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Original poster

7 month old drinking more formula at night

27 replies

SnowWhite26 · 31/03/2019 21:30

Hi.
So my 7 month old is putting on weight fine and absolutely loves food. He eats all 3 meals but is just not interested in much formula in the day. At night he has 5-7oz at bedtime then wakes at about 1ish has 6-7oz and then sometimes 4ish has more milk and takes ages to settle back down. Each night is different. How do i get a formula routine going? I am just exhausted from all the feeding at night. If i leave him he chats and chats then gets cross and he shares a room with his sister. He is all topsy turvy with his feeds! Any advice would be great. Thanks

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Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 31/03/2019 21:30

Also he used to have a dream feed but not anymore as he still woke up night.

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DeadDoorpost · 31/03/2019 21:34

It sounds as though he's thirsty if hes waking at night. Does he drink anything else during the day?

Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 31/03/2019 22:06

Yeah he loves water with his food. I tried water the other night but he didn't settle till he had milk

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DeadDoorpost · 31/03/2019 22:29

You may need to just go with it for a while. DS is now 16months and will settle for a weak juice in the night instead of milk. If he's not thirsty, then a feed is probably what he needs.

GiveMeAllTheGin8 · 31/03/2019 22:34

My 12 month old is the same, she has three 7 oz bottles during the day and has one/two bottles at night .
It’s generally just the one now but I try to get her to sleep before giving her the bottle but she won’t settke without it!
She eats three meals plus snacks so I think it’s just habit

Halfeatentoast · 31/03/2019 22:41

My breast fed 6 month old is currently doing this it's driving me nuts. Check out "reverse cycling" on line as it may give you some help.

user1496701154 · 31/03/2019 22:45

Offer cooled boiled water during day Id babe is thirsty nwhat my HV said to me when my lo was that age

fruitbrewhaha · 31/03/2019 22:47

weak juice in the night is not a good plan. Bad for their teeth.

Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 01/04/2019 05:28

Thanks. I just dont want him to take most calories at night.def in a pattern atm : wake at 12 or 1ish feed 6ozmilk sleep until 4.30-5ish then wake up chatting. I have just given 3 part formula to 2 part water as otherwise he would of had another calorie filled night. Still quietly chatting!! Should i bring dream feed bk?

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Spaceman101 · 01/04/2019 05:40

Perhaps he's just an early riser. I'm up for the day with my 10 month old at 5.30am. I don't class it as a night waking even though it's still dark. She wakes up hourly as well so zzzzzzzzz. I'd just go with it for now. I've b ever dream fed and don't quite understand how it would work if he's not hungry then?

blackcat86 · 01/04/2019 05:59

Offer a bottle regularly during the day . Dd is the same age and pretty much sleeps through because she has at least 4 bottles throughout the day. I offer water with meals but no when else as they still need at least 500-600ml daily of formula for the vitamins. She has a bottle on waking, 10:30ish, 2:15ish and 5pm ish before dinner.

Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 01/04/2019 06:16

Black cat- How much does your baby take? I offer him a bottle every 3 hours or so but he quite often only had about 3-4 oz. I could deal with 5.30 and one wake up as goes to bed at 6.30 but its the inconsistent early mornings. Today its 5.10 yesterday 4.45 another day is 4.30. If its before 5 30 i try and encourage him to go back to sleeu which sometimes works. The later he wakes for milk ay night the later the morning. Its weird he has been waking between 12 and 1 the last 4 days!

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Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 01/04/2019 06:18

Spaceman- like i just said to black cat 5.30 is ok if its consistent. We did dream feed him but didn't really work so stopped about a month ago. It did work for my 3 yr old who woke at 530 till she was 2ish but now sleeps till 7ish. She was just so much more consistent.

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Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 01/04/2019 22:37

Makes no sense. He has drunk all his milk every 3 hours today but then not hungry for food. Has just woken up the first time in months for a feed at 10! Please someone whats going on? Lol

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Justdontknow5 · 02/04/2019 06:15

Could have wrote this my self but he just has the one feed but can wake a few times. My son is 8 months next week. He goes to bed at 6:30 then wakes anytime from 12 wanting milk. He seems off his milk in the day but always has a 8oz when he wakes at night once every couple of weeks he will sleep 6:30-6 but then back to normal waking at night.

