Multiple issues with 9 month old

[knackered]

I'm not sure where to post as I seem to have multiple issues in feeding and sleeping. My DS is 9 months and is still needing a dream feed and also wakes very early starving hungry. In addition, his afternoon nap is getting shorter and shorter. At the moment, his routine looks like this:

5 - 5.30 Awake v. hungry. He used to sleep till 6 - 6.15, but now is waking earlier and earlier. Try to ignore his mantra crying, but he eventually works himself up to proper crying.
5.30 - 6 - try and feed him and put him back to sleep but doesn't really work.
7.30 Solids - cereal and fruit 
8.30 - 9 Nap usually for 1 - 1.5 hours. I know this is a long time after first waking, but he seems to be able to do it and if I put him down earlier it totally throws the rest of the day off.#
11am - Formula from sippy cup - he's not great at taking milk this way - sometimes he takes as much as 5 or 6 oz, in which case I'll wait til 12 to give him his solids, but other times he'll not want milk and so I give him his solids at 11.30.
1.30 - Snack of left over lunch and fruit
2 - 2.30 - Afternoon nap. He used to sleep consistently for 1.5 hours but this nap has been getting harder. He goes to sleep easy enough, he just is waking up after 45 mins. I've been trying to extend his A time - sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.
3.30 - 4 breastfeed - he usually doesn't take very much at this time
4.30 - 5pm - Dinner - usually just veg and rice and drink of water
6 - bath
6.30 BF
7pm usually in bed by 7 - asleep by 7.15-30
10.30pm breast feed - sometimes takes quite a bit, other times not so much

Is there something that needs tweaking here? Should I be offering solids first at food times by now? He's a very active baby - he's crawling and just about cruising so he's constantly on the go.

Any suggestions anyone?

Thanks
Anna x

[rebecaq]

Hi Anna,

Your ds definitely seems to be needing more calories, is he going through a growth spurt maybe?

When he wakes at 5 very hungry then feed him enough to tide him over until it's time to start the day.  Don't leave him in his crib if you know he's hungry and gets upset. He's probably not going down at 6 when you do feed him because he got worked up.  The am nap is at a good time and I wouldn;t ush it earlier because then your whole routine will be shifted earlier.  It's about slowly pushing the  wake up time in the morning later.

At 11am you give him formula in a sippy and he doesn't take it well. So why are you insisting with the sippy cup?  Give him his milk in a container which he will take and get a full feed of milk. It seems to me that this feed is throwing off your day also because he's not getting sufficient calories. I also think that this feed may be the reason his pm nap is not consistent. Since lunch seems to be all over the place and you give  him whatever is left over at 1:30 he is probably not hungey enough for a BF at 3:30.

Have you done a yield to see how your supply is? That maybe part of the reason he's waking early.

Basically I think you need to get the morning and lunch meals on track for your ds to get his day on a more structured routine and improve his sleep issues.

- Beca

[* Paula *]

Anna,

I agree with the PP - With regards to your 11:00 feed, offer it to him in the manner of all the other feeds.  You can always offer a sippy of formula with lunch to get your DS used to the cup. 

My DS is 14 months and still won't take a large amount of milk from a sippy, so we offer him bottles and top up at meal times with milk in a sippy.

I also would not be offering a snack at 1:30 - It will definitely fill him up too much, and this is why he is not taking a big feed at 3:30.

Up until a year - BM / Formula is still the main source of nutritian for your lo.  They should be getting at least 21oz per day - including milk in cereal, yogurts, cheese etc.

HTH.

Good luck - keep us posted on how you get on.

Take care

Paula x

[knackered]

Thanks very much for your suggestions. The trouble is he has never taken a bottle and that 11am feed is the only one that isn't boob. I'm not keen to reinstate a breast feed at this time as I woke part time and I can't always be there for that 11 feed. I'll try and get his lunch time sorted and cut out that pre nap snack and see how that works.

I hadn't thought that my supply might be low as I've never had a problem with that before. How do I do a yield?

Thanks

[rebecaq]

Pump milk at a time you would feed him and see how much milk you can pump. Babies can drain an extra ounce or two then the pump, but it gives you a rough estimate.

Is there any other container he can take his milk in?  I really think that lunch time needs to be fixed in order to get the rest of the day on track.  Maybe another type of bottle or a faster flow teat...

HTH

- Beca

[knackered]

Believe me, I've tried everything! And the sippy cup is the best of the lot! How much should he be taking at this feed do you think?

Just for background - I've always struggled to get him to eat much during the day even when he was exclusively breast fed. He's always been much more interested in everything else but eating!

[rebecaq]

He should be getting a full meal at lunch time.  At 9 months he should drink about 8 oz of milk plus solids(not at the same time though).

I don't mean to sound harsh, but I get skeptical when a parent says "I've tried everything!".  If he's hungry he will eat, you just have to find the way that he takes his milk the best.  Sounds to me like he's a spirited boy. Have you taken the personality quiz?  It seems to me that he needs meal time to be quick before he loses interest. That's why I recommended a faster flow teat. He may even do well with a cup with a spout that has no restrcition of the milk flow.

From what I see the role of "I'm the parent and you're the child" has to be better defined.  If he is spirited, even more so.  Don't feel that by setting boundaries and having a few "battles"with him is going to make him hate you or even be angry at you. At this age when they get mad and cry is more them saying Hey! This isn't how we do things!!  He's a little fella that can only express himself through tears.

Babies need consistency, and if we give in to them they don't recieve it causing many prolems, from eating to sleeping.  Commit yourself to a structured routine and in several days, maybe even weeks you WILL see a change. Fixing problems doesn't happen overnight with babies.

- Beca

[* Paula *]

Anna,

Have you tried giving him his milk in a cup with a straw?  Sometimes they find this fun, and you would be surprised at how much they can take.

Just a thought.

Paula x

[knackered]

I haven't tried that - will try that out! Thanks.