HELP! 9mo old still eats 2-3 times a night

[jnjurgy6]

Hello!

I am curious if other 4-hour EASY BF babies sleep through the night?  My son has never slept longer than an 8 hour stretch.  He used to (around 6-7 months) nurse at 6:30, sleep until 2-3, nurse, and then awake by 6:30.  But for the last 2 months he wakes 2-3 times a night to eat and seems hungry.  I'm wondering if he doesn't get enough calories of BM during the day.  Below is our schedule which he easily follows pretty closely each day.

Our bedtime routine has been consistent for months now. Eat. Bath. Lotion. PJ's. Snuggles with Dad. BF. Lay in crib to fall to sleep on own. 

6:30a - Wake
7:00 - Breastfeed
8:30-11:00 - Naps for 1.25-2.5 hours.  Sometimes he goes down around 9.  Daycare is great at watching for sleepy signs.
11:00 - 5oz of BM from bottle
12:30 - Finger foods (which he doesn't eat that well) and a 4oz package of baby food
1:00-3:00 - 1.5-2 hour nap
3:00 - 5oz of BM from bottle
5:00 - pick up from Daycare
6:00 - finger foods and 4-8 oz of baby food
6:45ish - Breastfeed from both sides
11:00 - wakes to eat (sometimes 10:30, sometimes midnight)
Wakes 3.5-4.5 hours after first night feeding to eat again.
6:30a - Wake again

I'm wondering if he's not getting enough BM throughout the day to sustain him.  My supply seems low in the evenings.  Sometimes he's quite fussy at the breast and I'll give him a bottle (but this doesn't help him sleep much longer. he might make it until midnight on these nights). I'm not even asking for him to sleep through the night. I'd be happy if he just went back to waking at only 3. Please let me know what you suggest.

[*Ali*]

How long has he been going to this daycare? If it is a recent start I'm just wondering if he my be reverse cycling to get extra mummy time. This link has further info. http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/reverse-cycling/

I also notice he doesn't eat a solid breakfast. Is that correct (or did you miss it off)?

My other thought is that he may be having the NWs because he is UT from too much day sleep and just needs help getting sleepy again. My two were both Independent sleepers in the day but woke for an extra BF when UT. I think they were just so used to only waking at night to feed that they looked for it if they woke because of UT as well. His morning nap is very early, probably because of the disturbed night but I'm wondering if he is then catching up in the day and UT at night and so the cycle goes on.

What do you think?

Fwiw my two were EBF (plus solids by 9mo) and had 1 NF and 4 daytime BFs. Sometimes if the NF was at 5am for example that replaced their morning wake up feed and they just got the 4 BFs in total.

[jnjurgy6]

He has been at this daycare for 5 months now. 

He doesn't eat a solic breakfast because I don't make time to do it.  I could make time.

I'm not sure what to think, that's whyI posted on here.  I'll ask my daycare to make sure his naps stay between 9-11.  Sometimes they let him sleep until 11:30.  He is only 9 months, so I don't think i should cut out a nap yet.

Last night he woke randomly at 9:30.  I picked him up. Held him a bit and then laid him down.  I might try doing that a tonight for his earlier feeding.

[*Ali*]

I meant what do you think about my thoughts and suggestions

Maybe you could offer some pre-prepared finger food, like pancakes, porridge fingers, a banana or cheese for example, to just give for breakfast while you are getting ready or even in the buggy if you walk to daycare. Could daycare give him breakfast if he is there early enough? Most 9mo would be on 3 solid meals by now or certainly very soon.

I don't think he is ready for one nap either but he might need one or both naps capped. If he is having two long naps (of 2 or even 2.5hrs based on your EASY listed above) then that could be too much. I was capping both my DS1's naps to 1.5hrs at this age and shortly after he was on a 1.5hr morning nap and 45 min PM nap. He stayed on those naps until he finally made the switch to one nap at 15mo.

If you can easily resettle him at night without feeding then yes I would definitely give it a try. Personally I would worry about replacing one prop (BFing) with another (holding) at NWs though so if you think he would resettle with a hand on him or shh pat for example then those might be better options