Crying at dinner

So I've started trying to introduce dinner to our day. Right now we are doing bottles every four hours starting at 6am, then 10am (with solids for bfast), 2pm (with solids for lunch), and their last bottle at 6pm. I started giving them "dinner" at 5pm yesterday. Now remember they normally don't get their last bottle until 6pm, and they haven't been crying for it. Yesterday, they cried for every single bite of solids at 5pm! I decided to just chalk it up to a cranky day. Well...today, the exact same thing happened. I swear they were screaming at me. I finally started laughing and giving them the food as fast as I could. It was crazy! I ended up having to give them their bottles around 5:30pm because they were so upset. I would say I'd just back off and stop doing it for awhile, but the thing is they slept GREAT last night. Normally we've had a few night wakings lately (still getting over colds, etc.). Last night Jonah woke once for about 5 minutes.

What in the world am I doing wrong? Should I try feeding them earlier than that? What do you think? I need some help! Shannon

 

Mine do the same thing. I just posted about it actually. They cry from 4:30 on until bed. I hate it. They cry during dinner every night. I have no advice...I'm seeking advice as well! LOL

 

Do you normally give their bottle right before the solids for the breakfast and lunch feeds? If so, they might connect the two, so they are being cued to want a bottle when you offer them solids at night. I know that mine will decide they absolutely need to eat whenever they get a signal that they associate with feeding, even if they wouldn't otherwise even think about food.

 

Kelly sorry I didn't even think to give you this advice...I am a little slow at night! But I want to tell you both that my babies were very fussy at night until I figured out that they wanted that last bottle earlier. I think that they know they have to "tank up" for the night, and get really hungry between the hours of like 4 and 6. Mine are 10 months and they are still that way, they eat constantly between those times!

 

My kids eat 2 8oz bottles each between waking up from their nap at about 5 pm and their bedtime at 7 pm, and they eat solids almost the entire time in between too. I think a lot of babies are really hungry just before bed, they need a full tank so they can sleep all night.

 

At that age, ours would only go 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the evening before wanting a bottle. So, we gave them a bottle first and then solids about an hour later. Right after solids, we'd give them a bath, cuddle time, and then bed. It seemed strange b/c most people gave a bottle right before bed, but they never had a problem going to sleep after just the bath and cuddling. Now they are on a 4 hour schedule for bottles, so they do get a bottle right before bed.

 

I always found 5 - 6pm was crying time. I sat on the couch with one on each side of me, turned up the TV and patted them to sleep. Dh was away on business trips in those days and I was on my own. But talking to other mothers and the maternal health nurse at that time of the day it is pretty typical behaviour.

 

Thanks ladies! I'm going to give it one more chance tonight before trying something different. Right now we do solids, bottle, bath, cuddles, then bed. (bath after bottle like Amy did.) The main reason I was giving solids first is that Morgan is very disinterested in solids after his bottle. If he gets them beforehand, he'll eat a whole carton. If he gets them afterwards, it's just a few bites. (He was sick with a bad tummy bug not too long ago. Since then he went from a voracious solid eater to na-da.)

They slept like a dream again last night, so I know doing dinner is a good thing. Just gotta figure out how to make it more enjoyable for all of us.

Kelly: Hope you get yours figured out too!

Shannon

 

Yes, that is the "witching hour". My mom always used to say around the time my dad got home, 5-5:30, everyone was cranky. We have days where both Emilie and Trevor are whining then too, and my DH loves to come home to that. :laughing: I think sometimes they are starting to get tired again since that is the long stretch of being awake. Sometimes I have to give mine a snack or a sippy cup and then they are fine.

 

Shannon- that time of day has always been the witching hour for us and still is at times. It may not have as much to do with the food/bottle as it does with being tired. They might just be exhausted. Have they changed to a new nap schedule at daycare recently? I do remember that our last bottle was always around 3.5 hrs instead of 4 and I think it was mostly b/c they were tired.

 

Mine eat solids around 5:30 and a 6 oz bottle. They still take an 8 oz bottle between 7-8 pm and then go to bed.

 

I also think they might be hungry, you could try to feed them earlier and see if that works. I had to go from 7:30 to 6:30 for their bottles and now they seem fine. A little fussier than during the day, but much better than it used to be. I also starten feeding them a bit of cereal at five, and figured they would take that last bottle later, but there is now way, they want it at 6:30!!