When do babies stop needing an early morning feed?

[SurreyWithAFringeOnTop]

Hi - my DS2 is 7 months and wakes any time between 5.30am and 6.45am. I always give him a small feed at this time to tide him over till breakfast. Therefore the timing of his breakfast depends on this early morning feed.

DS1 tends to have breakfast at about 7.45am, but if DS2 has an early feed after about 6.15am, he doesn't need breakfast this early, but I would like them to start eating together. So do I just reduce the early morning milk until I cut it out altogether or will he be too hungry? What do other people do?

DS1 slept through till 7am from 4 months old so I didn't really have this issue with him.

Thank you!

I stopped the morning bottle for my lb at 7-8 months & just gave him porridge with some water as a drink.He began to eat lots at around 8 months then all of a sudden stopped waking so early! I would try to just give breakfast first thing & build up what he eats during the day.It may be a few early mornings but soon he would be in a routine.worked for my boy but then they are all different :)

Thanks - I am hoping a similar thing will happen for us!

What does he do when he wakes? My ds sometimes wakes early but if left is,happy to either fall back asleep or talk to himself for a while. If he's not crying have you tried just leaving him until breakfast time.
obviously you can't do this,if he's waking hungry.

cleoowen - I have wondered this; he doesn't cry on waking, just chats to himself, I get up feed him as that is what I have always done. Whereas he used to have 7-8ozs when he woke, he now has 4-5ozs, so maybe it is just habit?

He is still in our room as we only have two bedrooms and I am loathe to put him in with DS1 in case he wakes him too. I think leaving him to see what he does is a good idea, thank you. Either he goes back to sleep, or I have to get up, which I have to do at the moment anyway.

21 months and still has a 5am bottle. Embarrassing but the alternative is a 5am start to the day. I'm not going there!

We stopped dd's morning bottle at about 9 months as she wasn't taking to solids well and we wanted to encourage her to eat. The bottle meant she wasn't hungry and she had/has a small appetite. It worked well. Saying that she still wakes very early but I know it's not through hunger.

Yes see what happens as you said you have nothing to loose and then give him breakfast as usual at usual time.

Isn't it a matter of they gradually get to needing both milk and food instead of just milk, rather than dropping mil in favour of food? At seven months I wouldn't encourage a baby to drop feeds.

We have always just offered food at our mealtimes with milk as a whole other as a whole different thing. I would personally carry on offering the early morning feed - I always feed DD first thing in the morning as it lets me doze for another 30-40 minutes at least, and it's nice to start the day with a cuddle. And then just offer them breakfast when you're eating it - food is pretty supplementary and really just an added extra at 7mo, DD certainly didn't have much more than a few bits of crumpet or a piece of fruit to play with at that age and the rest went on the floor...

A health visitor will advise to feed breakfast ie porridge first thing rather than a bottle...obviously you make with babies milk anyway.They would advise only 2 bottles a day then when on whole milk only 1 a day.I would say to feed actual food more throughout the day :)

I think you need to do what your baby wants. I ve dropped a bottle as found my ds didn't want it anyway but upped the amount in his other bottles to compensate so I was offering him enough. If he's waking up out of habit, which the op thinks he is, rather than hunger I don't think there is anything wrong with getting him to wait until 7 for bottle and b fast rather than feeding him when he wakes up at the crack of dawn.

The Annabell Carmel book actually said to drop two feeds by 7 months but I still think you should go by your baby and if they are no longer wanting one of the feeds there is nothing wrong with dropping it,as long as they being offered,the right amount of milk for their age.

Thanks all for your comments.

I think he is destined to be an early waker, whether hungry or not. The last couple of mornings I haven't fed him as soon as he wakes and he seems to be quite happy to just lie there and chat to himself for 20-30 mins, but then needs his milk.

I think I'll try and cut down gradually to encourage him to be hungry for breakfast when DS1 eats, but not hurry it. It'll all settle down in time, I'm sure.

I BF my 15 month old at 6 30/7am to tide him over until breakfast at 7 30/8am. I feed him while I doze in my bed so I get a bit of extra sleep.