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Original poster

9 month waking for feed still

54 replies

Emmalizzie831 · 27/09/2022 21:48

I wouldn’t say I’m at the end of my tether, but I am getting there. 🙁
my son (9 months old) keeps on waking every night at around 1 am, we try to settle him with dummy/ water/cuddles/shushing, but he cries until he has been changed and has been given 7 ounces of milk (which he drains!!!!)

so his routine usually goes like this:
wakes 5am 7oz milk about 5:30am
7:00 am porridge made with 4oz milk
try and keep him awake until 10 for 1st nap with 7oz milk
10-11:30 nap
11;45 lunch
1:30 bottle 7oz
wakes 2:45/3:00 (school run)
4:30 dinner
5:30/5:45 bath (not every night)7oz
6:15/6:45 sleep
in the first few hours he is tossing and turning and maybe having a cry so we put his dummy back in.
then he wakes at 1 am, change nappy give 7 ounces of milk. Then wakes between 5/530.

I don’t know if I am being too optimistic, but this just seems like I’m doing something wrong? He eats three meals throughout the day, so he can’t be hungry? But there is no way I could let him cry out for ages at night that’s why we give him the bottle.
ANY ADVICE IS VERY WELCOME 🙏🏽
XOXO

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Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 09:08

BradPittsLeftTit · 28/09/2022 06:36

I would try going up a nappy size at bedtime as they do tend to hold more

I'm going to be the first to say it...it looks like all his naps are with milk so fed to sleep?

If that's the case then he may be waking up and not being able to get back to sleep as he's used to having milk for naps? Could you move the milk so it's not so close to his naps?

he only sometimes falls asleep on the bottle at night but I wake him up so he’s drowsy so he can resettle himself.
just now he’s fallen asleep (9am) and he settled himself in cot 👍🏻

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Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 09:10

Preg19 · 28/09/2022 06:19

This is so normal! At 9 months old he’s still so little, he obviously needs the milk as he is draining it. One wake up for his age is really good too! Mine were waking up 2-3 times a night up until 18months, again so normal! Hang in there you’re doing great!

Ah thank you @Preg19 . My other boy (now 6) was a good sleeper so to get others kind opinions is good , as I have probably been comparing

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Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 09:14

ChittyBang1987 · 28/09/2022 06:40

Was lo whinging for you at 6am though?? I'm a mean mum. If my lo wants out of cot she calls for me. Don't get me wrong I'm not talking hours. But if their happy in cot leave them. Obviously set a time on when to get them up and such. But in mornings I leave until 7am if she's happy. My lo needs time to wake up and sometimes will go back to sleep. My lo woke quite often woke at 6am. Then talk for 30 to 40 mins then dropped back off.

Have a look at boosters. Game changer for us. No more leaks in night or changing in night. 2 or 3 boosters. My lo just wees a lot at night. And I didn't want to cut her bedtime bottle down as only one she's had since 12 months unless unwell.

As you have school run I know a lot of people do 9am/915am sleep until 10am and then woken
1pm till 3pm sleep. 7pm bed. Could try this? It never worked for my lo. But works for some. The theory is also shortening the morning nap they also realise they can't catch up on the sleep in the nap.

no he was just babbling however he’s a LOUD babbler lol and it’s hard as my little boy is a light sleeper do wakes him up…and husband on nights.
I think I’m just trying to make sure no one is being disturb but hey ho “that’s life” 😅
I will try the 7pm bedtime tonight though, thanks x

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SalviaOfficinalis · 28/09/2022 09:21

I would give him a bowl of rice pudding (or something else filling) just before bed time.

Then start gradually reducing the amount of milk he has in his night feed (reduce by 1oz every night or every 2 nights). He’s used to having a lot of milk at that time so he will be hungry as his body is expecting it.

Once you’ve got the amount down to about 3oz, it’s not really providing much nutrition, so swap to just offering water if he wakes up.

