Since weaning, my 5-month-old son needs feeding in the night
Until recently my 5-month-old son was going through the night, or waking for a short feed at 2am. I would skip the late feed in preference of a 2am feed, which he was starting not to need. Having recently cracked the lunchtime nap and begun to introduce solids, as specified in the Weaning book, all seemed to be going well. He was a very contented baby.
In the last week however, his night time wakings have returned, he is waking 2 or 3 times in the night again and is very hungry on each occasion. It seems he is gradually drinking less and less from the breast in the day and more at night.
In the last month he has refused the occasional evening formula feed and will now only accept the breast. Should we lessen the amount of solids we are giving him?
At present he has a breast feed at 7.30am, 11.30 am, 2.30pm, 6pm. He also has baby porridge at 8am, a selection of vegetables at 11.30am between each side of his breast feed, baby rice and pear at 6pm. He weighs 17lbs.
Getting the balance of solids against the milk intake in the early months of weaning, is crucial to prevent excessive night-time wakings and hunger.
Until solids are well established, your son will need a feed at 10pm. If he won’t accept formula from a bottle, then try offering expressed breast milk. If he finds it difficult to accept a bottle from you, then ask your partner to give it to him. Many babies will accept a bottle from someone else, as they associate feeding from the breast with you. Once he accepts a bottle well from someone else, then you can begin to offer it to him. By cutting out this feed he is losing at least 5-6ozs of milk from his daily intake, which is now causing him to wake at night. If you begin to express this feed, you will be able to see how your own supply is.
The first stage of weaning is more about tasters than fillers, so it is important not to increase the amount of solid food you give your son at the expense of his milk intake. He will be needing at least 30-35ozs of milk during the day between 7am and 11pm.
In your notes there are no amounts of solids given but as you have been following the weaning guide, check carefully the amount he is receiving compared to the amounts recommended for his age.
In order for him to still take a good feed at 11am, cut back on the amount of cereal you offer him at 8am. If you are aware that he is not so hungry at 7.30am and you have reintroduced the 10pm feed, then begin to cut back on the amount he takes in the night, to make him more able to take a good feed when he wakes.
Once you have reintroduced the 10pm feed you will probably find he is more able to go longer in the night. Begin to implement the “core night” method as explained in The Contented Baby Book (p148-149), and The Complete Sleep Guide (p44), to drop these feeds again. This means you gradually stretch him out again as long as he continues to feed well by day.
The 11am solids should be a balance of carbohydrate and solids, such as potato mixed with a green vegetable, again follow the combinations set out in the weaning guide, as they have been constructed to give the right balance of nutrients.
Some babies take well to solids and seem to enjoy eating from a spoon but you must take care that your son still is given most of his milk feeds before solids, so he does not cut back too quickly by day.
Making the changes as outlined should help him stop needing to feed in the night ,and so increase his appetite by day.