Snacks for baby

[Emineminie]

Hi!

Our DS is nearly 7.5 months old. Have called the HV today as he is waking up every 1.5 to 2 hours at night and it's exhausting!

Anyway, HV said it's time to cut down on milk and introduce snacks (he is already on three meals a day). I'm really struggling to think of some easy things that I can offer him. He doesn't have any teeth yet and want to keep the salt a sugar low.

So please throw some suggestions my way 😊

Thank youu 😘

Carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, pasta twists.
ella’s kitchen melty puffs.
toast soldiers
banana
all easy to hold and teething friendly

Not what you were asking but i don't believe your HV has given you great advice here. Milk should be baby's main source of nutrition up to 12 months and solids should be in addition, not replacing milk feeds.

Also baby only needs to be on 3 meals and 2 snacks by 12 months, and you should be gradually working up to this.

Your baby is going to be getting a lot less calorie and nutrient content from a melty puff or bit of carrot than they would with their milk, this is why you don't want milk feeds displaced.

At this age, we would feed my DS as one of the last things he did before bed. Normally with something such as Weetabix, toast with peanut butter or something oaty. We did it as he was having a story to get more in him.

There definitely was a difference on the nights he didn’t eat anything with his sleep

Suspended at your HV's advice. The Start for Life/NHS web pages say that babies under 1 don't need snacks, and that milk remains their main source of nutrition until then. They advise that up until the age of 1, if your baby still seems hungry after 3 meals a day, that more milk should be offered, not more solids. I think you should query this with the HV as it doesn't seem that their advice is up to date! Also, the frequent night waking may not be related to hunger at all anyway - I doubt your baby is hungry every 1.5 hours all night. Lots of babies are 'poor' sleepers and it often has nothing to do with hunger so I can't imagine snacks is going to solve the sleep issue I'm afraid. I would look at sleep separately from feeding apart from ensuring they're getting frequent milk feeds in the day. Milk is more calorific than most the solids your baby will be eating so if you want to fill them up as much as possible in the day, more milk would be the obvious answer to that.

I'd give 3 meals, 2 snacks and still give milk. X

Agree with @VintageVest . It sounds like your baby isn't very good at self-soothing or getting himself back to sleep without your input. Maybe look at sleep training or habit stacking and sleeping apart if you aren't already. As PP said, I doubt your baby is hungry ever 90 mins and milk shouldn't be reduced.

My HV has just given me the same advice re my 8.5 mo to reduce the amount of milk, although it was frequency it was the amount at each feed and to introduce snacks. I haven't done it yet but when he wakes in the night (usually wetting through nappy, so trying to sort that out) we used to feed back to sleep, now we don't. It can be a tough half an hour but it's been quicker each night and he sleeps the rest of the night.
Maybe stick with what you are doing in the day but try to resist the urge to feed overnight - it is super hard so I do feel your pain.

I agree that it sounds like LO needs to self sooth at night but hunger can definitely be part of that. I introduced a snack because milk wasn’t satisfying DS. We were also toothless until 9 months. Some of these may be too high in salt/sugar for your liking but we do:
toast fingers with butter
cooked carrot/potato sticks
fruit like grapes, strawberries, blueberries
cheese sticks
cooked meat (we usually cook ham/chicken once a week for sandwiches)
baby egg quiche omelette things (no idea what they’re called but egg whisked with fillings of your choice, I often do peas, baked in a muffin tin so they are individually portioned)
melty puffs/sticks
baby friendly biscuits (not rusks, Heinz do biscotti but rich tea fingers are good too)

@Overanxiousmummy the being wet through usually means time to move up a size in nappy, or vest - had this with both of mine and those things fixed it :)

OP as above ref snacks, there’s more calories in a bottle of milk than in any snack you can give them, but he may just not be a great sleeper - DS2 wasn’t, he’s only just started sleeping through at almost 2 and still only does 10 hours (8-6) he’s just never been the textbook baby

Agree with PP, rubbish advice from HV. No snacks until 12 months, as if they're going to be filling babies up more than milk would?! Your baby isn't waking up that frequently because he's hungry. Keep up with milk feeds in the day and look at sleep as a separate issue.

I have heard a banana just before bed can help with this. Don't know how true it is

@Sleepyquest something to do with the magnesium!

Sounds more like a sleep issue rather than a milk issue. How many bottles is he having?

Thank you everyone!

I thought I had read no snacks until 12 months and it's a good point that they won't be as calorific as milk would be.

I think I'm going to keep meals the same for now, offer more milk during the day and look at sleep a bit more. I stopped feeding to sleep at 5 months and was feeling quite proud of myself, but think I have just replaced it with something else. I stay with him until he falls asleep and gently tap the mattress by his head and he drifts off.

It might be time for his own room and a bit of sleep training.... 😨

The lack of sleep is difficult but try not to worry about it either. Your baby's sleep is developmentally normal and even if you did absolutely nothing, it would change eventually. That said, of course there's nothing wrong with some gentle nudges if that's what you want/need. My DD wasnt going down to bed alone awake in her cot til she was about 12 months, and I'm not even sure how usual that was tbh as I know lots of people with toddlers ages 2/3/4 who need a parent to stay with them until they fall asleep. They're all different and some are 'better' sleepers than others. My eldest was a much better sleeper as a baby than my current baby. However when she turned 3 she suddenly started frequent night waking. She's nearly 4 and some nights are horrendous because her night time tantrums wake the baby up. Me and DH have to then tag team and it is exhausting, last night was particularly awful! Young children's sleep changes all the time whether you try and change it or not, there will always be ups and downs.

Ds was definitely still waking up for milk every 1.5-2hrs at 7.5months. He was hungry. He would fall asleep at night without a feed so could self settle, but would still have at least 3 breastfeeds overnight

snack wise at that age - bananas, Greek yogurt, grated cheese.