Should I try Hungry milk/Night time milk at bedtime with 6 month old?

[Jayneypops]

Hi,

Our Dd2 is almost 6 months old, and wakes at 3-4am most nights for a feed. She was previously sleeping through the night from 7.30 - 6am and we thought we had it all settled but for about a month we've had this waking. Were shattered as have a toddler currently also waking through the night!

I am wondering whether to try her on Hungry baby milk in her last bottle before bed? She has 2 portions of solids a day (cereal for breakfast and veggies for tea) and 4 8oz bottles in between but she still seems hungry?

I know she can do a good 9-10 hour stretch as she always used to?

What should I do? Should I go back to bottles every 3 hours during the day instead of 4 hours?

 

[MindUtopia]

Avoid hungry baby milk and just feed her when she's hungry. Gosh, I think you're pretty lucky having a baby who wakes only once a night at 6 months. My daughter went through a spell of teething and adjusting to starting solids when she was literally waking every hour all night long at 6 months. She continued to have 1-2 feeds a night until 9 months when she dropped the night feeds on her own (still didn't STTN until 14 months, but she wasn't interested in a feed). I think you might just have to adjust your expectations that this is completely normal. She's a growing baby and coming up onto a big important developmental phase where she'll be crawling, standing, cruising in a couple months and she needs the extra calories plus hydration that a milk feed provides. Just carry on what you'll doing. Once she starts switching more to solids in a few months, she'll drop that night feed again, but until then just follow her lead and get support from your partner (my husband was up and helping with every single night feed until she stopped wanting one at 9 months, they can cope with little sleep as well as we can!). It will get easier again soon.

 

[Pearls18]

I won't be using any kind of follow on milk and wouldn't touch hungry milk with a barge pole, I've heard there are nutritionists trying to get hungry milk banned. Stage 1 is the most easily digestible for babies and has everything they need if it's good enough for a baby surviving on milk alone it's plenty fine for a diet with solids, everything else (that isn't for a specific type of diet or medical condition of course) is a con, so they can advertise, make them on offer etc. Even though I didn't start formula until both boys were 6 months I only buy stage 1, I don't care if it costs me more etc.

One wake a night really good, I know it's frustrating when you have another child waking. If you think she's hungry increase the milk she has or increase the solids, of she's waking in the night for milk it's because she needs it.

 

[tublet]

I would increase the amount of solids, your babies appetite might have now increased?

I went through a similar thing with baby waking up through the night (went from sleeping through to three times a night at 5 months old), and once we got going with weaning she slept better, and at 7 months she is now sleeping through again.

I wouldn't try hungry baby milk either x

 

[liz1985]

I would try increasing solids first and adding in things such as meats, yogurt, cheese, pasta, and other higher calorie food. There's hardly any calories in fruit an veg. How much milk does she have before bed? Could try increasing that a little or giving her supper? May not work but worth a try.

 

[Jayneypops]

Thanks everyone. Wow I didnt realise Hungry baby milk was seen as so bad
Ive given her a bottle tonight before bed and now she's grumbling and straining like she's in pain I feel like crying that I've done this to her

She usually has an 8oz (normal formula) bottle before bed. Sometimes she finishes it, sometimes she leave 2-3 oz. Im sure Ive overloaded her now and will have a TERRIBLE night with her being in pain. Lesson Learnt. Hungry Baby Milk can sod off!!!

Im going to try her with some higher calorie puree I think, Im just concerned about rushing her with the protein? I can't increase her milk as she has a full bottle already 5 times a day and if I offer her extra bottle she has maybe 1/2oz but isn't bothered. She's pretty much set at 5 bottles

 

[Pearls18]

Have you tried half a banana before bed? There was a recent study which showed this was pretty beneficial to sleep. I often give porridge mixed with banana as his supper around 5.

 

[Jayneypops]

Have you tried half a banana before bed? There was a recent study which showed this was pretty beneficial to sleep. I often give porridge mixed with banana as his supper around 5.

No we haven't tried it. Im unsure now what to do as Yesterday she had hardly any solids (just cereal at around 9.30am, but refused all her veg int he afternoon, and so just had bottles after that. She slept though? Maybe just a fluke but Im wondering whether I should lay off the solids and give more milk? Maybe they are upsetting her stomach?

 

[Popples1]

My HV told me to try it as a tactic to delay weaning. I tried it as the last bottle before bed and it didn't make any difference at all!