Weaning and sleeping

[hexyewdancer]

Im now properly weaning Roman on the advice of the HV. He went into waking 3 times a night to be fed and he just wasnt interested in the milk and would have 3oz at each feed in the day.
She told me to introduce 3 meals a day over the course of a week and to give him stage 2 aptimal (hungry baby) in between.

So far he has breakfast which is usually a fruity cereal (gluten free, no wheat). We tried to give him baby rice but he just rejected it. Dont blame him cos it tastes like cardboard.

Then he has a bottle and takes the full 5oz.

Dinner its some fruit puree. I usually add his milk to the fruit.

Then another bottle and again takes full 5oz.

Tea he has some veg. I will either puree it myself or we give him a jar like chicken and veg.

Then its another 5oz bottle before bed.

The HV said he was waking because he was hungry and not getting enough in the day. Also his milk wasnt doing anything for him and he was slowly rejecting it. So now he's on all this he should sleep through.

Well he doesnt. He's been weaned for a week and 1 day now and he's still waking for a feed in the night. He would take 2 but on the second one i try to just leave him with his dummy.

Am i missing something out in the day? He surely cant be hungry at night. He wont take anymore than a 5oz bottle. Ive tried reducing the time between each feed but he's not interested. Ive also tried giving milk straight after his food but i know he's full because he rejects the milk.

Anyone have any advice on what to do? I just want him to sleep. Not just because im exhausted but because he's so ratty around 10am because he's shattered.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

As I think you already realise, it seems that the problem is he's not taking enough milk. Personally I would offer the milk first, then the solids. It's milk you want him to fill up on.
There's a mum on here whose LO refused to drink much milk, and her dietician told her that it wasn't a good idea to use hungry milk to try and get what little milk he took to fill him up, as this will make him drink even less.
Did your HV not have any advice about how to get him to take more milk?

 

[hexyewdancer]

Did your HV not have any advice about how to get him to take more milk?

Nope non at all. She just said that the number 1 milk is now more like a drink to him and he needs the next one up as its thicker and will satisfy him more. I'll try giving him milk before a feed then.

 

[DY08]

its strange how different HV give different info. I was just reading some leaflets my HV gave me on weaning today and it said that giving solids does not make a baby sleep better. I've found so much contradicting info since having my little girl.

I hope you get to the bottom of it soon so you can enjoy a decent nights sleep!

 

[Lu28]

My HV also told me that weaning rarely solves sleep problems, it's so frustrating that we keep getting different advice Good idea to give a milk feed first and then solids. Hope things turn around for you soon xxx

 

[Tegans Mama]

I agree, it sounds to me like he isn't getting enough milk. He is only 4 months old, and I respect that you feel the need to wean him (that is your decision and no one elses) but since their tummies are so tiny at that age, I agree you should try and give him a milk feed before solids, and then a meal after. If this doesn't work, try making any milk based solids you give him runnier to up his fluid intake.

Weaning doesn't really resolve sleep problems at that age. Its perfectly normal for a 4 month old baby to be waking during the night for the feed - no amount of food you give him during the day will stop him being hungry at night.

It is probably just a phase, he will more than likely start sleeping through very soon. Also - my LO had a nap from 10am til 12 until she was 9 months old. Its normal for babies to get tired quickly

 

[NoSpringChick]

My lo is 4 months and heading for 16lbs, we aim for 40oz a day normal milk and 1 third of an ellas puree tube around dinner time (lunch for some!) about an hour after her bottle or an hour or just before one, it depends really - we will settle for 37oz minimum though now she's having some purree- she sleeps all night on this.
Occasionally she might have a fruit later in the day.

I know its a struggle when they'll only take 3 oz at a time but I would try and get more milk into him. I dont think calorie wise the food would be equalling the milk so he'll be hungrier than before maybe?
Is he good at taking feeds when he's asleep?
We can get an 8oz in her when she's been woken up and is all sleepy - but it's like a battle of wills during the day!

I've found that she will take her bottles better now and the food is just a top up really - something to get her interested in eating.

Ah they are sent to try us they are!

 

[Serene123]

3 meals at 4 months?

I think your HV has given you the wrong advice. There must be a reason your baby won't have more than 3oz of milk, and is waking up in the night and solids won't fix that IMO. Maybe get a second opinion?

 

[kirsten1985]

Freya slept through the night (12 hours) between the ages of 2-4 months. Since she hit 4 months she has been waking 2 or 3 times during the night for a feed. Unlike Roman she takes a normal amount for her (6oz) and goes straight back to sleep. She tends to sleep 14 hours overnight now so is not anymore tired throughout the day. She does not eat any solids yet.

I put this down to her being distracted during her daytime feeds and probably getting hungrier as she gets older.

I, like Toria, think you should find out why he only takes 3oz and fix that rather than feed him solids, as all I have heard is that solids does not help them sleep through.

 

[Kimboowee]

I was told at 4mons they will start to wake up as its a developmental thing

 

[kirsten1985]

I was told at 4mons they will start to wake up as its a developmental thing

I have read this.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Yeah, it says so in the weaning booklet my HV gave us says it's normal from 3-5 months. And so much of it is habit waking rather than hunger, another reason not to assume giving solids early is the answer.

 

[kirsten1985]

Yeah I agree. Freya's is def hunger though, between 7pm - 7am she drinks about 21oz, and between 7am - 7pm she has about 16oz at the most.

I know I have it all backwards and she may sleep through great if she drank all of her milk during the day, but I am not going to force her, she is so nosy looking round at everything and playing etc, it is harder to get her to eat during the day. TBH that 16oz is a struggle.

I am happy with this though, and it causes her no probs. She will sort it out herself eventually!