
Taking her out for a run around before dinner may also help to increase her appetite!

Not sure what Pedisure is, but in my experience with Leo who was (and sometimes still is) a terrible sleeper, nothing we gave at night made any difference to his NW's. We tried ALL kinds of milk for the bedtime bottle, including Good Night milk, top ups of BM - the lot. If she has got into a bad habit, then that will be causing the NW's - NOT hunger at this age. You could post on the NW board for help there.

HTH a little  :)
« Last Edit: April 06, 2011, 19:05:09 pm by Lissybits »



Offline Little toes

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2011, 12:06:23 pm »
Yes I know it's a lot of milk and she shouldn't have that much at her age. The problem is lack of appetite, so on days when she barely eats, which has been most days since her stomache bug, then I end up giving her milk at night. I'm trying to find suppliments or ways of opening her appetite. Even on nights when she doesn't have much milk, she still won't eat enough.


Offline Lissybits

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2011, 19:08:17 pm »
Do you think she could still not be feeling 100% after the tummy bug?
Is there a possibility she could be teething? Leo always goes off his food a bit when there's a tooth lurking!
xx



Offline Little toes

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2011, 19:59:07 pm »
She's definately getting her 2yr molars, two of them coming in. But those take a while to come in, that's why I was hoping to get some ideas so that she doesn't lose weight or continue to rely on milk at night when she's hungry.


Offline Shiv52

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2011, 19:59:48 pm »
The problem is lack of appetite, so on days when she barely eats, which has been most days since her stomache bug, then I end up giving her milk at night.

It can take a few days (upto a week I read) for hunger to transfer to solids and to get LO used to not filling up on milk.  So if you decide to tackle the milk issue you would not offer extra milk and then resettle in the night without feeding (offer water if necessary) and get through to morning and then offer breakfast. But know it can take upto a week to see some progress. At 16 months milk in the am and pm and in a sippy with lunch is more than adequate.   I'm not sure there is any thing you could give to stimulate her appetite but I do think consistently cutting the milk and not feeding at night will certainly help eating through the day.

{{hugs}}  It may be worth tackling before the baby comes along as hopefully the NWs will decrease if she gets used to not feeding if she wakes.  






Offline Little toes

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2011, 22:42:35 pm »
At night when she's hungry she'll just keep screaming when I offer her water instead. It's hard to get thru the night when she's like that. I'd like to cut it out completely - the night feeds. I wonder if the almond milk isn't sustaining enough like regular milk or formula, maybe that's why she wakes so much?


Offline Mom to M&M

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2011, 18:57:44 pm »
I know it's hard but the more you feed in the night the longer the cycle will perpetuate. You may just have to bite the bullet and go for it - usually only takes like 3 bad nights if you are firm/consistent.

Almond milk is definitely lighter than regular milk or formula. Have you tried/talked to your doctor about coconut milk or hemp milk instead? Coconut in particular is such a great source of healthy fats. Maybe even mix 2 ounces of that into say 4 ounces almond milk? I'd try to get her down to two bottles day tops (16 ounces)...
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Offline Shiv52

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2011, 19:37:36 pm »
I know it's hard but the more you feed in the night the longer the cycle will perpetuate. You may just have to bite the bullet and go for it - usually only takes like 3 bad nights if you are firm/consistent.

Agree with this.  Unfortunately it is a viscious cycle.  If she doesn't eat well in the day and you feed at night then she wakes up still not hungry enough to start eating properly and on it goes.  Maybe pick a weekend or a time when you have DH about and just go for it.  Take it in turns to settle her and just use a sleep phrase 'no milk, time for sleep, night night'.    Yes the first few nights will be hard but once you shift her hunger to daytime and more solids you'll all be sleeping better and she should be eating better.  I would say though that if you do decide to go for it promise yourself you won't give  in because if you start and tell her no milk, its night time, time for sleep and then give in a few hours later she'll be totaly confused. 

I wonder if the almond milk isn't sustaining enough like regular milk or formula, maybe that's why she wakes so much?
I'm not sure but I think alot of it is habit. And also a case of using night time to catch up on lost calories.

At night when she feeds do you put her back down awake so she resettles herself back to sleep?

{{{hugs}}}





Offline Little toes

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2011, 22:16:46 pm »
Almond milk is definitely lighter than regular milk or formula. Have you tried/talked to your doctor about coconut milk or hemp milk instead? Coconut in particular is such a great source of healthy fats. Maybe even mix 2 ounces of that into say 4 ounces almond milk? I'd try to get her down to two bottles day tops (16 ounces)...

Thanks! I never thought about coconut or hemp. The almond milk I'm giving her has only 40calories and it's honestly like water. I'll definately try that.

use a sleep phrase 'no milk, time for sleep, night night'.    Yes the first few nights will be hard but once you shift her hunger to daytime and more solids you'll all be sleeping better and she should be eating better.  I would say though that if you do decide to go for it promise yourself you won't give  in because if you start and tell her no milk, its night time, time for sleep and then give in a few hours later she'll be totaly confused.

She sleeps with me and drives me insane when she's hungry, so I've been giving in. She falls asleep instantly when she downs 6oz. But tbh last night I think she was just thirsty, ok after her 6oz 3am feed she woke and took less than an ounce. Didn't have anything at 730am either.

How am I going to get thru not giving her milk at all?? She absolutely freaks out when I give her sippy with water. I'm gonna try tonight but it's hard to be patient with her when I'm tired. Wish me luck!


Offline Little toes

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2011, 22:18:28 pm »
And I should mention dh works shifts and doesn't do BT. Him in the room makes it worse cuz she'll either scream or think it's play time. BT has always been mommy time.


Offline Little toes

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2011, 22:47:20 pm »
Ok, so last night wasn't as dreadful as I thought it'd be. I didn't completely cut out her milk, but significantly decreased it. She took 7oz at BT, screamed her head off 2hrs later. I gave her 3oz more then told myself it's water from then on, and I stuck with it! So she didn't have milk again til 7am, took 5oz. So she still woke up but was somewhat settled by water.

She ate much better today, tho not very much after her nap - she took 5oz. I'm wondering if that should be watered down a bit or just leave it for now til I get her thru the nights without that extra 11pm feed.


Offline Shiv52

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2011, 22:58:24 pm »
Well done you!!!!That was excellent!!!

Glad she ate better today too!

I would do a couple more nights like last night then tackle that milk around nap time xx





Offline Mom to M&M

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Re: Milk decreasing appetite?
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2011, 23:28:32 pm »
Great start! If you're not ready to totally cut the milk out yet I'd at least heavily dilute both the 11pm one AND the after nap one - like offering half water/half milk. And I'd think about making the switch to coconut milk - or at least adding a few ounces of coconut milk to her almond milk during the day - to make it more filling and add good fats to her diet.
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