His body will get used to not being fed at night so hopefully he’ll stop waking up for it.

Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 11:23

my worry is that he is going to bed with a full tummy, tea at 5/530 then rice pudding, then a bottle? Would you say bottle at seven?

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Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 11:24

SalviaOfficinalis · 28/09/2022 09:21

I would give him a bowl of rice pudding (or something else filling) just before bed time.

Then start gradually reducing the amount of milk he has in his night feed (reduce by 1oz every night or every 2 nights). He’s used to having a lot of milk at that time so he will be hungry as his body is expecting it.

Once you’ve got the amount down to about 3oz, it’s not really providing much nutrition, so swap to just offering water if he wakes up.

His body will get used to not being fed at night so hopefully he’ll stop waking up for it.

I don’t mean full tummy, obviously that’s what I want! LOL but I mean uncomfortably full for him?

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Franca123 · 28/09/2022 11:35

Piece of toast before bed with his milk. Wean off the night feeds by replacing with water. He'll loose interest. Start moving from bottles to cups with a view to getting rid of bottles totally at 1yr. Introduce the cup for one of the day time feeds to begin with so he can work out how to use it. You're doing great!

BritishDesiGirl · 28/09/2022 11:47

Pippylongstock · 28/09/2022 06:18

Oh come on. He is 9 months and waking once a night. Babies wake at night

This. It's completely normal for him to wake up and want a bottle. My daughter still has milk at night and she is 19 months.

SalviaOfficinalis · 28/09/2022 12:12

I mean, don’t force feed him but maybe offer rice pudding and if he’s hungry he’ll eat it. If he doesn’t finish all his milk after that’s fine as he’ll have had milk in the rice pudding.

It’s mainly to make you feel reassured than he’s not going to starve overnight if you reduce his milk.

Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 15:03

Franca123 · 28/09/2022 11:35

Piece of toast before bed with his milk. Wean off the night feeds by replacing with water. He'll loose interest. Start moving from bottles to cups with a view to getting rid of bottles totally at 1yr. Introduce the cup for one of the day time feeds to begin with so he can work out how to use it. You're doing great!

Fab thank you , will try x

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Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 15:04

SalviaOfficinalis · 28/09/2022 12:12

I mean, don’t force feed him but maybe offer rice pudding and if he’s hungry he’ll eat it. If he doesn’t finish all his milk after that’s fine as he’ll have had milk in the rice pudding.

It’s mainly to make you feel reassured than he’s not going to starve overnight if you reduce his milk.

Thank you.. appreciate the helpful advice x

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Franca123 · 28/09/2022 15:30

Your son sounds like a milk guzzling machine! Mine was too! My other thought was two feeds before bed. So one at like 6pm and one at 7pm so he gets enough to go overnight. Just a thought. Mine had to be in terry towels overnight as nothing could contain the wees. I looked up how much milk he should be drinking and he was off the chart. Skinny little baby too!

sageandbasil · 28/09/2022 15:41

The first wake window is way too long. Have you ever used the app huckleberry? Jt tells you when they're due a nap. You get a month free trial then you pay but I couldn't be without iy

sageandbasil · 28/09/2022 15:42

@Caspianberg it's not the dream. It's normal to want your baby to sleep through and OPs baby is waking super early so it's a wake up and an early start

Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 15:45

Thank you

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Caspianberg · 28/09/2022 15:46

@sageandbasil - but they are sleeping 9hrs with one wake up? Most parents can cope just about with that as they then get 7-8hrs opportunity to sleep themselves.

