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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

9 month old waking at night for milk! Any ideas?

25 replies

Gizboss · 12/08/2010 12:53

My 9, nearly 10, month old wakes anywhere between 4.30 - 5.30 and is desperate for milk. We've tried giving her water and she is tending to drink about 4 ounces and then settles for 20 mins/half hour before screaming for milk again. Have tried all the other sleep training stuff - patting and shushing etc which works at other times but the only thing that settles her at this time is milk. Am giving her 3 meals a day and trying to give carbs and protein at lunch and tea. She's not a huge eater but I give her as much as I can get her to eat and we do a combination of spoon feeding and finger foods. She's drinking 18 ounces of milk a day - she isn't on follow on milk but we tried that last night and it didn't make any difference. Any ideas for solving this? Anyone else experienced anything similar?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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azazello · 12/08/2010 13:31

She might well be hungry by then, especially if she's not eating masses yet. I have a similar aged DS who is definitely still needing milk in the night. IMO its worth trying a bottle at 4.30 and seeing if she'll settle down again and waiting for another couple of months to night wean completely.

TonariNoTotoro · 12/08/2010 13:34

Sorry, I think I'm being a bit dim here, but is this a problem? I thought lots of under 1's still woke for a bottle in the night?

I would give her a bottle when she wakes, and as azazello said, leave it another couple of months to try night weaning (just gradually reducing the amount in the bottle)

Ineedsomesleep · 12/08/2010 13:38

I can't see the problem either. She obviously needs it and I thought that a large majority of under 1's woke at some point during the night anyway.

What time does does she have her last milk or something to eat?

Rebbie · 12/08/2010 13:39

My 9 month old still wakes for a feed at about 11pm and then is ready again at 5.30am. A lot of my friends have said i'm being too soft but I think he's hungry so i'll continue for now. What time is she going to bed?

mamaloco · 12/08/2010 13:40

At what time is she going to bed, and what time is the last bottle?
If it is 7-8 and 6-7, then by 4-5 am she will have been 10-11 h without food, I would consider that the morning bottle not a night feed.
Try a dream feed, or just go to bed earlier so you can get up with her.
Sorry not to be helpful. DD1 did 6 pm till 4 pm, till she was about 2. It was her night pattern and 4am was her morning bottle.

Original poster

Gizboss · 12/08/2010 14:07

Thanks for your responses - I'm a first time mum (obviously) and all of my friends' babies are going through till at least 6 so I'm glad to hear that there are others in the same boat and that you don't think it's a problem. Her last food is at 5pm and she goes to bed at 7 with a 6 ounce bottle. The thing is that she was sleeping through till at least 6 when she was 6 months and this night feeding has just started again in the last month. Any other thoughts or just commiserations welcome.

OP posts:

Orangesarenottheonlyfruit · 12/08/2010 14:16

Gizboss - When my DD went through this, she was going through a huge growth spurt. I used to give her some eggy bread and a banana or cheese on toast just before bed, after bath etc. It seemed to work but did require a bit of effort!
Good luck...

Original poster

Gizboss · 12/08/2010 14:39

Orangesarenottheonlyfruit - thanks - did your DD then have her bottle as normal? It would be no problem to give her something to eat (apart from the mess) but just wondering if she will then drink less milk and does this matter?

OP posts:

Ineedsomesleep · 12/08/2010 16:22

When DD was going through a growth spurt and was waking up more in the night I gave her something to eat while she was in the bath.

It mainly consisted of her playing with DS while I shovelled in Ready Brek and a bit of fruit.

Oh and don't forget people often lie about how much their LO sleeps. You are not the only one who is awake with a baby in the night. I think she is doing really well just to be waking you once.

AllSheepareWhite · 12/08/2010 17:00

Don't worry, you are not alone my DD is 14 months and woke 4 times last night She is teething though, 4 molars at once ouch!

Original poster

Gizboss · 12/08/2010 18:03

Thanks for moral support and suggestions - any more welcome! Hope we all have a good night!

OP posts:

RememberToPlaywiththeKids · 12/08/2010 20:11

How about giving her tea earlier at 4 or 4.30 and then a bowl of porridge at 6? She will drink less milk at bed time but that's ok and the oats in the porridge will slowly release energy through the night.

PDog · 12/08/2010 20:14

My DD is only 8mo but have been told to expect another growth spurt at around 9mo. She is probably just growing lots and will settle down again in a few days.

addictedtofrazzles · 12/08/2010 21:37

I had this problem until a friend was very honest and said that surely if a baby was having a balanced diet and eating well, then feeding before 7am was a 'habit' as who would turn down a nice warm bottle of milk and glimpse of mummy in the night!?

Deep down I knew she was right and stopped night feeds cold turkey. The first night he woke, cried a lot and we started the day at 5am. The second night he had water and third night didn't wake. I also started giving hipp organic night milk (it has added cereal) in a nuk grainy beaker with soft silicone spout, as it is too thick for a standard teat.

Casmama · 12/08/2010 21:45

Is there any way that you could up the milk during the day - say offering 8-9 ounces at each feed instead of 6?
I also agree with addicted to frazzles with the going cold turkey (only if you are sure she is not ill and is eating/drinking enough during the day). It worked within three days with my ds at about 10 months old.
Good luck.

LoveJules3 · 12/08/2010 21:45

My Ds (10m) started doing this after sleeping through for a while. It was very frustrating but he was definately hungry! He was on goodnight milk when he started doing it too. We started giving him another bottle during the day, about an hour after lunch. It seems to be working so far...........

loopyloops · 12/08/2010 21:47

allsheep mine was exactly the same! 14 months, awake at 12, 2, 4, 6 and 7, all molars coming through together!

