How to change routine for a 6 month old

[Ailish]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help!  I have a 6 month old who I am just starting on solids.  He currently has a full bottle (240 mls, sometimes only 200) at about 7am, sleeps from 8.30-10, bottle at 11, but has recently really cut back on this so sometimes only has 100 mls, but will then take a couple of teaspoons of pear etc, sleeps 12.30 - 2, bottle at 3 (again, he's really cutting back on this so only about 150mls), short nap at about 5 for 30 mins, then bottle at 7 and bed at 8, then dream feed at about 11.30 (really variable - can be 130mls or 230).

He's getting fussier over his 11am and 3pm feeds (all times are approximate, we have quite a bit of flexibility!).

I'm not sure how to get him onto having 3 feeds of solids per day, but still make sure he's having enough milk, and fitting in his naps.

Just in case it's relevant, he's also going through a spell (last week or so) of waking up 4 or 5 times per night (if we put his dummy in he goes back to sleep but never for that long).  I thought it might be beacuse he's hungry, but in that case why is he cutting back on his feeds?

Please help 

[Shdef]

There is a good possibility that he doesn't need fed at night at all anymore. we even dropped the DF at 4 months... If he needs the dummy to fall asleep I would get some advice about that in the PROP section of SLEEP here. But if he still needs the dreamfeed, he shouldn't need another one until 7 am... But 6 months is a difficult age. My advice is understimulation at night. No light, no nappy change, no talk, no song, no whispering. Try to be really boring and either try PU/PD ot Pat/Shhh. That should bore him after a while I would seek some advice in the sleep forum for that...
BTW... if you post in the sleep section is always good to post the routine as well.

[*Natasha*]

I agree with Scott's Maw about the dreamfeed you will probably find that if you cut this out (you can do it slowly if you don't want to go cold turkey) her will take more during the day.Sounds like the night waking is due to wanting the dummy to go back to sleep.  As for fitting in solids the general way is an hour after a bottle so when you introduce meal 2&3 this is when you could do them to fit in with your day:

7am - Bottle
8am - Breakfast
8.30 - 10am - Sleep
11am - Bottle
12pm - Lunch
12.30 - 2pm - Sleep
3pm - Bottle
4/4.30pm - Dinner
5 - 5.30pm  - Sleep
7pm - Bottle.

At this age his bottles are still very important around 26 - 32ozs in 24hrs until them are on 3 decent sized solid meals and then around 8-9months their milk intake may start to decrease.

[LŠuren]

This is my current routine,

Wake 7am
E0730 5oz milk + ready brek/weetabix with fruit with 1oz

E1200 5oz
  1230 veggies and protien followed by a yogurt

E 1600/1630 5oz
   veggies

*some times give him a rusk when DH & I eat tea*

E1900 + 1940 split last bottle with bath. - 10oz

He has dropped his intake for all bottles except his bedtime one, where I can rely on 10ox. He only get 25 - 27oz per day actual milk then the rest from yogurt, cheese, pasta, rice, chicken, etc (not necessarily all in the one day) this is still well over a pint + half and he eats load of solids, so I am not worrying about it for now. http://www.psinvention.com/zoetic/convert.htm

I tired the 3 bottle routine for a few days, but I kept forgetting to give him the 2nd bottle (bad mummy  )

[Ailish]

That's great, thank you for the ideas - think I'll start to cut back on the dream feed (sometimes it's a bit of a struggle to get him to take much anyway, lots of jiggling of the bottle needed!!).    Will also have a look at the sleep section to see what's the best way of sorting out the dummy issue - v tired mummy!!!!!

[*Natasha*]

Good luck