Help - 6.5mnths and waking early/starving .... what can I do?

[TheGabster]

Please help me with suggestions!!

I have been weaning my DS 6.5mnths for some weeks now (no criticism please) and he is happily taking 3 meals a day (he is a bit of a big bruiser). However, he has cut down drastically on the milk over the last week (to around 5-600mls a day - normal, I know but wait for it) and now wakes around 5.45-6am and we finally twigged he is hungry/looking for milk!

He drains a full feed and happily nods back off to sleep, to wake at his normal time of 7.20/30 (which he has not done for some time - ahhhh blissfull sleep).

Soo ..... what on earth can I do to get him through the night?

Have tried more milk/products in his food. And had suggestion of putting some oatmeal in his evening puree. Even some of the "good night" jars. None of this is working.

Would you try and re-instate the dream feed? We dropped it because he would only take about 40ml (1 to 2 ozs) and then refused the rest.

Would putting protein in his evening meal help (only has it lunchtime at present)?

Has anybody got any other suggestions?

Can you rearrange some of his feeds so he'll take more milk? My ds did this too so instead of giving him breakfast first thing in the morning, I now give him his bottle and he gets his breakfast at brunch time. He takes far more milk this way. Or maybe you could give him a meal and then finish it with some milk? It's a possibility your ds may be going through a growth spurt and is just hungrier atm so you may just have to stick it out and he'd settle back in a couple of days.

offering less food in the evening and more milk? in all fairness, he is going through the night if his first waking is 5.45 or so.. milk is more filling and satisfying than food , so maybe offer extra milk feed and milk before food.

Thanks for your responses guys.

BB - DS takes a full feed (8ozs7/240mls) in the morning at 6.15ish - have tried offering him more milk before, during and after breakfast (usually around 8am) but he takes a sip and then refuses the rest. He is teething and know this affects sucking so have tried bottle, teething gel and sippy cup but makes no difference.

LLM - totally understand there are people who would gladly have my eye-tooth to have their LO sleep until 7ish, and I know I should be grateful, and am, but I just wondered if anyone else had some tips as he was happily sleeping until this time until recently .

Starlight - he goes to bed around 7/7.30, depending how tired he is, takes a full feed and self settles well.

I have tried upping his milk but he flat refuses his 11ish milk before lunch (half an hour later)- and if I want him to absorb the iron from the protein properly this has to be droppped anyway so I think that is supposed to happen?

His next feed was at around 2/2.30 but he never took a full feed at this time, and it didn't increase when the 11am was dropped but instead, it has reduced to around 100ml - sometimes he flat refuses it. So I tried giving it to him at bit later yesterday, nearer 3pm, which seemed better so going to try the same again today.

Other than that, like I say, he has dropped the dream feed - will only take 40ml.

I know how important milk is at the moment, but I cannot get him to drink any more milk than he is already, unless there is another way of getting it in him that I have not thought of. I have even tried putting saab (sweet tasting stuff like infacol) on the end of the teat which did the trick in the past when he was off his milk. But now, he just looks at me and gives it a "you and whose army?" tight shut lip look, IYKWIM

Any other suggestions??

Getting more milk into him - you mentioned you tried a sippy cup, but have you tried a normal open cup? Our ds doesn't like drinking out of a sippy at all, just a normal (plastic obv) cup like us. Very messy though!! There wouldn't be the pressure in the gums from the teething either as there's no sucking as such.

Maybe try a slightly later bedtime? Ds goes to bed about 8-8.30 and sleeps right through til about the same time in the morning. When we tried getting him to bed earlier, of course, he woke earlier.

Would the protein be heavier in the stomach? Maybe try it at dinner time rather than lunch? I don't know if you've progressed to lumps or not but does pasta not contain something in it that makes you sleepy (or is it an old wives tales from my mother)?

Oh I don't know. Just bandying a few ideas. Babies eh? Keep moving the goal posts!!

Hey BB - LOL at the cup. Have toyed with the idea myself as he drinks out of ours (glass ) when we are out and about. But as for the sippy cup, he takes water no problem and even picks it up himself (and shoves it in his eye usually, unfortunately) so it really does seem to be milk he is off at the moment.

Yes, we have progressed to lumps and he is coping well - he does love his food bless him. We also do fingers foods and have just been playing with pasta. I think some gets in but maybe I will try whizzing some in his supper tonight and see if that works.

Then could try a later bed time, although I thought 7 o'clock was the magic time for most babies? Anyhoo, might give it a go.

Oh, and don't talk to me about stages. DS has just reached the "screech at the top of your lungs" stage! Definitely preferred the "singing" noises he used to do! He practices at every opportunity though, including on the train yesterday. Should mention I live in Germany and its bad enough my mobile rings, then I sit there speaking English so people start to look, but then LO decides to practice screeching for 20 mins solid, grinning away, as everyone around stares in amazement. I have probably put them off children for life!

UPDATE!

Well, Bunni you can tell your mother she is right! Having tried a few different things over the weekend, have discovered pasta does indeed seem to sort him out.

BTW, for those with problems getting the milk in the same as me, moving the afternoon feed to a bit later helped, he takes nearly a full feed now (phew)so his milk consumption is a bit more respectable - although must say this did not help his sleeping.

Also tried protein suppers, but it only made practically no difference.