Sleep vs Food...any thoughts?
  Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:05 am
Post subject: Sleep vs Food...any thoughts? I have been told by everyone to give my baby boy solids as he is 6 months this Saturday and he is 20lbs. I exclusively breast fed until one week ago and now he has tried various fruits and veg mushed up and enjoyed every bit of them but is feeding just as much as before he tried them.
He has started waking up around 3am is this simply because I'm not feeding him enough? The 3am wake has coincided with me going back to work...am I stressing my baby out by leaving? Is he going longer in the day without food (4 1/2 hours) so not so long at night? He is fine on the afternoons when he is with his dad, does not request food other than the fruit he has started having this past week. Currently my day is roughly like this but I have fed on demand since birth so can change a bit but this is the schedule he has made for us: 3.00 feed 4.30 feed 5.30 get up and go downstairs to play 8.00 feed 9.00 30 minute nap 10.30 veg of some description mushed or puree 11.00 feed 12.00 1hr nap 14.00 feed 14.40 feed 16.30 fruit of some description mushed or puree 19.00 feed...story...cuddles 19.30 bedtime Very worried that I'm not doing the right thing for my boy and don't know what part to change or if I'm doing everything wrong...any advice would be appreciated but I am not looking to go onto formula as it'll steal my wages  Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:40 am
Post subject: hiya,
Id suggest trying to get him into more of a routine with his meals rather than just giving him it whenver he wants because as babies get older they need to develop a routine with their feeds/bedtime etc (makes life so much easier for you too! )
He probably wakes up in the night because he's not fully satisfied and is still hungry  Also, I dont think you'r stressing him out by leaving him (although im going back to work soon and dreading it as im worried about my daughter being upset! lol! I think we just worry! )
Perhaps try making his mealtimes at certain times, like maybe if he wakes at 5.30 and goes downstairs he could have his milk(either breastfeed or use expressed milk?) then at say 8oclock give him some breakfast - you could try him with some of the baby breakfasts like cow and gate creamy porridge/fruity porridge which you can mix with normal blue milk from 6months... Id cut out the 11am feed (if he has some proper breakfast he may not want this anyway) and give him some dinner instead (either 11.30 or 12 - veg/fruit/whatever you like) then give him some tea at 4? Id cut out the afternoon feeds too - so he has some structure and it'll stop him wanting feed on demand once he's developed a routine with regular meals and then some milk when its bedtime? that way he might not wake in the night for the feeds as he's getting fuller in the day and he's satisfied.
So his day would look something like this: 5.30am wake up, downstairs, milk 8am breakfast made with blue milk then his nap at 9am 11.30 or 12 dinner and milk (breastfeed or express- im not sure what you do) afternoon nap at whatever time 4pm - tea and milk 7.30/8pm milk and bed 
Not sure if this helps, you might find he will sleep well through the night and not wake up for the 3am/4.30am feeds if he is in more of a routine and if he's fuller with solids and then he can have some milk at 5.30 when he wakes rather than at 3/4am?
Also , I wouldnt worry that your not giving him what he needs, he's a good weight! So im sure he's perfectly healthy, just need to change things a little and get a regular mealtime routine going and definately more solids!
I really hope this helps you abit, im not sure if ive missed anything lol! 
Good luck! Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:02 am
Post subject: Thank you that does help.
I do need a routine, I've got three stepchildren that stay every weekend so always thought no routine would be better in the day so that it's not disrupted at weekends but his bedtime routine has always been a winner so I think you are right. I didn't know that you could give babies blue milk from 6 months...that makes life soooo much easier with the cereal! The thought of giving him it with water didn't particularly appeal! Thank you for your advice I will try (starting tomorrow for the breakfast) and see if he can go a little longer without needing to feed with a bit more food in is tum! x Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:12 am
Post subject: When you first start weaning they usually have the same amount of milk, its only when they get onto 3 proper meals a day that it really drops down.
Routines are great if not for the baby for you. Having said that I demand fed Alex and it did him no harm he sort of regulated his own eating/drinking pattern at about 7/8 months, (a couple of months of solids). Him waking in the night is probably just a phase, even if he has been sleeping through. Their sleep patterns can (and often do) change month by month. Good luck _________________  
  Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 7:08 pm
Post subject: I continued to demand feed Jamie when he started on solids at 6 months and he fit himself into a routine. I did give him the food at set times but not the milk. By 7 months though he was bf a lot less. He was also a big baby (20lb at four month) but never slept (I was lucky if he went two hours a month at this point) so I can't help with that. However, its not unusual for sleep to become unsettled when they learn something new so it could be that
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