Thanks for the input OF, but he's been sleeping through the night since he was 8 weeks old, so it's not that. I've tried settling him with water but it doesn't work.

He's genuinely hungry when he wakes, and it only happens when he's ill or just getting over something. He's not that keen on milk I don't think, as he usually takes the bare minimum he can get away with but I think when he's ill he doesn't eat as well and therefore reverts back to needing more milk.

I'm a big believer in letting a baby cry and settling himself back to sleep, but on these occasions he'd cry until breakfast time, as he really does need milk.

Do you put rice cereal in his last bottle?

My thoughts too. Mine would do this as well, and what I did was mix a little rice cereal in the bottle and they were satisfied until morning.

If you can't find rice cereal, there may be wheat based stuff like FAREX to do the same thing. Use sparingly.

I've heard you guys mention this before on here, but in the UK it's a MAJOR no-no.

Everything I've read says DO NOT be tempted to add anything into their milk. I'm not sure why, but my health visitor would go mad if I did that, and I don't really like the idea of doing that anyway. Plus I'm not sure it would do any good, as he eats plenty so it's not the solids he needs but the milk itself. Usually these phases only last about 5 or so days so it's not a big deal and it's only about the 3rd or 4th phase like this he's had in 11 months. It's just frustrating that I can't anticipate them and get more milk in him during the day before it happens, as we end up in a vicious cycle of him taking it between the hours of 7pm and 7am and not the other way around.

Well I won't try to convince you but from everything you describe he seems hungry and needs slower to digest food that will leave him satisfied throughout the night. Would a glass of milk satisfy you all night. We get the same advice you have been given medically but this is a case where I believe my mom, grandma, her mother and the 394858925793857293 other moms who have made cereal bottles for their babies as they hit this stretching point know best. I don't know one child who was harmed or had digestive difficulties due to it.

Of course my #1 son who is a veggie head now used to have a standard size bottle with a small jar of say pea or peaches baby food, the bottle filled with rice cereal and then formula added to mix it all. The bottle was shaken and a huge X cut in the nipple. He would suck the bottle until it caved in. This was at 4 months old. He had no trouble moving to solids as he already new how to manage thicker textures. Aside from the vegetarian choice, he's height and weight proportionate.

It is a mixed bag here with cereal bottles as well. Some doctors don't want babies having any solids until 12 months old. Something to do with allergies. All I know is that for generations my family has had them with the 'x' cut in the nipple.. lol - heck now they even make the nipples with the x already cut...

I was able to breast feed my daughter until she was 1 1/2 years old, but did introduce a small portion of cereal to her when she was 10 months old before bedtime.

Don't have much more to add Lou. Do what you are comfortable with - you know your little guy the best! (((LOU)))

After I typed all that, I went to eat breakfast and started thinking the same thing Chey.

You know your baby. You know what he needs. You were made specifically to be his mother. You will do the just right thing for your baby.

How different the advice in the UK!

We're told to start babies on solids at 6 months, and he should be (and is) eating proper food that requires some chewing by 8 or so months. I've never heard of keeping a baby on a milk only diet until 12 months. My little man would be gnawing the legs of the cat! He's eating halved clementine segments as I write this. He eats three solid meals a day, plus healthy snacks and lunch and dinner are usually two courses so I think it's unlikely he needs more solids in his diet, as he's not going to bed on just a glass of milk, but meat, veg, potato, fruit as well as a bottle of formula!

I do appreciate your concern and advice though people, but I also appreciate that you lovely ladies realise that I'm the momma, and that probably means I know what's best (hopefully!)

Just to update this, over the weekend he didn't get us up in the night for milk (although he did wake early, but I put this down to the clocks changing) but after a day at nursery he once again woke in the night wanting milk! I'm not sure if it's something to do with nursery or whether that's just coincidence.

