Lesser amount milk & night waking

How much Milk is your 7 going on 8th month baby having? And are they sleeping through the night without waking up for feed? My baby is taking 150-180ml (formula) 3 times during day which she barely finishes as she now prefers solids. Have moved from 2 to 3 meals a day because of the low milk intake. Night time she takes about 180-210ml but is now waking up once around 3 or 5am for another 180ml feed. Clearly she’s not getting enough milk/calories in the daytime so I am trying to increase her milk intake but she just shuts her mouth by the time she’s had 120-150ml during daytime and the only way I can increase is by skipping a meal and doing a bottle but she drinks even lesser in that case making her more hungry 🤷🏻‍♀️. Wondering if I should just increase her food intake to keep her full during night! She’s having 1-1.5 tablespoons of purée with rice porridge twice a day. She doesn’t push her spoon or food away so I know she can eat more but just worried if it will upset her tummy. Any tips will be helpful x

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2 days ago

Hi @NINAH I do offer bottle first and then solids an hour later as she won’t eat within the hour of taking bottle which sadly means I can’t give her the bottle again as it would been past the one hour guideline for babies mouth on bottle teat (formula feed) I have tried 2 x150 ml bottles instead of lunch which worked for nap but she still woke up in night for a feed 🤷🏻‍♀️ x

2 days ago

I’d say try giving her a bottle before every solid feed and if she doesn’t finish it or doesn’t seem interested, then give her some solids and then offer the bottle again. I find that my son gets really distracted at this age so I offer him a bottle before each solid feed and if he’s doesn’t finish it or gets distracted I’ll offer him the bottle after and he seems to like it that way. Also try playing around with the temperature of the bottle as some babies when they get a little older sometimes prefer room temperature milk.

3 days ago

Thanks Mary that’s my concern too as milk is meant to be their main source of nutrition. I have tried cutting down to 2 but it didn’t work previously! Baby just woke up earlier than usual 🙈 I am trying 2 solids meals today too but the milk intake has been soooo low that am sure she will wake up for a midnight feed. I might just try upping the quantity of 2 meals and skip the 3rd one altogether. X

3 days ago

So I’m in a very similar situation, my 7mo also drinks minimal amounts of milk and loves solids, we’re on 2 meals a day and I try and get him to take 3x5oz bottles through the day (he’s always had one at night as well) but he really doesn’t want them. I’ve been told that if baby does decline milk then you need to reduce the solids as milk is their main form of nutrition until 1 year old, but then the goal is to be on 3 meals 2 snacks by 12 months and that’s only 5 months away. It’s difficult! I think I’m going to try giving him less solids, maybe cut out his lunch meal for a week and see if it makes any difference, try and make him want the milk and fill up in the day as he also still has at least one bottle in the night. Could always speak to health visitor/GP for advice.

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