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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

11 month old won't eat anything waking up hungry in the night

45 replies

Raynasmum2015 · 28/01/2016 19:56

My 11 month old won't eat anything. I have tried her on finger food but she won't eat that either and now she's waking up 3-4 times at night crying for milk..Please help as this has been happening for about a month now and I'm exhausted!

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NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown · 29/01/2016 19:29

I'm going to go against the grain here. If your baby is waking up at night crying for milk, she wants milk. If she's refusing solids completely there may well be an underlying issue and I'd be pursuing it with the GP to be sure but milk should be the main source of her nutrition for another month yet. I don't know much about formula but breast milk isn't just a drink, it's an entire food source! All bread is going to do is fill her tummy, it's not going to provide the nutrition she needs. My advice would be check with the doctor to make sure she's not unwell and continue with giving milk on demand. This is a prime age for nursing strikes, I wonder if she's asserting her independence in some way? Perhaps she's too 'busy' during the day to eat (there's a development leap around a year past due date, it might be that) and is making up for it at night. Or just enjoying the comfort and a cuddle. There's no magic age (despite what some HCPs will tell you) for night feeds to stop. Best to get her checked anyway. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon

Original poster

Raynasmum2015 · 29/01/2016 19:43

Yes I've tried all of those things, she just pushes the spoon away and knocks it out of my hand, clamping her mouth shut.

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Original poster

Raynasmum2015 · 29/01/2016 19:45

But we never had this problem before. She ate solids perfectly fine up until about a month ago.

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Original poster

Raynasmum2015 · 29/01/2016 19:47

The GPs around here are rubbish, they don't do much for babies.

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Original poster

Raynasmum2015 · 29/01/2016 19:55

She was sleeping through the night when she was eating properly, it's only since she's stopped eating that she's been waking up

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BathshebaDarkstone · 29/01/2016 19:57

Is she teething? I mashed everything when DS was, it was the only way he'd eat.

Original poster

Raynasmum2015 · 29/01/2016 20:03

BathshebaDarkstone I tried that but it doesn't work. I've pureed everything to within an inch of its life and it makes no difference. All she does is cry if I try to feed her. I'm literally tearing my hair out.

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BrumpyGollocks · 29/01/2016 22:22

Has the the doctor given her a full check?
If a Gp isn't interested after this amount of time then I would personally look for another practice.

In the meantime If all else has failed I would try formula whilst trying to find out what's wrong so at least your dd gets some nutrition.

BrumpyGollocks · 29/01/2016 22:31

I've just re read & see that you are giving formula so I wonder if the cereal I've seen on Ocado( may also be sold elsewhere ) might help !
You can add to bottles of older babies.

11 month old won't eat anything waking up hungry in the night

BrumpyGollocks · 29/01/2016 22:32

*? Not ! Sorry

0phelia · 29/01/2016 22:51

With Emily's kitchen pouches you don't need a spoon. They suck it directly out of the pouch.

I also agree teething can be a real problem, in fact around 11mo ds got 4 new teeth all at the same time which took about a month and he couldn't eat much.

Have you tried Calpol? Give Calpol, then try a food pouch about an hour later.

You must be exhausted.

0phelia · 29/01/2016 22:53

Yes, seconding Brumpy , adding cereal to her milk would also be a good solution...

0phelia · 29/01/2016 23:02

Thinking about it more, teething sounds most probable because at this age the larger flat Molars can come through which are the most painful and take some time to come through, and your baby may really not like having anything put into her mouth.

Try teething granules available in superdrug/boots etc (or Calpol!)

BrumpyGollocks · 29/01/2016 23:15

Yes teething would be the prime candidate,
so could throat/ear pain etc.

I'm just shocked tbh that none of the health professionals consulted have helped or advised the op at all considering the length of time!

If it is teething or any kind of pain then I second trying teething powders,Anbesol,teething gels etc and if that doesn't help then a dose of medicine half an hour before food & see if it helps ?

I really hope things get better soon.

Original poster

Raynasmum2015 · 30/01/2016 00:15

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I will take her back to the doctor and if I don't get anywhere with them I'll take her to A&E. The GPs and health visitors around here are really rubbish, unfortunately but I think that might be what I'll have to do.

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Pooshy · 30/01/2016 13:07

I could have written this post a few months ago. It was a nightmare! Our baby never had any interest in solids. She then also became a terrible sleeper and would also wake regularly for night feeds which we had to reintroduce

At 12 month we were broken and paid for advice. This is what we did which worked!! Within a week she found her appetite for solids and hasn't stopped since. That was 2 months ago. The sleep is great now too

Be warned tho it may get worse before it gets better but hang in there...

Drop all night feeds immediately. Only offer water
Offer only 2 X 7 Oz bottles of milk a day. one after lunch, and one before bed
If your LO no longer likes the high chair, just feed her on your hip
No cajoling or tricking her into eating, by watching TV etc
No forcing her to eat. If she doesn't want it, respect that

I hope that helps. Our baby eating was the best Xmas present for us ever xx

Pooshy · 30/01/2016 13:12

Sorry OP - I've just realised she was eating but has now stopped, so my advice may be that relevant! X

Whatdoidohelp · 30/01/2016 13:21

It could be that she has mixed up night and day esp if she will happily take milk at night. She simply might not be that hungry during the day.

Stop the cows milk incase it is giving her tummy pain.

Offer her milk every hour during the day. Seems extreme but she will start to understand that day time is time to eat. Once she is taking more milk during the day and less at night it is then the time to tackle the solids.

In the mean time a GP needs to check her throat and gums and tummy.

Does she poop ok, arch back a lot?

Please don't go to A&E. This is not an emergency or an accident. As long as she is well in herself they will not do anything and send you back to GP.

Original poster

Raynasmum2015 · 30/01/2016 14:02

Whatdoidohelp it's all well and good saying don't go to A&E, but if doctors refuse to do anything what else is there? My DD had chickenpox at 7 weeks old and the GP did absolutely nothing, claiming he couldn't give antivirals because she was too young, two days later she was really ill, her temperature was really high, she stopped feeding and was getting dehydrated and I had to take her to A&E and they ended up keeping her in for a week and they had to give her antivirals intravenously anyway, they also had to feed her milk through a tube in her nose and water on a drip. If the GP had prescribed the antiviral medicine in the first place that wouldn't have happened. The same story with her reflux.

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Artandco · 30/01/2016 14:13

I would do the following:

1)ditch bottle. Only offer milk in cup/ beaker now

set times for milk
8am - cup with breakfast
3pm - cup mid afternoon with snack
7pm - cup at table with biscuit before bed
don't feed her. Let her feed herself. So at 3 meals a day sit at the table with her, eat yourself and put food in front of her. No persuading etc, just food in a bowl or plate in front of her, eat yours, talk about stuff with her other than eating ie trip to park after breakfast
offer different meals trough the week with a selection at each so she can choose until you find what she might like. At breakfast a small bowl of porridge, with some chopped banana and scrambled egg next to it. She can choose what she likes and you can gradually give her more of what she likes

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