FertilityZone

Hi,

LO is 9.5 months now. He has been ill twice over last month and his appetite for solid food never recovered after his first spell of illness - then he got ill again and almost completely lost his appetite. He is getting better now but has had a bad cough and cold and wasn't even able to breastfeed well because of the cough. Thankfully he is now taking milk again but doesn't seem v interested in solids. I know that this can be typical when they are ill but I'm just wondering if he is having too many milk feeds and isn't hungry enough for solids?
He is now feeding 4 times during the day (unfortunately still 3-4 at night....some of you will remember my night problems!). He usually has a feed at 6-6.30am then again mid morning 10-11 then mid afternoon 2-3 and bedtime 7-8 (although bedtime varies from 7-9.30 at the moment as now he's crawling it's really difficult to get him to stop and relax for bed).
I generally space out the milk and solids so that breakfast is 8-9, lunch 1-2, tea 5-6. e doesn't seem to need any snacks but does sometimes have a bit of banana if he's not taken a lot of food at meal times.
He doesn't necessarily 'ask' for boob - I just offer and he usually takes - if he doesn't then I offer again later. I let him feed for as long as he wants.
So my question is whether I should be doing things differently and whether I should drop any feeds etc. Maybe he's just not regained his appetite yet. He was doing so well with the finger foods (refuses a spoon most of time) but doesn't seem that bothered about picking things up anymore.
Any advice? xx

I should probably add he is quite small for his age - only on the 9th percentile line. Don't know if this matters as to his feeding pattern?

Thanks for your replies. He has eaten a bit more today - half a weetabix for breakfast (struggled to get the last bit down him). It's just that I know of lots of babies that are younger and eating more (a full weetabix or more for breakfast). I do keep wondering if this is why he feeds so many times in the night - but I seriously cannot get any more food into him. He used to love strawberries and small fruits but is even off them. He's just not as interested in picking his food up. We do always eat together - I hope that it will improve now his cough and cold are getting better.

Just another quick question....now he has 4 teeth - is it going to cause tooth decay feeding him during the night? I do clean his teeth well but then he has milk during the night?

Hi,
Just a quick update....I have now weaned off the night feeds - 3 nights ago. I used the pick up put down method in the end. 1st night wasn't nice and there was lots of crying but there's not as much crying now. LO is still waking often though and needs me to settle him. I am rubbing his back at the moment. Then when he wakes about 6am I feed him or else he will not settle - he then has been going back to sleep until 8ish. One problem I am having now though is that his top teeth have grown a little bit more and are digging in me when feeding - actually cut my right nipple so I'm quite sore. Does this mean the end for BF now? Can't see a way around it - I have tried altering his position but the teeth still dig in. He is not biting me it's just where his teeth sit.