Feeding FAQ: 4-6 months – Formula Feeding

My 4mth daughter is back to having 6 feeds a day. How can I stop this happening?

My 4mth daughter slept from 10.30pm until 7.30am at eight weeks of age and by 3 months we were able to drop the 10.30pm feed so she was sleeping from 7pm until 7.30pm which was wonderful. She then got a cold and started waking during the night between 3-5am. She could only be settled with a feed. As this showed no sign of stopping I decided to start with the 10.30 feed again. She only takes 2oz at this time and is still waking during the night. I want to try and leave her but I am nervous she will wake my 2 year old in the room next door. I am frustrated that she is back on to 6 feeds a day when we had it down to 4. Should I stop the 10pm feed and see what happens or continue with this in the hope that she will eventually drop the night feed? I changed her from Aptamil 1 to Aptamil 2 on the advice of my health visitor but this hasn’t made any difference. She takes about 4-5 oz during the night. Should I try and dilute this feed?
She has got reflux and takes infant Gaviscon so is now under control.

She feeds at 7.30am,11am and 2.30pm taking 6-7ozs, at 6.15pm she takes 7ozs. At 10pm she takes 2-3ozs and then 4-5ozs at 4am. She weighs 14lbs 4ozs.

She naps at 9.15-10am, 12-2.15pm and 4.30-5pm.

Until a baby is weaned onto solid food she will need a feed at 10pm. This may become quite small but between the third and fourth month a growth spurt happens and your baby will not be taking in enough milk for her needs if she is only having 4 feeds a day.

As you have found, reintroducing the10pm feed has not really helped the problem. To help her take more at 10pm, rather than in the early hours of the morning, you could try to give it to her as a ‘dream feed’. This is when you lift her from her cot, stirring her only enough to take a bottle in her mouth rather than waking her fully. Often a baby will drink more at this late evening feed if the feed is offered in this way.

Another way to help your daughter take a good feed at 10pm is to split the 5pm/6.15pm feed. By offering her this feed in two parts she should be ready to have another good feed at 10pm. At present her 7oz feed at 6.15pm is taking the edge off her appetite at 10pm. Try giving her 4ozs at 5pm and 3-4ozs after her bath at 6.15pm.

If you can get your daughter to take 4-5ozs at her 10pm ‘dream feed’, then you can very gradually begin to cut back on the amount of milk she takes at her 4am feed. At present it appears that your daughter still needs this 4am feed so that she has enough milk for her daily needs. She is not cutting back on her 7.30am feed yet. If she did, this would show you that she did not really need her 4am feed.

Cut back the 4am feed by ½ to 1oz every other night and see if she is able to sleep through to nearer 7am. Once you are down to 1-2ozs at this time offer her a drink of cooled boiled water instead to see if she is able to settle back to sleep without needing a feed.