DD waking up at night hungry

[MumtoEliane]

I know this has happened to lots of people but I am blocked as to what to do!

DD used to sleep through the night from the 4th month until now. She is 8 1/2 months and started waking up at night, several times.
The routine is dinner at 5, play, bath at 7 and then I give her the last bottle in her room at 8. The HV said I should give her cereal at night after her bottle (leaving a little formula for it). The problem is that for this we need to keep her downstairs, so she only took half a bottle and then only a bit of cereal, it took ages for her to go to sleep (I guess she was confused, and all excited) and woke up regardless several times and then at 4.30 for the day.

Then we tried giving her the cereal on the bottle (I know this is not recommended here, but MIL has done it with her 5 children, and we where desperate!) but she didn't like it, took 2 ounces and woke up several times until I gave her a bottle at 2.30 and then she slept until 7.30.

So it is obviously hunger but to feed her at night (when we haven't done it for 4 months) seems like a step back, not to mention that after that she goes to sleep but I don't.

I know in spain they do it everything a bit later, they give them dinner at around 8 and then put them to bed with a nice full tummy. But then, will she take the whole 8oz at 5?

What about Follow On formula? will that satiate her more?

I am really desperate, suffering from sleep deprivation when I thought that was all in the past. I am very upset.

I will welcome any advice.

Thank you!

DS does this too - he had started to sleep longer and longer, then started waking every 2 hours again - it's knackering! we were also advised to make sure he's full before going to bed - he has a decent dinner then a feed. However, I'm sure someone said they have a grim growth spurt/sleep regression at this age, and you just have to grit your teeth and get through it. That's what we're doing now - he's 9 month tomorrow, and we've had 3 weeks of 2 and 4 am wakings now. It's killing me, but there doesn't seem much else we can do. Good luck!

Thanks for you quick reply! It is goo to know that its a phase, but wht do you do, just keep feeding him as usual? Do you feed him at night? And if so, will they grow out of the night feeds again?

I just know a girl whose boy wakes up loads at night and he is 2 and a half! he has always done it and she looks terrible, poor thing. I am so scared of that!

It could be a growth spurt.

My DS (nearly 9 months) wanted more food at night and all of a sudden he felt heavier - had put on a couple of pounds.

Also - I read somewhere that we shouldn't think that babies' sleep progressively gets better. Unfortunately not!

He also had some sort of crazy sleep regression as well - waking up at 2, 3, 4 am and babbling away. He obviously had a lot going on in his brain and couldn't relax.

37 - 45 weeks there are quite a lot of mental and physical developments that babies go through hence sleep going a bit mad and they get more hungry too. Have a look at this website

Also I'm not sure about trying to get the baby to take loads of food before bed is the best approach - I mean, I know I can't sleep on a full tummy!

Sorry reading that back my post sounds a bit curt (crawling baby to chase). I mean can you up the calories earlier in the day - so more snacks, milk etc.

mumtoeliane - I'm breastfeeding and kind-of co-sleeping (bedside cot) so can just roll over and feed him without too much effort. So for me, feeding him is the easiest option! He's also had some weight issues (went from 91st to below 75th centile at 8 months, so HV recommended feeding him as often as possible - think it may just have been a length growth spurt though, as he's too long for many of his 9-12 month vests and romper suits!!). I'm hoping he'll grow out of the night feeds soon, as it's affecting my work a bit this lack of sleep!

Igglybuff, our paths cross again re: non-sleeping babies what a shock!! (I used to be arolf)

The hot weather makes babies more wakeful ...

my DD is nearly 9 months and had a feed in the night last night and more in the evening too

Painful but usual I think

I will try to feed her more during the day, and yes, I suppose feedig her at night its the only fair option, I don't want to keep her awake and hungry, but a bit scared that she will just want this forever now...

Anyhow, I should just try and relax and go with it easy said now I had a little nap (between my last post and this).

But in the evenings i just feel so down and depressed

Iggly, thats for the link,but I don't think is a mental leap, as she went back to sleep straight away after I fed her.

But this is after a few days of trying feeding her more. Tonight I will follow the usual routine and see what happens. Will try Follow On formula and Hungry babies on her night bottle.

Kveta, many of my friends that breastfeed tell me I shouldn't complain as theirs always woke up at night. I wish I could have done it but DD was bottle fed from the second week, and apart from the really bad colic, she was sleeping 11 hours from the 4th month. So yes, I shouldn't complain but this just came as a bit of a shock!

My DS stopped waking so frequently once he stopped being so hungry at night - we checked by getting DH to resettle (I BF so not sure if it'll work - depends if you usually feed). If he didn't then I'd feed. I made an effort in the day to squeeze in an extra feed either midmorning or midafternoon.

However he still wakes at night, usually twice. In this heat we have a fan in his room and have now moved him to a cooler part of the flat.

Hi ruby and arolf! (how come you name changed?)

I've just put some cream cheese in her lunch, to make it more feeling.

Oh, and how often do you give them meat? once a day or both at lunch and dinner?

my DS isn't keen on meat, but I have heard that meat helps them sleep (has visions of a small child being pinned down by a steak)(definitely needs more sleep). He loves tuna mixed with cream cheese in a sarnie though! Also, we've found that his best sleeps have been after a large bowl of porridge at dinner time (i.e. times when I've been too lazy to do a proper meal for him and need something quick).

I am feeding him whenever he wants feeding (within reason, obviously), and he's sleeping in just a nappy and pyjama top to keep him cool. He normally wakes at either 12 or 2 and 4 - although some nights goes for a 3 am wake up just to confuse us. I tried 'wake to sleep' after 3 nights of 4 am wake up calls, and each time he woke up 5 minutes before my alarm went off, so I gave up on that.

Iggly - I felt arolf sounded a bit too much like adolf, so went for my czech name instead

"has visions of a small child being pinned down by a steak" that made me laugh!

Cottage pie tonight then, and just the usual milk, see what happens.

Just now, she didn't finish her lunch an neither the fruit for dessert so I just don't know what to do to keep her fuller.

Need to go out of the house now. I'll see you later.

how about the good night formula milk?

www.hipp.co.uk/products/from-6-months/powder/good-night-milk

milk with rice and cereal added..

don't think normal follow on milk will be more filing.

other ideas - add butter or olive oil to vegetables. lamb is very fatty and babies love the taste - cook it with orange veggies & puree the lot, she'll love it.

Meat - I give it at least once a day or lentils instead. DS really likes lamb as MumNW says - he especially likes lamb burgers.

Maybe it's the heat meaning she doesn't want much solid food? I've been trying to think of nice cold alternatives and the best I could do was put his food in the fridge!

Thanks for both ideas! She had cottage pie, lets see how it goes.

DP says he saw a lump in her gum, I had totally ruled out teething cos she had nothing when we went to see the HV, and she ruled it out too!

Oh dear, this is getting more confusing by the minute.

Tonight she didn't even want the bedtime bottle gave her calpol and will give her a bottle whenever she wakes up...

Anyway, I am making note of all the advice and experiences posted here. Thanks a lot!

Poor thing. Can you check her gums again? Or maybe she's coming down with something. It's hard when they can't talk!

I kept looking, but she wouldn't let me, she sticks her tongue out evrytime i go near, but I think there is something there. It doesen't look as usual, we gave her calpol and DP says the lump is gone (he saw it when she yawned). So I guess its all related to the teeth, there is no lump but there is a change is her gum. And last night she slept better.

I give her meat at night now though, and as she doesn't always take milk at night I gave her follow on a couple of times as it has some more nutrients?

Poor thing and we where trying to stuff her face.