Minxie1977 · 12/08/2010 21:50

I wonder when and how much she eats in a day? Could you be bothered to put a typical day on here?

My DD's same age and I found by cutting down on her milk in day she ate more food and slept longer. I also cut down on the amount of time she slept in the day to 2hrs. DD now usually sleeps from 7pm to 6.30/7.30am. This morn she woke at 5.30am, I gave her a dummy and she slept till 6.30am. Personally I think if there's enough food in the day and not too much sleep, a baby should be able to sleep for 11/12 hours.

addictedtofrazzles · 12/08/2010 21:55

Umm...training, not grainy beaker!

Original poster

Gizboss · 13/08/2010 14:08

Wow loads of great ideas and support - thank you so much. So last night I tried giving her tea half an hour later and then gave her 7oz 'Hungry Milk' before bed and she didn't wake at all until 5.45 when she wanted milk - bliss after the last month!! I'm going to try the same again tonight as it could just be a fluke but may also try the Hipp organic goodnight milk too (thanks frazzles) as that sounds really substantial. Not sure whether upping or reducing the milk would be the right way to go - it's hard to know which way to go but will try both if this continues and would be up for trying to get her to quit cold turkey in a month if I can't crack it before then.

She has a medium sized bowl of ready brek or aptimel baby cereal with pureed fruit in it for breakfast (sometimes she is not so interested in it and doesn't eat much). If she won't touch it, I give her toast or bread with butter or dairylea.

Lunch is something with protein and carbs so fish pie, or chicken with veg and sweet potato for example. She generally eats a medium sized bowl and then a yoghurt or fromage frais.

Tea is a bit more varied, risotto or pasta or maybe cheese on toast with veg or meat/cheese. She eats a smaller amount than at lunch. Then fruit such as melon or mango.

Snacks vary but might be a couple of rice crackers/bread sticks or a bit of banana.

I think she eats a fair amount but definitely not as much as some of her friends and it definitely can depend on the day but that doesn't seem to have made much difference to the nights. What do you think? Does this seem like enough?

OP posts:

lifeas3plus1 · 13/08/2010 14:49

It looks like she is having her big meal of the day at lunch!

Could you swap this round so she is having lunch at, well, lunchtime then her bigger meal in the evening. This way you could also try an extra bottle of milk after lunch if she is eating the smaller amount at that time. Leaving the evening for her big meal and a 7/8oz bottle of milk before bed which would see her through the night longer?

(ps, I have no idea if this would work but it is just another suggestion you could try)

Minxie1977 · 13/08/2010 20:47

A typical day for my DD is:
7oz milk followed by breakfast at 730am- cereal (half an adult portion), 2 types of fruit (half a pear &half a banana or whatever) & a couple of toast fingers.
Big Lunch 12pm - Protein & carb (today fish pie) with finger foods - usually a piece of cheese & 2 types of fruit plus veg sticks. Water to drink.
Afternoon snack - 3pm of a biscuit/rice cake/dried fruit.
Carb heavy dinner 5pm - something like macaroni cheese or Jacket Pot, followed by a milky pud (like yog or semolina)
5oz milk before bed at 7pm.

Sounds like you're doing very similar but maybe your DD's eating bit less?? They all diff tho - glad you had a good night

woolytree · 13/08/2010 21:20

My DS has just turned 1, he has porridge or toast, a bannana and fruit juice, a light lunch...after his nap at which he nomally has 9oz of half cows milk and half hungry baby or follow on formula, a snack at 3, then a carb filled dinner and pud at about 4. He has a bath at 7 with his sister and another 9oz bottle before bed. He started sleeping through till 7-8 but is cutting his top teeth and having a growth spurt so has started to wake at 530....then go back to sleep till 8 after 6oz!

I agree maybe bigger milk feeds but less of them and a big dinner/smaller lunch. All babies differ though. We tried good night milk but he didnt like it and 1yr follow on milk doesnt fill him up as well...hungry baby worked best for us. My DD was still up in the night at aged 2.5! Good luck! :)

Mjade · 03/10/2023 20:50

wondering if anyone can offer any advice/tips?

my nearly 10 month old daughter does not sleep through the night and still wakes for feeds. I’ve tried pretty much everything to get her to sleep through except from weaning her off her night time bottles which I am thinking of doing next.

she eats 3 meals a day and absolutely loves her food. She has a 4oz bottle around 5:30 and goes to bed at 8:00 with a 6oz bottle. By 12pm/1am she will be awake and the only thing that will settle her is milk. Sometimes from here she’s awake every hour, sometimes she won’t wake for another bottle again until 4am if I'm lucky.

i know she’s not hungry it’s purely a comfort thing. Any advice please?

Rosieharris · 04/10/2023 14:17

With my now 9mo I reduced the night time bottle by 1oz for a few nights, repeat until you’ve been on 1/2oz for a few nights (if she’s settling with that then she’s not hungry) then cut out completely. I also squeezed an extra bottle in during the day while we did it. Worked relatively painlessly as don’t think he noticed the reduction most nights and he doesn’t have a bottle til after his breaky now so he defo isn’t hungry. My mantra was “he is NOT hungry” once I cut it out and lots of cuddles shushing patting etc whatever it takes… can sort that out once you’ve cut out the bottles!

adding on that we also moved him into his own room shortly after and it really helped- think he was making noises and I was actually waking him up responding so quickly. So could be an option if she’s still in with you!

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