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Is she really a hungry baby?

7 replies

Melly · 16/01/2002 12:52

I am having a couple of problems with my six month old daughter. She is generally a very happy and contented baby. I was loaned Gina's book and after first being sceptical about the strict routines, especially when they do differ quite a bit from the current advice given by midwives and health visitors, she was put into the "routine" at about 8 weeks and I haven't looked back. She was weaned from the breast very gradually at 3 months and totally bottle fed from 5 months. She has slept through the night from 3 months thanks to persevering with the routines. She is an excellent sleeper (7 pm to 7am and also sleeps well during the day). She was weaned at 4 months and to date I don't think she has refused anything! My concern at the moment is that having reached 6 months, her milk feeds should now be gradually reduced to approx. 18-20 ozs per day. She sleeps well between 9 am - 9.45/10 am. However she gets very fussy and cross by about 10.45 am (having had a 7 oz bottle at 7 am and breakfast at about 8 am). I end up giving her an early lunch but am wondering whether she is looking for something mid morning as well. My initial thought was to offer her a very small milk feed at say 10.30 am but my husband thought that the aim of the game is to get her to gradually eat more solids and reduce the milk. She then has a bottle at 2.30 pm but again, by about 4 -4.30 pm she becomes very irritable and I'm not sure whether this is hunger or tiredness. I try not to let her sleep after 2.30pm so am reluctant to put her for a nap in case this affects her sleeping at night. Any thoughts or ideas would be very welcome.

OP posts:
Kia · 16/01/2002 14:02

Feed her! Thats what she's telling you!

Expecting a 6 month old to go from 8am to lunch time with nothing at all is asking a too much. Do you last that long without a cup of tea or a biscuit?! Does your husband?!

If you only give her the smallest bottle it will be easier to give up. Have you tried her on a cup? She may be so desperate for a drink she might use one!

I would say that on balance having a child that sleeps through the night at the expense of a small bottle mid-morning is no contest at all.

Ems · 16/01/2002 14:46

Melly, definitely a feed, she's a growing girl!

Pupuce · 16/01/2002 15:10

Melly, I am a GF follower and while I have 2 kids on her routine I have come to experience that her advice is excellent but you do have to use your judgement as well.
I am not sure I would give her a bottle feed at 1030... but let's see. Do you think she has a "big enough" breakfast ? What do you give her ?
At 1130, what do you give her ? DOes she still get some milk ? Don't forget that at her age she is supposed to still have quite a bit of milk so she could have both milk (first) and solids. As Kia says you might choose to offer her a bit of milk in a beeker at 1030 or fruit as finger food (watch her eat as she is still small).

How big is her bottle at 1430 ?
My daughter is 5 months old and when I find her irritable at 1600 I put her in her cot (dressed and no blanket) with the lights in the hall so that she knows this isn't nightime yet and she will oftern dose off a bit. I make sure she is up by 1700 when I feed her solids.
If your daughter has been good on the GF routine you are unlikely to screw up her nights but I understand that you do worry about it !

Melly · 16/01/2002 16:50

Thanks Kia,Ems and Pupuce for your advice, it's great to share your worries and get thoughts and ideas from a fresh source.

Pupuce, yes, I wondered whether she was having a big enough breakfast, she usually has some baby porridge, about two tablespoons or so. She has an 8 oz bottle on waking. Some days she eats her breakfast no problem, others she doesn't seem that interested. She always has a drink of very weak juice at about 10.15 am, followed by lunch at about 11.30 which is normally some sort of savory dish, sometimes home made or sometimes from a jar, followed by some yoghurt/fromage frais. I have read in the GF book that once they have protein at lunch-time i.e chicken that the milk feed should be replaced by water or weak juice but I wonder whether she isn't quite ready to drop this milk feed yet. What I had been doing was giving her a couple of ounces of milk followed by a few spoonfuls of solids etc. Like you say, whilst GF's advice is excellent, a little deviation from her routine won't hurt.
She has a 7 oz bottle at 2.30 pm, but today for example whilst she did finish it, there was a good deal of mucking about with it.
Thanks also for the advice about the 1600 nap, she has done this today, just for about 30 minutes and woke up quite refreshed, so I guess I just need to be a bit more relaxed about that.

OP posts:
Pupuce · 16/01/2002 19:12

Melly... if you wish to give her milk at 1100, then don't give her animal protein at lunch (and I would not recommend it for her tea). She isn't yet at a stage where she needs this badly. Some would even say to not give animal protein more than 2 / 3 times a week or not at all until 12 months old.

Rhiannon · 16/01/2002 22:28

How about mixing some of the milk feed with some rusk?

Pupuce · 16/01/2002 22:44

Rhianon... can I just add : if you find rusks with no sugar or similar sweetners. There is no need to introduce sugar to such a young baby.

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