He has water at meal times and eats well but milk in the day is just all over the place he used to have a routine of milk at 6am 9 am 12pm 3pm 6pm.

He's just had 8oz at 5:30 so now he won't have milk till 11-12pm (4-6oz) just his breakfast and fruit. Has he dropped a feed? I thought they usually drop the afternoon one first?

Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 02/04/2019 08:19

Justdontknow- thanks for your reply.what time does ur little one wake up generally? Today mine woke at 10.30 and then 2 both times took 6oz then 5 and offered watered down milk eventually settled by 6 slept till 7. Now just had 6oz nad is chomping on toast. I was glad i ignored him and he settled till 7. What age do they start dropping day feeds?

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Justdontknow5 · 02/04/2019 10:57

Bed for 6:30/7 then sometimes wakes at 12 settle back down with a cuddle then can wake again for milk anytime from 2am and he'll have 6-8oz. Then he will settle to sleep again till 6-8am depends when he wakes in the night. But won't have any more milk till 11-12pm just breakfast when he wakes for the day so not sure I'm guessing it's from now when they drop feeds. Every night is different he can wake 1-4 times through the night some nights but every so often sleeps through.

Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 02/04/2019 21:56

Does he cry when he wakes? Mine chats and chats its odd lol

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Justdontknow5 · 02/04/2019 22:59

No just chats away happily lol and hitting his mattress with his hands saying "ba ba ba" think it means bash haha

Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 03/04/2019 06:27

Even in the middle of the night? Last night he randomly woke at 10 chatting away settled with a bottle then 1 chatting gave a bottle then 5.30 so i made a small bottle and brought him into us and he dozed on me me till 6.15 when i moved and he woke. But hopefully he will last a while till 1st nap. I think i just need to reduce feed and let him chat it out a bit. Hard in middle of night. Must be habit though. He chatted a bit after 1 o clock feed and settled. I cant believe he was hungry though as had bottle at 6.30 then woke at 10 and then 3 hrs later. Is there some weird regression at this age?

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Justdontknow5 · 03/04/2019 06:56

Yes at night too. Last night was similar to you. 7pm down for bed after 8oz, woke at 10:45 settled with 3oz after a chat, woke at 1:10am had a chat in his cot I was seeing if he'd go back but ended up having 7oz had a chat and slept from 2am till 5:50am he doesn't want milk yet though so guessing he will have one around 7:30. I think so yes, hopefully it will pass soon and they fill up in the day

Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 03/04/2019 07:05

Its comforting to hear someone elsr whos baby chats instead of crys lol I think this is where my brain over thinks. Do you think they will naturally break this habit or that we need to help? I dont understand how 2 weeks ago he went from 6.30 bottle till 3 or 4 and bottle sleeping til 6ish and now hes waking at 10 and 1 is it coz hes waking and thinking if i chat i might be 'rewarded with milk' or he simply a baby that will probably stop by himself? If i give up feeding him and go cold turkey what if he is hungry? My oh says that i need to just go with it but I need reasons for things or my sleep deprived brain goes nuts haha.

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bumblingalongway · 03/04/2019 07:14

We had this and I spoke to a sleep consultant about it. My DS was about 9/10months and she said if he's eating 3 meals a day and having 16oz minimum of milk then it's very unlikely to be hunger that is waking him. I tried to settle him first and then offered milk but gradually reduced how much I offered when he woke, and then went cold turkey. He was fine, cried a bit for a couple of nights but it was definitely habit. He never increased his daily milk (I always offer full bottles but he never finished them) so he obviously never felt the need to increase his milk intake. I did make sure he had a good tea and the long enough between to take a full bottle at bedtime.

Original poster
SnowWhite26 · 03/04/2019 07:23

Bumbling along thanks for your response. I have currently reduced it to 5oz for the night feeds so will keep reducing down to 4 etc.. If i leave him to chat he just gets louder I dont quite no how to settle him without bottle. Its so frustrating as he can settle himself just not at night. Did u pick up to settle?

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Justdontknow5 · 03/04/2019 07:57

Our sons must be in sync because a few weeks ago my son used to last till 3/4am from his last bottle at 6:30pm then back to sleep till 6-7am.
That's what I think he must be hungry or is it for comfort maybe?
I have to rock him to sleep with white noise. Sometimes he will self settle in the night but not always.