13 month old - needs bottle during night to get back over to sleep

[TuTu]

My 13 month old DS2 has always been a bad sleeper, but he did at around 9- 10 mths sleep through the night. However when hes teething it all goes pear shaped, he quits eating for days and sometimes the only milk he would drink would be at night. Then he went through a patch of waking at 4.45-5am for a couple of months. This was leaving me wrecked at work, so I started giving him a bottle at 5am and he would go back in his cot and sleep for another 2 hours. Gradually though he started waking earlier for the bottle till it became a real middle of the night one. Tried giving him a dreamfeed bottle one night at 10.30pm, and didnt he wake screaming for it round this time for the last few weeks. Now have created a worse situation than ever, where I know I have made him milk dependent on getting back to sleep. He is having at least one bottle every night.
To make it all worse he is badly constipated since going onto cows milk, so feel I just cant leave him to cry. He is on laxative for it, but still things arent back to normal.
He downs complete 6oz bottle when he wakes so does seem def hungry. Have tried walking him for up to 2 hours but end up feeding him. If he cries too long it wakes up DS1.
Cant seem to get him to eat more during the day - he is a real fussy eater too! But on the days where he has had more to eat doesnt improve night sleep.

Plese help, or let me know if anyone else has made such a mess of things.

[Blandmum]

My dd was still waking for feeds in the middle of the night. What my HV sugested is that we gradualy reduced the amount in the bottle by an oz a week. So first week she had 7oz, then 6oz and so on, in the end we were down to 2 oz, then 2 oz that was half milk and half water. At while point she couldn't be bothered to wake and began to sleep through.

You could cut it down faster if you like, but that might be a bit more stressful.

By gradulay cutting down the feed, you ds still gets the cofort etc, with diminishing milk' rewards'

Don't know if it will work for you, but it worked for us. God, DD is now 9! Where the hell has that time gone

Hope things get better for you.

[TuTu]

Thank you - sounds like a good idea. At wits end with all this.

[Blandmum]

dd was a bit younger, and it was a hell of a long time ago (!) but I still remember how wrung out and knackered I felt.

The fact that your ds doesn't sleep better if he has had more to eat in the day makes me think that this is more of a comfort habit rather than being really hungry....this was the case with dd.

If you are feeling 'fragile' a slower 'withdrawal' might be less stressful for your ds and you. Or you could bite the bullet and make the reduction quicker. As I said, it worked for us.

Good luck!

[TuTu]

Just a quick update - have dropped 2 oz now over last few days and he is going back to sleep even though less milk. Really hopeful this will work in time. Thanks Martianbishop if you get to read this

[TuTu]

We've made it!! Ds2 now been sleeping through the night for last 2 weeks!!!! So hope you get to read this Martianbishop - what a difference this has made - thank you so much

[popsycal]

oh my word!
fantastic
i will persvere with the milk cutting down thing