Feeding or a sleeping problem?!? DD3 12 month old still feeding at night!

[thankheavenforlittlegirls]

Hi everyone, this is my first ever post so bear with me! I'm just looking for some advice about how to deal with my DD3, who will be one next week. She was a fantastic sleeper until about 6 months, (12-13 hours with no feeds), when she got two teeth, two tummy bugs and about five colds in quick succession and we somehow ended up feeding her a (small - 4oz) bottle in the night again. We thought we could easily drop it, my other DDs never needed night feeds past 6 months, but here we are approaching her first birthday and she's still having it! We're so tired and I'm currently 19 weeks preg with DS4!
I really don't think it's habit as it's not every night now (about 5 out of 7 days), and it can be any time of night, from midnight to 5 o'clock. If we reduce the amount of milk (Aptamil 2, just changed yesterday to Aptamil Toddler) she wakes again or doesn't re-settle. She's not a sucky baby at all, no dummy since 4 months and has never used bottle or dummy to get to sleep. We've always used PU/PD and she's self settled from 6 weeks, loves her cot and has comfort blankets. My other two are good sleepers and I need to free up the nursery in the very near future for DS who's due in January, so DD3 will need to share with her sisters (3 and 2) which horrifies me as I think there'll be a mutiny if one's allowed to have milk and get up early but the others aren't! Time is running out!
We give DD3 as much food as possible during the day, she has always been really difficult to feed, it would take me an hour to get a full feed down her in the first six months, unless she was on a growth spurt, but even then it would take half an hour. She eats well at mealtimes but not huge amounts, (she is quite petite and very active during day - will prob walk in next month) - we keep going til she can absolutely eat no more. She is in the same conventional routine we used for the other two, which worked for them, they were never hungry at night. Naps well in the day, 2-3 hours in one or two naps. Always home-cooked foods, and a carb-heavy dinner. We are tearing our hair out, this week she's started early morning waking around 5:30 as well! Aargh!!!
So my question is really, is this a feeding issue or a sleep issue and what, if anything, can I do to sort it out?!!
Thanks everyone, sorry for huge post!

[seasidesister]

No advice Im afraid just sympathy.

I have a 13month old ds who is very similar, wakes up 2 or 3 times a night, for a feed, plus early waking 4.30-5.30am. Im back at work in a couple of weeks and its getting worse. Its like they sense that you NEED them to sleep!!

[thankheavenforlittlegirls]

Thanks, it's good to know it's not just me going through it!

If she was my last baby I'd probably be more relaxed about it but I really need to get her into a better routine for when the baby comes, and so that she can share a room with her sisters. I thought it would sort itself out but it's been 6 months now! Keeping fingers crossed that someone on here will have a suggestion that makes all the difference!

[seasidesister]

There is a brilliant thread in "Sleep" which Im too rubbish to link to but youll find it as it has over 300 posts and has tons of good advice on it. hth

[seasidesister]

err. see what I mean? we are in "sleep" on this thread!
anyway read the Sleep Nightmares one, its excellent.