Hello Moms,
I am a FTM and my baby boy turns 5 months old next week. He currently takes 4 feedings a day (8 oz of formula at 7, 11, 3, and 7pm, asleep by 7:45pm). He does not do well with a dreamfeed...it disrupts his long stretch of sleep and he wakes more frequently at night with it, so his last feed is at 7pm. He is 17.5 pounds and 27 inches, so a hefty, but lean boy.
He is still waking between 2:30 and 3:30am every night, seamingly hungry. At one point about a week ago, he was streching to 4:30/5:00am (10 hour stretch), but has since gone back to waking at 2:30/3:30am (this happened after immunizations). Obviously, since he doesn't do well with a dreamfeed, he is waking for that last feeding, which I would expect because I don't feel that 32oz of milk (the amount he gets through the day) is quite enough for a baby his size. I feed him 7oz at this night waking and then he goes right back down for three hours. Then he usually always wakes at 6am. I haven't been able to figure out if this early waking is out of hunger. I don't feel that he should be hungry again after only 3 hours and should be able to easily sleep through to 7am, so I have not been feeding him at the morning waking, but it is very difficult to get him back to sleep for the last hour.
On peds suggestion, we have started solids this week, but so far, only a tablespoon or so of cereal once a day. In my case, how much solid food should I work up to since formula is not enough for him anymore? I know usually before six months, you don't feed too much solid food as it is just for practice really. Although in my case, I think he does need the extra calories to help meet his daily requirement. He is a great eater and has taken well to the cereal. I'm not sure he would stop eating on his own, as he loves to eat, so I am confused about portion size and how many times I should feed him solids throughout the day.
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Jenny
