Night weaning- watering down formula

[OneForTheRoadThen]

I'm trying to wean my 9 month old at night, or at least to reduce the night feeds from the every 3 hours they are currently as I'm returning to work soon and I can't cope with the lack of sleep.

He's fully formula fed now and only wakes to feed. He has a dummy. He drinks about 16oz of milk during the day and had 3 meals but wakes during the night still for 3x4oz of milk.

I've tried reducing the formula by 10ml every 3 days, tried just offering water but he just screams until I give him milk.

Could he be genuinely hungry? If not is it safe to water down formula? I keep seeing advice not to but I'm not sure why that is.

Please help!

I night weaned my 10 month old by watering down the formula which was advised by my HV. Reduced from 4 scoops (4oz) by a scoop a week ( but same amount of water ) until I got to 2 scoops and eventually, even though she drank it, it wasn't sending her back to sleep so stopped it all together. A few weeks later she started sleeping through \o/

As far as I am aware you should not water down formula, it can lead to baby not getting the nutrients they need.

Sorry I have no other advice to help you though.

Honestly, at 9 months I'd probably just stop feeding at night altogether. If he's having that much plus 3 meals during the day he doesn't need milk at night, it's just habit. I think watering down the milk will just prolong the agony.

I would just go cold turkey and stop all night feeds completely. All you are doing otherwise is prolonging the agony.

The advice not to water down formula is more aimed at younger preweaned babies. Some parents on a low income could economize and use, for example, 5 scoops to 7oz of water in order to make the formula tin go further. This is what the advise is guarding against.

Watering down formula for feed when the baby doesn't need any formula is not a problem at all. As long as correctly made daytime milk is provided.

But as I said. I eouldnt water down. Just stop.

Is he getting enough food during the day? His is having the day bottles with food, before or after?
He could genuinely be hungry.

Thanks all. @bloodyteenagers I think he's having enough food. He has his morning bottle an hour before breakfast and his other ones after meals.

How do I know he's genuinely hungry? This is what I'm worried about.

I have started to introduce snacks to my DD and this has coincided with her dropping her night feed.

I would give day time bottles before feeds as the milk will have more calories then the solid food and he will be filling his tummy with low calorie solids.

I'm also having the same problem. My 8 month old has 3x 5oz bottles overnight and 5oz just before bedtime. She also has 3 meals and some milk during the day but she doesn't seem as interested during the daytime. I stopped breastfeeding a couple of weeks ago to try and wean off night feeding but if she doesn't get milk she just screams and becomes hysterical. Cuddling or walking with her doesn't settle her so I'm at a bit of a loss really. She has slept through in the past but not for the last 3-4 months so not sure if the milk is for comfort or hunger
I've been putting 4 scoops in 5oz worth of water as figured she is getting her nutrients during the day.
Going back to work in a few weeks and not sure how I'll manage either!!