FF baby and excessive night feeds

[Waggamamma]

My ds is 18wks and ff (mix fed until xmas). last night we saw every hour on the clock since 2am and he took about 4oz each time. Now he's not hungry today and has only had a few sips of milk. Dp and I are at breaking point. Any suggestions to get him eating more during the day and less at might to break this cycle? I'm exhausted as I also have 4yr old.

Before xmas he was sleeping 8-10hours without waking then he hit 4months and he started waking every few hours (could deal with this!) and last few nights every hour.

He's still in our room but I think he's getting a bit big for the crib but reluctant to move him into his own room while he's still waking so much. (and the sids guidance). His big cot won't fit in our room.

Any ideas?

Honestly I'd start making one of those feeds water - or 80% formula/20% water or something. He's not hungry every hour, surely?

Meant to say 80% water/20% formula - you know what I mean!

4 months sleep regression?

Both mine went bonkers at 4 months!

I wouldn't water down formula or give water at night, he is still very small.

Google 4 month sleep regression, it's very common.

Yeh I definitely think it's related to the 4month sleep regression but the main problem seems to be he doesn't want milk in the daytime then feeds almost every hour at night. How can I break this routine without having a very upset hungry baby on my hands?

He's a big boy, currently 18lbs (around 8kg) at 18weeks so he does take a lot of feeding (doc recommended 40oz a day based on his weight). My first ds was the same and I blw at 6months. Could it be he needs weaning sooner?

I've been trying to offer extra milk during the day today but he's just not interested. Come night time he'll want it though!

I wouldn't offer milk at every night waking. Maybe do feeds at 11pm and 3am and in-between settle him without.

I would be using a dummy to settle in the night. If you can get him to go a night with no night feeds (or just one or two) then he will be hungry in the daytime and you can fill him up in the day - which will perpetuate so that he doesn't want feeding in the night.

Definitely dummy to sooth rather than feed.

If he's too big for the crib could he be moving, hitting the sides and wakening instead? Maybe try to cot for a few nights and even sleep in that room with him if you are worried to see if there is and change?

But yes your thoughts that he might need weans could be right. All babies are different. The guidance might be six months but that is guidance not law. Many people are judgey about it but you need to do what is best for you and baby. A baby needs sleep for development and growing.

Definitely don't dilute formula ever.

Could you fit maybe a travel cot in beside you to see if he likes more room?

This is a really common age for babies to start waking loads, its apparently a developmental thing. Lots of people think weaning is necessary, but a Tony but of

Was going to be a tiny bit of fruit and veg probably won't make a lot of difference. :)

It did eventually calm down for mine, hope it doesn't last too long for you

Four ounces per feed doesn't sound like much for a baby of his size and age. The 40oz a a day mentioned above it what we went by. When we had to switch to formula feeding the midwife advised letting baby lead the amount per feed. And she recommended always making up the bottle to have an extra half ounce in it, so when he was ready to move up to a larger feed he could have it. Maybe you could try 6oz bottles and see how much he drinks, then adjust and go on from there? If he is getting more of his feeds in the day, nighttime should be simpler. I also had assumed at first that every night waking was from hunger, but they weren't. Most times a dummy was enough to get him back to sleep quickly. If it's genuine hunger the dummy won't work, but if it is waking for comfort it will.

I reckon you've got a perfect storm of events 4 month regression + a busy baby who would rather look at what's going on than feed during the day and instead enjoy lovely night time warm milky cuddles with you both.... And what you want is feeding during the day with the odd feed during the night.

So, you could brace yourself for an interesting (?) few days and give all daytime feeds somewhere quiet/private so the focus is on food for 2-3 days, combined with trying to only feed every 3.5-4 hours at night, really trying to settle him in between to stretch out the time between feeds. That might get more daytime milk into him and reduce nighttime feeding at least. A trying couple of days but better that than a trying couple of years

The 4 month regression does pass, I promise. And also second/third the no watering down formula comments.

Diluting feeds??? Seriously??? Do people do that???

4month sleep regression is the pits!! Could you talk to the hv about early weaning and see what they suggest?

Just don't mess with the milk!

It does get better

I'd also hold off on weaning - he genuinely doesn't need it and if nothing else you can delay that additional job for yourself a while longer

Also a growth spurt ?

If your baby is taking it they are saying they need it x

He should be consuming approx half his pounds weight in oz, therefore if 18lb look at 9oz bottle. However, as he has been used to 4oz, offer 6oz and increase if he consumes the entire bottle. Also google 4 month sleep regression !

Wishing you a better night

Thanks everyone. I won't be diluting feeds. I usually make 7oz bottles but he only takes 4 or 5oz in the night.

Last night was a bit better I saw him at 2:30 (7oz) 4:00 (4oz), 5:30 (3oz) and 6:10 (didn't feed). I left him chattering to himself at 6:10 because I was so tired and he fell back asleep to 7:30. I also put him down slightly later than usual about 9:30pm.

Genuinely out of interest, why shouldn't you dilute a ff if it's only a top up?

I've been advised that it's okay to give plain cooled boiled water, so why not a diluted feed? I've never given a diluted ff but I have given diluted ebm once before....was this bad?!

Miss - Much would depend on if a ff baby is getting enough milk the rest of the time. If baby is getting plenty enough normal formula milk, then I cannot see a problem with diluting 'extra' feeds that you are trying to drop.

Seems antiquated to me though. I would just gradually offer less and less at the feed you are trying to drop until they no longer demand that feed.

Or offer a dummy instead of a feed.

I'm actually in a similar boat with DS1 who is 5 months. We switched from bf to ff at 4 months due to a nursing strike and we've been all over the place since then. He won't eat much during the day at all, sometimes just 2oz in a feed so I'm having to offer constantly but doesn't make much difference. And he's waking hungry 3 times a night. I'm desperate to get some kind of routine going but he just doesn't do what all the books say! Won't nap more than 30 mins and won't finish a bottle during the day....no idea where to start.

Thanks Fate :)