Feeding FAQ: 6-9 months – Breast Feeding

My 6.5mth daughter still wakes several times in the night. Are her wakings habit rather than hunger?

I wrote to you about a month ago and thank you for your advice, especially as it was just before Christmas. I have implemented everything you suggested but my daughter is still waking several times a night. Some days she eats her solids really well, other days she has almost nothing. In the last month she has gained 3 oz each week which is quite good for her. Are her night wakings habit rather than hunger now? I am trying to do the ‘core night’ and have got Gina’s sleep book, but several times she will just cry for two or three hours (despite me offering water, cuddles etc) until the time of her next usual night feed and, desperate for the crying to stop, I then do feed her at the time of her second night feed. I am sure this is not helping but I don’t know how cut out a feed. If I do manage to get her to go back to sleep without feeding her, she will often wake up an hour or two later and the crying starts all over again. Her night time crying is affecting my husband’s concentration at work (he is a pilot) which can’t continue for safety’s sake. We are absolutely desperate. Also, having worked really hard at the lunchtime nap, in the last month she has backtracked and now wakes after 45 minutes every day. I can usually get her re settled without feeding her, but she can’t seem to resettle herself. Please can you advise me how to get my daughter out of her bad habits? Or do you think we need to consult a sleep clinic? The times of her night sleep below are based on when she won’t resettle if I drop a feed which is what she has done in the last week.

My daughter is breast fed and receives formula in her food. Her feeding times are 7.30am 5minutes, 11.15am I offer her a breast feed after a poor lunch, she has 5/10 minutes, 2.30pm 10 minutes, 6.45pm 10/15minutes, 10.30pm 5 minutes, 2am 5minutes.

She takes three teaspoons of cereal with milk and fruit for breakfast. On a good day at lunch she takes 5 cubes of chicken casserole and half a baby yoghurt. On bad day she will only take a few mouthfuls. For tea my daughter takes 3 cubes of potato and vegetables with cheese and a few sips of water.  She weighs 15lbs 3ozs.

My daughter naps at 9.30-10am, 12-12.45pm, 1-1.45pm and 4.30-4.45pm. She settles at 7.30pm.

Are you aware how much milk you are producing? If you are tired by the end of the day, and your supply is running low, it may be worth thinking about giving your daughter a formula feed at 10pm to get her through the night. This should be kept in place until she is sleeping through the night and not needing feeds to settle back to sleep. Then begin to gradually reduce the 10pm feed until it is 2ozs. Once she has slept through the night after this small feed for 1 week you can drop it.

Once she has had a good 10pm feed you can begin to use the “core night” method, whereby you drop the night feeds one by one and gradually push your daughter on to sleep for a longer stretch.

If you know that your daughter has had a good feed at 10pm you will be able to allow her 10 minutes of crying at her first waking in the night, to see if she is able to settle alone. Then go in to her and offer her cool, boiled water and a cuddle. If she settles for another hour or so then wakes again, feed her. By pushing her on in this way you are setting her “core night”. If she wakes again later in the night, offer her a feed. You are trying to get rid of the first feeding before attempting to eliminate the second. As she pushes herself on you should get down to one waking in the night rather than two. Then it is time to get rid of that feed in the same way.

Your daughter’s continued night-time crying suggests that she is hungry, which indicates she is not taking enough food and milk during the day. To help her drop her night time feeds, encourage her to eat more solids in the day. If your daughter struggles to eat her lunch cut back on her breakfast a little to encourage her to be hungrier by 11.15am.

Always offer your daughter a top up feed after lunch, whether your daughter has eaten well or not.  This should help her to sleep better, until nearer 2pm/3.30pm.

It may help you to look at two case studies: Dylan in Contented Child’s Food Bible, page 89, and Thomas in The Complete Sleep Guide, page 123.

If you feel that you need further help with getting your daughter settled at night look on the website for the link through to Dr Phillipa Rundle.