Advice please-5 mo seems to hardly be eating/drinking

[Rachel153]

Is anyone else experiencing similar (or experienced similar and come out the other side!)...

My 5 mo dd still feeds in the night (not uncommon I know) but doesn't seem to eat or drink much in the day-rarely asks for feeds. I've been breast feeding her on demand until the last week when I've been introducing formula (I'm underweight and knackered so trying to cut down on bf). I've also started weaning-we are about 3 weeks in but still only on baby rice and simple veg or fruit purée (she hardly takes any).
Yesterday for example she fed twice in the night (bf) then didn't want milk when she woke in the morning, nor did she want any breakfast. I managed to get a tiny amount of breast milk into her about 930 then tried a bottle at 1115am coz her last proper feed was 430am but she didn't want anything. Later on she had a little bit of veg purée (about 130pm) but then wouldn't take any milk until 4pm (she managed 5oz formula). She then had another tiny amount of breast milk around 5ish and then managed 4.5oz formula at bedtime. She's doing the same today so far. Last feed was 4am then just a tiny amount of breast milk when she woke up at 645am and is still not asking for milk or food and it's almost 11am

Any suggestions/advice would be great!

I found www.kellymom.com to be really helpful with these sorts of questions.

It's been a while for me but if she is alert, no temperature and is peeing and pooing regularly, next thing I'd check for if a baby is eating less than usual is teething.

Is there a particular reason that you started weaning so early? Maybe her tummy is getting used to the big change in diet- going from breast milk only to breast milk, solids and formula.

My 5 month old hasn't really asked for regular daytime feeds for ages (think he's too nosy about everything going on around him) so I've just been feeding him roughly every 3 hours anyway. He had a week or so around 3.5 months of waking up really regularly in the night and that's when I found that feeding him regularly during the day even when he wasn't asking helped him sleep better at night. He's always guzzled happily when offered a breastfeed though, even though there weren't any signs that he was hungry.
I'm also trying to get in some formula feeds as feeling rubbish but it's easier said than done. He had some puree yesterday and not seen any changes so far but only had a tiny bit off my finger.

PS I have been taking iron supplements (spatone) which I think have helped a bit with the general feeling rubbish but it may be that I particularly needed them as have been on a very restricted and non-balanced diet. (digestion issues).

Thanks good to know I'm not alone with this issue!
Have decided to try a different approach to weaning and I'm also trying not to clock watch as much. I have always offered the milk at regular intervals during the day but she's stubborn and will only feed if she's in the mood, usually only little amounts annoyingly. Maybe if she was able to take more in one go she'd not be so hungry at night?!