On both days of the weekend, he had a large jar of bought baby food designed for 10 months plus, which is VERY chunky indeed for bought stuff and on Monday he had some of my homemade stuff from the freezer which is also pretty chunky. I thought that would be enough, but now I'm wondering if I simply didn't give him a big enough portion of food last night. He never used to be able to manage a full portion but perhaps when he's at nursery he needs the extra calories.

i noticed a pattern of change in my kids' eating habits right before a growth spurt; they'd eat like little fiends for a week or two, then sleep more than normal, then i'd see that clothes were getting too small. i also saw the same sort of persnickety nighttime behavior before a big milestone, like sitting up or walking.

often pediatricians will tell you not to change nighttime feeding and cuddling habits, lest you make the habit permanent, but i say whatever makes your little guy and/or you feel better is A-OK. if that means more to eat before bedtime, cereal in a bottle, midnight cuddles, ignoring him completely, or bringing him in your bed for the rest of the night, then do it. i never had a problem breaking my kids of any temporary routine changes. and i never had a problem not following a doctor's order. i look at it as more like a bit of friendly advice. moms have been doing their own thing for millennia, anyway, and a little trial and error is to be expected.

happy parenting, lou and fussy

He has just come down with a cold (again, 3rd time in 2 months!) probably due to just starting nursery, and he always wakes needing milk before a cold. The last two nights he's not woken needing food and has totally gone off solids, which is usual when he's ill.

I'm so close to the end now, we are counting down the days. I'm very nervous about the whole birth thing....but I cant wait to meet my son!

Miss Bryleigh is teething. She'll be 5 mos old in about a week. She's upwards of 18-19lbs and 27" long. She's in 6-9 mos clothes! She likes her veggies and cereal too. She's laughing now as well...hubby gets all tickled when she laughs. He'll start laughing so hard he'll have tears running down his face!

This was quite the Pixies baby year.

Congrats to all the mommies and daddies and soon to be ones too.

My gorgeous little man is 1 on Monday!

Hard to believe that this time last year I was as big as a house and just wishing the days away until 'B'-day.

Now, he's nearly walking unaided and ressembles a toddler more than a baby. I just can't believe how quickly it's gone and how much we've all grown up!

I can't believe he's 1 already! What an amazing year!

Yay Little Pucker!!! :loveshowe:

Wow has it really been a year.. Yikes

Congrats to you guys

My lil' miss has 2 teeth on the bottom and is working on her top ones. She'll turn 6mos old next Thursday!

Shhh...but I think that I am in labor.... A Solstice baby would be nice :D

You think???

So THAT'S why she moved to England.


And she was thinking about it a few minutes later too. :D

Oooh! Any news? Any news?

My sister was a solstice baby, by the way!

Have a wonderful Christmas, Lizz and Mayhem - whether the baby puts in an appearance or not! x

This sequence reminds me of #2 son's birth...I had had about 1.5 hrs sleep (worked night shift at the time) when mrs zoid hollered from the bathroom, "Scotz! I think my water just broke!"

I resisted the urge to tell her to wake me when she knew...

I talked to Mayhem earlier today and he said it was false labor so no baby yet.

Tell her storks bring babies. Not reindeer! :hair: Quit playing around.

In it's own good time, as well you know.

Ok just thought id check in here.

It all turns out that it was false labour. The babys head dropping into position caused all the contractions. We are still here waiting for baby to arrive.

Merry Xmas to all

The mayhem family

/me sits and waits for word on little mayhem.

stubborn baby (remember part Lizzardbits, part mayhem) so we are still waiting

Smart baby....................didn't want birthday gifts tied in with Christmas gifts. :D

"Where's the baby?"



But I'm not getting you a scoop for the poopies!

Sorry guys still no baby...

:(

Stubborn little bugger huh? Give Lizz a hug for me and let her know it's snowing back here.

Stubborn little bugger is right! With all the contractions and impending labor signs that I have been having since...oh...'round a bout the 19th...I would have thought that I'd have a whole litter of Lil' Lizzes and Mayhems. False labor is an insidious thing, I tells ya!

so we wait and wait and wait and wait and wait....oh and we wait some more.

(((((Lizz))))) I know I don't need to tell you to enjoy the peace while it lasts. It'll be gone soon enough and there'll be days in the future when you'll wish you were still preggers rather than up to your ears in nappies, breast pads and piles of washing!

Having said that, I'm so looking forward to hearing your news - perhaps it'll be our turn to come up and see you guys next time!

Lou
x

OR ................ :rolleyes: maybe we can ALL meet at Nashville. :brows:








:nod:

any news from lizz & mayhem? :baby:

not yet :shrug: