Feeding FAQ: 4-6 months – Weaning

My son of 5mths 3 weeks still is having his 10pm feed despite being weaned over a month ago

My son is now 5 months 3 weeks and I cannot get him to drop his 10pm feed. Admittedly we started weaning him later than the book suggested – getting over Xmas in UK and then to take out breast feeding – but today he is taking 5 (probably smaller then normal) cubes at lunch and 5 teaspoons plus 2 cubes at 6pm. His milk intake is however lowish and he has become very fretful on the bottle at feed times so needs a lot of coaxing.

My son feeds at 7.10am 180mls formula, 11.10am 120/130mls formula before solids 40/50mls afterwards. 5 cubes of vegetables such as 3 potato, 1 sweet potato, 1 green bean.
2.30pm, 130mls, 6.00pm, 210mls plus 40mls to mix with 5 teaspoons baby rice and 2 cubes of pear.
10pm, 80mls given, recently cut down to this but he drinks it all.

He weighs 7.1kg [15.7lbs]

My son naps at 9.07-9.37am, 12.10-1.55pm, and 4-4.4.20pm.

If your son is still waking at 10pm and looking for a feed then you will need to continue to give it until he has increased his solid intake. But, if you are waking him for this feed, then continue to cut back on it slowly. By the time he is taking 60mls and still sleeping through to 7am you can continue for one more week and then drop it altogether. As long as he continues to sleep through to 7am then you will know he is ready to drop the 10pm feed.

By 6 months, providing your son is taking his solids well, his daily minimum milk intake should be 600mls [20ozs].

If you feel that your son is cutting back on his milk too much, especially at 11am, try giving him his milk feed at 10.30am and offering him solids at 11.15am followed by any milk he still wants. This milk feed will reduce as his solid intake increases. Once protein is introduced into his meal of solids, the milk feed will be phased out altogether.

Babies who are teething can sometimes become fretful when sucking on a bottle. If this is the case with your son it may help if you offer him the milk slightly cooler than usual.