Help - 5 month old v v hungry but don't want to give solids

[podglet]

Hi,

My DS is 5 months old (just). He is exclusive breast fed. He has recently started feeding loads more in the day - every 90 mins or so (from both sides as well) and is also waking more in the night - from once a night to twice or 3 times.

I don't know what to do - my HV has said he is ready for solids but I know that I really should wait until 26 weeks. Can I supplement with a couple of bottles of formula during the day to top him up a bit more? Or perhaps a "dream feed" when I go to bed?

Can anyone give me some advice please, just to get me through the next few weeks before solids...

Thanks in advance

Thank you all so much, it has all been really helpful.

I tried the dream feed last night when I went to bed at 10, and DS then slept til 3.30, fed and then went back down until 7.30! So I will stick with that to see how it goes.

Malaleche - I will see if I can find those Fenugreek caps, they sound great - DP is a curry fiend anyway so smelling of curry won't be a new thing for me

F&Z will read those links when I don't have a small child trying to roll into the rabbit's hutch! Thank you

He does seem interested in food, but as someone else said, he is also interested in me getting dressed and the washing up, and I don't think I will be buying him a pair of Marigolds for a while... love the comment about driving

Thanks once again, MN is fab!

Sorry, meant to add that I don't think there is a supply issue but I am much less "leaky" than usual although I put that down to his more frequent feeding.

Same has just happened to me. If the choice is formula versus solids I would definitely go for solids. I'm really concerned that this push for 26 weeks is going to lead to the breastfeeding rates dropping further in the UK.

I didn't expect solids to make my daughter go back to sleeping through but it has spaced out the feeding during the day, I too was feeding every 60-90 minutes. She was pooing all the time as the milk just went through her as she was trying to fill up but she didn't need the nutrients. Despite the constant eating she only put on 6oz in 3 weeks.

I still think is she ready - when she is wolfing down the food. She is 5 months.