8 month old not lasting until lunch

[sunflower321]

Hi
My dd is 8 months. I looked at the sample easy routines for an 8 month old but they're for 2 long naps a day. My dd has only done this once. She usually takes 3× half hour naps a day. Sometimes the middle nap will be an hour. But this is not my problem. She doesn't drink much milk. She has breakfast between 8 and 8.30 but cannot last til lunchtime anymore. It would be ok if she took the long nap but because she's awake she wants her lunch from about 10.30. I usually manage to put her off til 11.30. But she's cross and hungry for all of that time. She will not drink milk. Would you recommend a snack at 10.30 and lunch at 12? If so what kind of snack? She has a yogurt with her lunch so I don't really want to give another one.

[*Ali*]

Milk (breast or formula)  needs to be her main source of nutrition until  12mo so I would work on increasing that if she has started refusing it. Can you give us an example of the milk feeds she is having and how they fit in with her naps?

You definitely don't need to hold her off if she is hungry. Those are just samples of how to fit food around a typical easy. They are not meant to be hard schedules for you to fit your baby into. If she is hungry then please let her eat.

[creations]

Hi how are you doing now?

did you try any of the tips I gave you here:
Re: 8 month old won't drink milk
for example reducing all dairy solids to see if she would be more willing to drink milk (this helped my LO)?
or making milk pudding with her formula?

Could you post your EASY as Ali suggested so we can look at her current routine with milk intake and solids noted down?

[sunflower321]

Hey guys thanks for the replies. Her milk intake has actually improved a bit again. I did try reducing the dairy creations and it made no difference. So I just keep trying. Lately it's
7            3-4oz formula
8            oat cereal, 2oz formula, fruit puree
12          bowl of meat, potato, veg + yogurt
2.30/3   4oz formula
4.45       baby rice, 2oz formula, fruit/veg puree
6.45       3-4oz formula
I was originally asking here if I should give her a snack at 10ish to carry her to lunch as she will not take milk at that time but won't take a big enough breakfast to see her through. I decided I would give her a baby fromage frais at 10.30 and lunch a bit earlier. But weirdly after only doing a max of 30 min naps since she was born practically, she has suddenly started napping longer. 1-1.5 hours! Completely out of the blue. But it means that getting her thru to lunch hasn't been an issue because she's been asleep in the mornings. This has coincided with a slight increase in milk intake. Coincidence? Last couple of days she has had 3×4oz bottles which I'm delighted with and a 5oz bottle this morn! She has rules which I have to follow in order to get her to drink a bottle. She will never drink a bottle in my arms! And now only drinks up in her bedroom. But it's working. Well I think. I know some would consider it low and it's below the recommended amount but I'm actually quite happy. She loves drinking water from her cup. I only tried once putting formula into in. She burst into tears when she tasted it. I haven't tried formula in it since that day!
If you have any ideas I'll gladly take them but other than that I'm happy enough now and will fill any gaps to meals with some sort of snack I think. I was afraid to give her anything in between her 3 meals in case it put her off them but it hasn't so far so that's ok...
Oh Ali I forgot you asked about her naps with regards to bottles. The 2.30 bottle has been just before her nap the last couple of days because of the new long morn nap. I think she's just so tired she lies back and drinks because she's too tired to fight! Same at night. But when she only sleeps for half an hour in the morn she has to go back to bed at 1 so has the bottle a while after getting up and it's not as successful. So if she keeps up the long morn nap everything will be better!

[creations]

Glad to hear you are happier with her milk intake now. And wonderful news about that nap lengthening!

With 3 x 4oz bottles of formula this is under the recommended amount but with an additional 4oz of formula mixed into solids and another couple of oz of yoghurt you are just about hitting the minimum guidance amounts which is more than my DS took.  Whilst I was always keen to try to get mine up to the guidance amount I also realise for some babies this just isn't going to happen, no matter how hungry they are they refuse more milk.
You might try some finger of cheese or additional dairy in other solids as a bit of an extra for her.

I hope your lovely long naps continue