My son of almost 1year is waking most evenings and not settling without a milk feed
My son is waking most evenings and will not settle without a milk feed around 12.30 am most nights. I try to feed him more during the day but he refuses to be spoon fed after about 8 baby spoonfuls. He tends to throw any finger foods on to the floor. Lunch time is not much of an issue but tea time is. Breakfast is also a struggle to get him to eat. He is an extremely active boy which has also been noted by the Health Visitor and was walking at 9 months. I started to give him milk when he woke as I was afraid he was not eating much in the day but I’m feeling that by doing this we are getting into a vicious circle. I give him a spoon to feed himself but the food ends up in his eyes etc and he finds it fun. The list below is an approximate day. I have to wake him at all his sleeps to keep the routine on track, I have to feed him lunch at 11.00 am so I am able to pick up my toddler on time from playgroup. My son is ready for his lunch sleep at 12.15 and I have no problems getting him to sleep at all he just goes straight down in his cot without any fuss the majority of the time.
He takes 4-6ozs formula at 7.30am. Yoghurt is eaten, toast offered and played with and he sometimes takes about 5 teaspoons of cereal. He takes a drink of water at 10am. At 11am he will eat 8 baby spoons of home made spaghetti bolognaise, some yoghurt and a bread stick He has 4ozs of formula at 2.30pm and his tea at 4.30pm is a mixture of finger foods and scrambled egg on toast. He takes water wit h this meal and 7ozs of formula before his bedtime at 7pm.
He naps at 9.30-10am and 12.15-2.15pm.
As your son is obviously waking in the night from hunger he will only drop this feed when you have managed to get him to eat more solid food in the day.
At breakfast offer him his milk in a beaker when he has had some cereal or yoghurt, rather than as a bottle feed before his meal. Encourage him to eat his toast by spreading it with some cream cheese, savoury spread or a sugar free jam. He may enjoy feeding himself dry cereal such as Cheerio’s which are easy for a baby to pick up in his fingers.
As you may have limited time at your son’s lunchtime, due to playgroup pick up, it may be tempting to spoon feed him yourself to save time. However, self feeding should be part of each of his meals now, even though finger and self feeding can mean meal-times are messy and frustrating. Babies are apt to get food in their hair, eyes and ears. In fact everywhere but their mouths, it would seem. But, if your son is going to become adept at feeding himself, he will need to go through this stage. Also, it may be difficult to know if your baby has had enough to eat. Place a washable mat or newspapers under your son’s high chair. Remove any thick jumper or sweat shirt he may be wearing and protect him with the largest all-in-one bib you can find. Roll up the sleeves and have one or two clean, damp washcloths nearby.
When you prepare his lunch cook a tablespoon of frozen mixed vegetables and offer him a few of these as finger food. Put him in his high chair and place two or three pieces of finger food in front of him at one time. If you give him much more he is likely to sweep it all off his tray. The colours and textures may tempt him to try them and, whilst he is eating this finger food, you can finish preparing the meal. Let your son see what he is eating by offering him his food in a divided bowl. It is better to give him small amounts of a variety of foods than just one or two things mashed all together. Separate out his vegetables from his potato and meat. Or give him spaghetti bolognaise in one section with a spoonful of a green vegetable in another and a small amount of grated cheese in the third division.
Give your son a spoon and help him to load it. Initially, a baby can have trouble guiding a full spoon to his mouth without turning it over and losing the food. He may find some things easier to eat using a baby fork. Show him how to spear a piece of meat or vegetable. At the same time as your son is trying to feed himself you can give him a helping hand and pop in a spoonful or two. His attention will be on his own efforts so he should not notice you feeding him so much. Praise his efforts so he will be encouraged to try some more.A baby does get restless if confined to a high chair for long periods so try to keep meal times to no longer than 20-30 minutes, before clearing away any uneaten food.
Now your son is almost a year old he needs a minimum of 12ozs of milk in the day. Providing he still takes 4-6ozs at breakfast and his 7ozs before bedtime you could cut out his afternoon bottle and replace it with a drink of water and a piece of fruit. This may help him be hungrier for his tea.
Make his teas high in carbohydrates. This will help fill him up for the night ahead. Providing he has eaten 2ozs of protein at his midday meal you can make tea an easy dish for him to eat. Look in Gina’s Contented Guide to Weaning for some ideas. Jacket potatoes and baked beans are quick and easy. Pasta and vegetable bakes could be made earlier in the day and reheated. You may like to batch cook some thick vegetable soup and offer a portion of this with mini sandwiches or bread sticks. Providing your son once more with a few pieces of finger food on his tray, whilst you spoon feed him the soup, should help you make sure he eats a good meal. He may enjoy some cheese sticks with a dip such as hummus or avocado, once you have shown him what to do. To finish his tea, especially if you feel he has not eaten that much, offer him a milky pudding or some baby rice and fruit puree which should fill him up.
Once you are confident your son has increased his food intake in the day then you can begin to cut back on the night-time milk. Look in The Complete Sleep Guide, page 44, for an explanation about diluting feeds so you are able to drop them without too much distress for your son. Once he has dropped the need to feed when he wakes in the night you may need to use some form of sleep training, in order for him to learn how to settle back to sleep by himself should he wake in the night.