waking in the night for a BF - can't get enough food in!

[jellybean78]

Hi guys,
My LO is 10 months and has always been a good eater until he started teething and it all changed.  He has now become quite fussy about texture and often refuses the spoon. 
He is waking in the night for a BF.  The timing varies, but last night it was at 12.30am.  The night before it was 3.30am.  He will not be settled unless he has a feed.  I can hear his tummy rumbling so am pretty sure it's hunger rather than comfort.  His usual day looks like this:-
6/7am wake up - BF
7.30am - cereal (shreddies/oats/weetabix) with fruits. 
10.30am - BF but sometimes I offer a snack instead - cheese and a biscuit or bit of fruit
11.30am - lunch.  Usually spoon fed food like lentil with sweet potato, or a veg, carb and protein combo - followed by fruit and biscuit.
3pm - BF but sometimes a snack if he isn't interested. 
4.30/5pm - dinner.  See lunch above.
6.45pm - BF, followed by half a weetabix.

I feel like i'm always feeding him, but maybe the quantities are enough, or the foods I am offering aren't substantial enough? 

He was such a good sleeper, going through the night at 12 weeks but since the teeth have come through and he's crawling and coasting the furniture the sleep deprivation is back!!

Any advice gratefully received. 

[Lemonthyme]

Hmm.  I would say I would try and BF more in the day than at night.  I know lots of pro BFers would say it's completely normal to BF in the night at 10 months but I've been there and it's tough.  Not to say I'm not pro BF, I did it for 13 months!  Personally I would be tempted to try and push for one feed only at a specific time, e.g. only after 2am or do a dreamfeed and not accept any feeds at any other time (I tried to DF but my LO refused).  PUPD can be helpful for doing this.  Then if you like you could try and push him to through the night which is definitely possible at this age.  Remember even when he's teething, BF will sometimes be comforting so it might not necessarily be hunger.  Also if you have a snack at 11am every day, you then 'learn' even as an adult to be hungry at that time every day so I wouldn't personally be totally convinced by the rumbling tummy (which could also be wind anyway.)

I think ultimately you have to do what's right for you.  He will get there on his own eventually but it's up to you whether you want to wait or not.  Some people do, some don't.  My son was only just sleeping through around 10 months which we did with PUPD but 10 months of sleep deprivation was a killer.  If you can cope for a bit longer, it might pass on its own.

[Shiv52]

I agree with pp.  I would concentrate on getting the BFs in during the day.  The WHO recommends 4 BFs a day until 1YO so at this stage I wouldn't offer a snack instead of a BF.  BM has many more calories per oz than solids, especially snack type foods so if he is skipping 1-2 BFs a day then he may well be waking hungry at night as 2 BFs isn't enough to keep him going.

{{{hugs}}} it does fell like you are always feeding them at this stage.  I cut back totally on snacks though at 8 months as I felt milk intake was dropping way off and it helped get the BFs back in again.  I would concentrate on your 3 solid meals and 4 BFs and see does that help him take more milk in the day.   

Is OT at issue?  what time does your LO nap?

[Buntybear]

Great advice already  only other thing I can think of is to vary the textures he is getting? Does he eat finger foods or is it all from the spoon?