A long one, sorry. Started BLW around 5 and a half months, all went pretty well and everyone happy. Milk feeds: DS used to take around 6oz every 4 hours day or night. Now just turned 8mo and his night feeding patterns have changed significantly - bed with 6 or 7oz bottle at 7pm, then wakes around 3am for 4oz, then takes 4-6oz on waking at 7am. We've even had two nights where he hasn't had milk until gone 5.30am which is amazing (we haven't had any unbroken sleep since he was born).
But now he seems to have gone off his food, and is reluctant to take more than about 2-4oz at any of the daytime milk feeds, but wanting more again at night. (His total milk intake for the day is probably around 20-22oz.) I'm sort of wondering whether I'm offering milk too frequently and if I cut back then perhaps he'll take more at each feed (milk feeds are 11am and 3pm, meals at 8am, 12ish and 6pm). Anyone have experience of this or could suggest how I would go about it? Maybe merging feeds or replacing 11am milk with a snack? He does get very distracted at the daytime milk feeds too, and is far more interested in what's going on around him than taking the milk.
The food thing is weird. He was really enjoying lots of different foods and happy to feed himself. Loves nothing better than a pile of peas to work his way through and practice the pincer grip. But at lunchtime he whinges which makes me think he's really hungry, I chuck a rice cake or two, or some other snack his way to keep him going til I've made the lunch, and then when he's up at the table he toys with his food, takes a bite or two, then starts chucking the food off and then grumbling to get down and play. He'll take a bit more at supper - maybe his hunger has built up a bit more.
He's also become quite whingey and gets upset when I leave the room so we're entering the realms of separation anxiety I guess.
But also wondering whether this whole issue could be to do with teeth, as his bottom two came through on the eve of his 5mo birthday and nothing since then but I can see giant lumps in the upper gums.
Lordy, it could be anything really, couldn't it? Any advice or help would be much appreciated though as it's all getting a bit much!