Ds at 8 months was so awful I nearly crashed the car from chronic sleep loss. Finally would sleep about 9pm- wake 5.30/6am, waking every 60-90mins all
night in between. So one wake really is a dream

Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 15:47

sageandbasil · 28/09/2022 15:41

The first wake window is way too long. Have you ever used the app huckleberry? Jt tells you when they're due a nap. You get a month free trial then you pay but I couldn't be without iy

I haven’t but I will try anything… it’s really the early morning start that I am trying to move to more like 6/6:30 👍🏻

OP posts:
sageandbasil · 28/09/2022 15:48

@Caspianberg while that's awful for you it's not the norm at 9 months so you shouldn't project onto Op looking for ways to stop the wake up

Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 15:56

@Pippylongstock @Flopisfatteningbingforchristmas @BritishDesiGirl that’s reassuring to know it’s completely normal 👍🏻 😬
im just wondering if the thread had any additional/kind advice on stretching his wake time as he’s asking at 5am . TIA
@sageandbasil thank you 🙏🏽 😊

OP posts:
Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 15:56

^*Waking at 5am

OP posts:
RedToothBrush · 28/09/2022 16:01

Flopisfatteningbingforchristmas · 28/09/2022 07:05

I completely agree. Only one wake a night a 9 month is both normal but probably on the easier side of normal.

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This

thisismyusername321 · 28/09/2022 16:02

No idea if it's already been suggested but when DD was little someone suggested feeding her some mashed banana before bed as it's meant to aid sleep (no idea how it works) but she always slept great if she'd had banana for supper.

olderthanyouthink · 28/09/2022 16:03

From the gentle sleep book by sarah ockwell-smith

What to expect of your baby's sleep at six to nine months
At the start of this period, only 16 per cent of babies are* reliably sleeping through the night every night." Around 60 per cent of babies are sleeping for periods of five hours or more with some regularity and 13 per cent still wake at least three times every night.? At six months, babies are sleeping on average around 10½ hours at night and 3 hours in the daytime. At this age, babies will be taking around 30 per cent of their sleep during the day-time and 70 per cent at night. *

What to expect of your baby's sleep at
nine to twelve months

At this stage, babies sleep for around thirteen hours in* every twenty-four-hour period: 10½ of these hours are taken at night with 2½ hours composed of daytime naps Remember that these are just the norms of sleep and some babies will sleep for longer, while some will sleep less. Sleep is split between 80 per cent at night and 20 percent in the day. This is, however, a very common time for sleep to regress, with night-waking becoming more frequent than it was between six and nine months. Research* indicates that now only 40 per cent of babies are sleeping for stretches of five or more hours at night and that the
majority are still waking at least once at night and usually needing parental input to get back to sleep.

Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 16:08

thisismyusername321 · 28/09/2022 16:02

No idea if it's already been suggested but when DD was little someone suggested feeding her some mashed banana before bed as it's meant to aid sleep (no idea how it works) but she always slept great if she'd had banana for supper.

Oooh I’ll try thank you

OP posts:
Original poster
Emmalizzie831 · 28/09/2022 16:09

olderthanyouthink · 28/09/2022 16:03

From the gentle sleep book by sarah ockwell-smith

What to expect of your baby's sleep at six to nine months
At the start of this period, only 16 per cent of babies are* reliably sleeping through the night every night." Around 60 per cent of babies are sleeping for periods of five hours or more with some regularity and 13 per cent still wake at least three times every night.? At six months, babies are sleeping on average around 10½ hours at night and 3 hours in the daytime. At this age, babies will be taking around 30 per cent of their sleep during the day-time and 70 per cent at night. *

What to expect of your baby's sleep at
nine to twelve months

At this stage, babies sleep for around thirteen hours in* every twenty-four-hour period: 10½ of these hours are taken at night with 2½ hours composed of daytime naps Remember that these are just the norms of sleep and some babies will sleep for longer, while some will sleep less. Sleep is split between 80 per cent at night and 20 percent in the day. This is, however, a very common time for sleep to regress, with night-waking becoming more frequent than it was between six and nine months. Research* indicates that now only 40 per cent of babies are sleeping for stretches of five or more hours at night and that the
majority are still waking at least once at night and usually needing parental input to get back to sleep.

Thank you for this info 👍🏻

OP posts: