Feeding at night but not in day.

[KW89]

DS3 is 6 months, he wasn't too bad a sleeper until about a month ago. He was waking once a night which was great, now it can be anything up to 6 times and I'm exhausted.
He is definitely teething (one came through last week) and the last 2 days he's had a cough.
I think the main problem now though is that he wants a hell of alot of milk at night. He is refusing to take much milk in the day (been like this for about 2 weeks) I often have to give him three bottles at night. He'll sometimes settle on the dummy, but if it's been more that 3 hours I can only settle him with milk.
He's been on solids for about a month, has a little porridge in the morning and some veg at teatime. I've tried cutting solids right down, but it makes no difference.
He goes down to bed no problem at 7.30.
Any ideas on how I can get him taking milk during the day rather than at night?
Thanks

Ah I could have written your post!! Just turned 6 months and now needing 3 nights feeds!

Can't help you but know how you feel! How many oz does your lo have in the night/in the day?

Little man has been taking 15oz overnight.
But only around 12oz during the day, and 6oz of that is taken right before he goes to bed.....
He's up for the day between 6 and 7 o'clock, will refuse the first bottle (guess he's full up from feeding overnight by this point?) He'll have a bowl of porridge or similar at about 8.
Will take 3oz if I'm lucky around 10 o'clock before he naps 10-11.30.
He then doesn't take anything until about 1.30 where again he might drink 3oz, then nap 2-4.
5 oclock he'll have a bowl of veg and a bit of finger food.
Bath at 6.15, then he'll usually take a 6oz bottle in his bedroom before going to bed at 7.30 (for some reason will not drink this downstairs, but will in his bedroom...)
Is your little one on solids yet? I thought maybe he was eating too much and filling him self up on that, so cut it right back, but it made no difference to his milk intake.
X

I've also tried dreamfeeding when we go to bed, but he will refuse that and wake an hour or so later and want a bottle every 2.5-3 hours. I'm exhausted! Feel like I have a newborn again!

Long time since I've been where you are (youngest of 3 is now 9) but it might be worth you cutting back on solids. The advice these days is not to wean until 6 months (mine were all weaned earlier but they were all crap sleepers) and I wonder if the solids are stopping the desire for milk? Seems to coincide with your timings?

I've tried cutting right back on solids, didn't make any difference. X

Omg do you have my baby?! Literally the same!!
Except only a few mouthfuls of solids as we only started last week.
During the day she'll only have 2-3oz at a time and then has 6oz before bed.

Today I've tried to feed her more regularly to get in more oz to see if that helps. But I've just added it up and it's no more than yesterday 🤦🏽‍♀️

Don't know what to do! I feel like I've been feeding her all day today and she's still not had much!!

Just had a thought. Might go up a teat size. See if that works 🤷🏽‍♀️

Its worrying isnt it, in this heat especially. He hasn't really been too fussed about having solids or milk today, do you think it could be his teeth? He's definitely teething, one has cut through. Though surely that would cause issues sucking bottle at night too if it was sore...? Aarrgghh I don't know... why don't babies come with instructions?! He's my third and I still don't really have a clue!

Ooooh let me know if it makes a difference, I have still got him on size 2. Didn't think of that x

Another one for trying a bigger teat size but also try giving his bottles somewhere really boring.
Maybe see if you can move his nap too - 2-4 with a 7:30 bedtime means he may just not be tired enough by bed time. Either make his bed time a little bit later (so he has 4-4.5hrs awake time after his last nap) or try something like this: morning nap should be 20-30 mins (at around 9:30) and a long nap at lunch 12:30 til 2:30 but I appreciate that's a big rejig and totally understand it if you can't be bothered with that!!

Stuckficks he can only manage 2.5-3 hours awake at a time, so 4 is perfect last nap wake up time and I never have a problem settling him for bed at 7.30, he goes down really easy then, and it's the only time he takes a big feed. If he falls asleep any earlier for that nap I have a real struggle trying to stretch him out until 7.30 as he's too tired and grumpy.

It's the waking through the night from 11/12ish that is the problem not settling him at 7.30, he's shattered by then, is have no hope keeping him awake for 4.5 hours !!

Naptime can't really move anyway as I have two older children and eldest needs dropping off and picking up from preschool at the times you have stated. Though I think you may have read my post wrong as he's falling asleep fine at 7.30, so don't think I need to rejig naps. The problem is that he's not taking much milk through the day, but wants to feed 2-3 times through the night, I wanted to know if there was anyway to encourage him to drink in the day and maybe cut down on the night milk. X

Nope, not reading your post wrong (which is why I suggested upping a teat size and feeding somewhere very boring to limit distraction).
The reason I suggested the map alterations is though babies will go down well, if they've had too much sleep or not quite enough wake time during the day they'll wake after a few hours. My first was similar to yours, made up feeding overnight (I was back at work full time by this point and needed to sort it. The HV told me I'd just have to have an awful few months - the only thing that fixed it was altering her naps into more the 2, 3, 4 routine (well, 2.5, 3.5, 4)
There's loads of info on google. But the changes would have to be made gradually (stretching awake times by 5 mins a day) and you say you already have a busy schedule which wouldn't suit so this is probably pointless - hopefully the bigger teat size and boring / no distraction feeding environment will solve it!

Ok I'll try bigger teat.
If I could feed him somewhere boring I would, but have a two year old so can't disappear into a quiet room and leave him. Definitely harder when there are more than one as baby has to slot in 😐
Hopefully the next teat will help. X

Okay afternoon feed with size 3 only resulted in 2oz again! 🙄 but I did manage to get her to have 7oz before bed.

So with very frequent feeds today I've managed to get in 20oz 🎉 will see what tonight brings!

I think the reason for feeding at night rather than day is distractions- so changing teat unlike;y to have an effect.

They've got so many things going on that they feed at night when it is quiet and no distractions.

My 5 month old is the same btw

It's a nightmare, I have a 2 and 4 year old aswell so can't disappear into a quiet room to feed without distraction.. ..
Goodluck avocuddl, hope you get more sleep! X

How's it going KW?

Hi, he's had 2 teeth come through, and although still waking twice at night he's going down alot quicker each time, and is taking milk through the day again, it's getting slightly better, we now have the problem that he doesn'twant me to put him down during the day, and won't go to anyone else 🙈
You? X