Hungry 17m night waking

[PandaOrLion]

DS is almost 17 months and has been waking up hungry in the night for the past two-three weeks. Prior to this he had managed about a month of sleeping through.

He has always eaten a lot and we currently do two breakfasts, snack, lunch, snack, tea and supper, plus milk at bedtime and again if he asks for it during the day.

i can sometimes settle him without the milk in the night, but mostly he wakes and screams “milk” until he has some. It can be two bottles before he’ll fall asleep deeply.

any suggestions of other things to try as this isn’t enjoyable for any of us.

I wouldn't give milk at this age at night, just offer water. He'll eat more in the day if he's not filling up at night. I remember ds woke for milk but the minute I offered only water he slept through,so it was a habit. Maybe get two more bottles in during the day if he won't eat more food?

What are his portions like? Describe his average day

If he's having two whole bottles of milk at night then you can't just switch to water. He's hungry.

I'd first try increasing portion sizes and increasing the ratio of meat, cheese and other protein, including at snack time. Swap the carrot sticks for ham!

I can’t switch to water. He’s too hungry. We’ve had at least a month of not waking for milk so I know he can do it, and I don’t think it’s a habit. He loves food and eats what we do. He’d usually have scrambled eggs instead of the scone but we were out.

yesterday:
porridge with blueberries and rhubarb - a full toddler bowl size (6:30am). 1 apple stewed.
2 wheatabix (9am)
half a scone, 1/2bag baby crisps, satsuma (11)
mashed potato, bacon and leek veg, pie (1pm)
2 crumpets with banana and peanut butter (3:30)
2 tuna fish cakes, cheese, veg, 1 bowl porridge 6pm (fish cakes were mashed potato, egg, cheese and fish)

offered a crumpet or wheatabix at 7pm (bed 730) but he said no. Milk before bed.

ive included photos as I was sharing them with NCT group to ask advice yesterday.

He can be settled with some night wakes with just a pat and a shush, so he isn’t always hungry all night. But he’ll often wake between 12 and 2 and just scream “milk” rather than just cry “mama, dada”. So he isn’t always hungry but is going through a growth spurt or hunger stage I imagine.