9 mth old feeding all night help!

[jackrose]

Your little one does not sound behind at all, it sounds to me as if he is doing exactly as he should! If he is screaming when you give him some foods, it is definitely a sign he is not ready for it.

My DD never suffered reflux but she did not start eating any solids until 8 months and then it was only really playing with it. She didn't really get into eating until more like 10 months so in effect she was behind other babies in my mother's group. However, by 11-12 months she was off and racing! She eats really well, really enthusiastically and proper meals. I really think babies know what is best for them so if your DS is not into solids but is still taking milk (BF or formula) go with it. Remember the ABA say "food is for fun till they are one". Just think of solids as play for the time being.

FWIW I think it always sounds as if other babies are having much more than they really are. Sometimes when a mum says that their baby has 3-4 meals it means they sit down for 3-4 meals. It doesn't mean they eat the full meal put in front of them. Always keep that in mind when comparing .

BTW have you looked into Baby led Solids(BLS)?? It may work really well for you guys as your baby is obviously letting you know what he wants with eating?!? With BLS your DS will decide how much he wants to eat so there is no issue about how much you should give him. It is a really nice entry into the world of solids as it matches breastfeeding in having the child in control of what they ingest and it heavily involves the senses and sensory play - excellent for babies development. There is a great thread about it on this site I will try to link to it in a min.

The last thing I wanted to mention is about the night feeding. In my experience, I found that my DD at 9 months was still feeding through the night and seemed to be getting most of her breastfeeding done in the wee hours. The problem was that she was hungry then because I kept feeding her then! I was sure she should be able to sleep through but was nervous about cutting down as I didn't want to deprive her. I was soooo sleep deprived and really at my wits end. I got some advice that she is was absolutely developmentally ready to cut out night feeding and it could help her day feeds/eating to get into a more realistic routine. I was advised to simply drop all night feeds bar the 11ish rollover feed and simply offer water or other sleep settling techniques. Would you believe, it worked. There was a little bit of protestation and I was committed to working through that, we had a few long nights where I was up comforting DD when she woke up but within a week she was sleeping much better and feeding better during the day. Over the next few weeks we rolled back the 11pm feed by 15 min each night until it was gone completely. Now DD sleeps from 7-7.

Remember that this is only my experience, but I recommend that you consider that your DS is most likely developmentally ok to sleep without feeds at night and you can help him wean off that habit. I really think it can help get everything more settled as he moves from a baby sleep pattern into more of a toddler one. But only try it if you feel it is going to work for you. YOU have to feel comfortable about it as you have to help him work it out.