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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

Help with 1 year old & night feeds

12 replies

Sunshinedreamer1 · 20/02/2023 19:20

Hi guys,

feel like I’ve failed my son a bit with this but he has just gone 1 year old.
We are struggling with his solids in the sense on can not get more that two meals a day in him and sometimes that is a fight.
Also he has a but more of a sweet tooth.

He still feeds during the night every two hours and will easily drink 35 oz over night so I believe this making him full during the day.

Just looking for advice really how to get him off these feeds is it better just to stop cold turkey or gradually go down?
I just feel so bad on him.
thanks :)

OP posts:
NatMoz · 20/02/2023 19:31

My baby is 14m and we're struggling with the milk at night too. She has a bottle before bed 6:30pm of 8oz and 8oz in the night (one wake up). We did try swapping it out for water but 2.5h of crying and we caved🙈

OdeToBarney · 20/02/2023 19:32

35oz at night time? Or all day? Either way that's a lot at his age. Can you post more about his routine so we can see where we might be able to help?

Original poster
Sunshinedreamer1 · 20/02/2023 19:59

OdeToBarney · 20/02/2023 19:32

35oz at night time? Or all day? Either way that's a lot at his age. Can you post more about his routine so we can see where we might be able to help?

He goes to bed about 19:00, and get up time is around 08:00. Between those times I will take four 8/9oz bottles to bed and they will most normally be gone by about 08:00. I would say roughly still waking every 2/3 hours.

He has one nap during the day and would normally drink a bottle then but would say no more that 8oz during the day. He has his water to drink during the day.
Breakfast is fine normally fruit/yoghurts or weetabix, or toast ect.
Lunch is a bit of a struggle but would normally have this about 12:30.
Then we struggle with Dinner around 17:00, he has the odd snack in between.

I realise that the milk now is maybe a comfort and it needs to stop so then he will eat more during the day.
We have tried to give him less or not give the feeds but then he screams hysterically for hours.
He is ganing weight and has just gone onto the 50th centille.
we started really well on weaning but he got unwell around Christmas time and since then we can’t seem to get it back on track.
thanks x

OP posts:
Original poster
Sunshinedreamer1 · 20/02/2023 20:00

NatMoz · 20/02/2023 19:31

My baby is 14m and we're struggling with the milk at night too. She has a bottle before bed 6:30pm of 8oz and 8oz in the night (one wake up). We did try swapping it out for water but 2.5h of crying and we caved🙈

Aww it’s awful isn’t it! We have tried but we had the same the screaming constantly I don’t know if it’s just something I need to stick with. It’s heartbreaking x

OP posts:
OdeToBarney · 20/02/2023 20:06

@Sunshinedreamer1 does he just not seem hungry in the day? Or do you think he's hungry but doesn't like certain foods? I think you need to focus on getting his day time calories up so you can then start reducing the night feeds as he probably is genuinely hungry for them. Does he have allergies? Could you bulk out meals with high calorie ingredients? My DD has cmpa so we add nut butter to porridge, give avocado, vegan cream cheese etc. If no allergies you could use plenty of full fat cheese, cream in sauces, on cereal, nut butters and avocado on toast etc.

Once he's getting enough calories in the day you could then start watering down his milk an oz at a time and then gradually just offering water.

Does he drink plenty of fluids during the day?

Original poster
Sunshinedreamer1 · 20/02/2023 20:32

OdeToBarney · 20/02/2023 20:06

@Sunshinedreamer1 does he just not seem hungry in the day? Or do you think he's hungry but doesn't like certain foods? I think you need to focus on getting his day time calories up so you can then start reducing the night feeds as he probably is genuinely hungry for them. Does he have allergies? Could you bulk out meals with high calorie ingredients? My DD has cmpa so we add nut butter to porridge, give avocado, vegan cream cheese etc. If no allergies you could use plenty of full fat cheese, cream in sauces, on cereal, nut butters and avocado on toast etc.

Once he's getting enough calories in the day you could then start watering down his milk an oz at a time and then gradually just offering water.

Does he drink plenty of fluids during the day?

I feel he does seem hungry during the day, and I offer him lots of different things I will make him a plate up for lunch with loads of finger foods and bits for him to be able to try and play with. Sometimes he eats bits or I will go to offer him something and before he’s even tried it he pulls a face like it’s disgusting and shakes his head even if I try to feed him or himself and then ends up playing with it or having a tiny amount.

He drinks water during the day I always give him his drinking bottle cup with water in.
He had cmpa and we were on Nutramigen and have been following the milk ladder and as of now fingers crossed we seem to be doing okay gradually introducing dairy back into his diet. He has no other allergies that we know of.

I have not tried anything like that but butter or cream cheeses and that is a great idea so at least what I am getting into him is high calories. I am going to go do a shop tomorrow and will try some new bits with him like that.
I just tried going cold turkey as such with him on a night as my HV suggested but feel like when we have he gets himself so hysterical for hours and he’s hungry like you said because he’s not getting enough.

Thank you for your advice and help it’s really appriciated and will try this tomorrow and hopefully can wean him off it.
x

OP posts:
OdeToBarney · 20/02/2023 21:14

No problem @Sunshinedreamer1 let us know how you get on and if I can think of anything else, I'm happy to share. Good luck!

HVPRN · 20/02/2023 22:05

OdeToBarney · 20/02/2023 20:06

@Sunshinedreamer1 does he just not seem hungry in the day? Or do you think he's hungry but doesn't like certain foods? I think you need to focus on getting his day time calories up so you can then start reducing the night feeds as he probably is genuinely hungry for them. Does he have allergies? Could you bulk out meals with high calorie ingredients? My DD has cmpa so we add nut butter to porridge, give avocado, vegan cream cheese etc. If no allergies you could use plenty of full fat cheese, cream in sauces, on cereal, nut butters and avocado on toast etc.

Once he's getting enough calories in the day you could then start watering down his milk an oz at a time and then gradually just offering water.

Does he drink plenty of fluids during the day?

Great advice.

  • This would have been similar to what I would have suggested.

Reducing the Oz off each bottle between 19:00-07:00 is a great start. Aim to get it to 6oz per bottle for now. I'd start that right away as he is on loads of formula - I wouldn't want to eat in the day either with that amount ;) Subtle technique yet effective. If you find he begins eating more in the day, and snacking, you can still give a bottle in the night if it works for you and your family for comfort.

Typically, this age group will have morning milk, day milk then a milk at bedtime. A 1-2y old usually has 16-24oz in 24hours.
Some have one in the night. And of course there is the transition to Cows milk/Oats milk at 1y old.

Don't bother doing cold turkey with the milk in the night, not an advocate for this. Hope this helps!

PritiPatelsMaker · 23/02/2023 08:37

One year old babies only need 10 floz of full fat cows milk in a day so it's no wonder he's not got an appetite for solids OP.

This article is aimed at BFers but there is no reason why you can't use the techniques to help to get him to sleep at night and take more calories in the day.

Another thing to try is giving him plenty of exercise in the day, so try things like swimming. That always gave mine an appetite and then they'd eat Wink

PritiPatelsMaker · 25/02/2023 14:31

How are you getting on @Sunshinedreamer1? Have you had any success yet?

Original poster
Sunshinedreamer1 · 25/02/2023 17:39

PritiPatelsMaker · 25/02/2023 14:31

How are you getting on @Sunshinedreamer1? Have you had any success yet?

Hi there!

sorry for the late reply, so we did our big food shop a few days ago and got loads of new foods to try.
He’s defiantly taking little bits but still turns his nose up at some things when he hasn’t even tried it.

In regards to the milk managed to get him down to two so far and some water during the night too so managed to get rid of two milk bottles. We are slowly going to keep reducing down.
He had his 1 year immunisations two days ago so last night he refused all milk apart from bedtime bottle but took water. And his appetite is massively reduced at moment because of the effects of this I believe.
so hoping this is going in the right direction and feel so much better rather than completely withdrawing it, we still have a long way to go xx

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 25/02/2023 18:30

It definitely does sound like you are going in the right direction. Ditching 2 bottles already abounds like a great improvement Flowers

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