5 month old and night feeds

[MiniNs]

Hi,
My LB is 5months old and has a dream feed + 1 night feed every night. I’m wondering if the night feed is still normal at this age or whether I need tontry and drop it? My eldest dropped all night feeds by 4 months so I’m not sure!

Our current EASY is something like this (we’ve just started weaning on the advice of a Doctor);

6:30 WU
7:00 E milk (not always interested in this, even at 7:30, which is why I’m questioning the place of the night feed)
8:00 purée
S 8:30/9

E: 10:30 milk (this is often more like 10:15 if not had much when he gets up)
S: 11:30/45

E: 14:30/15:00
S: 15:30/16:00

17:00 purée
18:00 bath
18:30 E milk
18:45 BT

I then dream feed at 22:30, but he will sometimes wake for this himself between 22:00-22:30, and he wakes for a feed around 2/3am.
He currently takes about 5-6oz per bottle, including the nightfeed. I’ve tried reducing it down to 4oz but then he’s EW around 5-5:30am and I can only resettle with APOP/consleeping. On the nights where he has 6oz on the nightfeed he rarely does this.

Is it ok for him to be having such a large night feed at this age? If not, any tips on how to reduce it?

He’s not taking very much solids at the minute - he hates the spoon and I’m literally only getting a taste in. I’ve tried upping his bottles to 7oz but he still only takes 5-6oz. He used to have a feed at 17:00 until a few weeks ago and sometimes gets hungry again around the 17:30 mark. If he’s crying with it then I feed him and then he has a top up feed at BT. Sometimes he’s just a bit grizzly and I can jostle him through to BT without it.

[Katet]

Generally speaking solids fill them up less than solids do ESP if puree with no protein, which is why they may not help the night feeds.
I didn't really FF but by 5mo my DS1 would take 7-8 Oz if BM in a bottle, so I imagine if you could increase day feeds to 7or 8 oz it might change, but it's still reasonable for babies to NF in the fist year of life even if some don't at earlier ages.

If he's hung around 5pm try an extra feed then and see what happens,all babies are different and so it's worth following their lead rather than a book.

[MiniNs]

Thanks.

I’ve tried increasing his bottles to larger quantities but he’s not interested beyond 6oz. Whether I do an extra feed around tea time or not makes no odds to the night time. It can mean he takes less at bedtime sometimes but then the rest of the night remains the same.

Yes, I wasn’t expecting the solids to be helping just yet - particularlynas he’s not interested and taking very little. I just mentioned it incase anyone suggested we might want to start weaning

[Katet]

I think the solids may be having the opposite effect in taking up tummy space but not really providing calories to the same degree that milk will. I'd probably try not giving solids and see if that helps, but it sounds like he's just one of those babies (often boys) who needs the calories...my DS1 was like that.

[MiniNs]

We’ve been advised by a doctor to start weaning, so I can’t really not do it. And I’ll be honest, he’s really not interested in it and barely had more than 2-3 tastes, not even spoonfuls, so I really don’t think the introduction of solids is making a difference.

I think you’re right about the calories though. He is a chunky boy and at the top end of the chart for weight, and quite high up for length/height too. But I really can’t get him to take more in one go to make up the calories in the day xx