13.5mo waking several times and wants milk to settle.

[littleraysofsunshine]

He's still breastfed and I'm trying to night wean as I feel it's not benefitting either of us. Half the time I don't think he wants feeding it's just a way that helps him go back off to sleep./

We e introduced an additional bottle of cows milk (about 4oz along with a bed time nursing, but he still wakes a few times )

We are right next to him in our room until we move when we will try his own room.

Any suggestions.

My two girls stated sleeping better around this age when moved into a different room. My eldest was the easiest transition to it and to wean from night feeding but they're all different. I just want for both of us to sleep better :)

Cmpi? He could be bfing as an antacid to deal with the chronic heartburn from chronic dairy intolerance. Would certainly explain why a bottle wasn't helping.

If possible try partner trying to settle with bottle with water in only. (if possible you not in same room, so not an option to look for breastfeed)

Could be thirsty
Could just want company/attention

It could be a number of different scenario's, it will be trial and error to find out what works.

Can't be hungry. He has plenty of milk prior to bed and I feed when he wakes up around 10/11. But still wakes two times after this before waking at 6:30.

Teething, comfort, development as he's almost walking.... All these thoughts I my head but I just want some sleep!

My ds did this - he was quite small (5lb13 at birth and bumping along the second centile the whole time - including now, when he's a tall, skinny 7yo who eats like a horse) and always needed regular feeds.

Personally, I took the path of least resistance and did whatever I needed to do to get us all back to sleep as quickly as possible, which was to give milk. I never bought the "if you give them milk, they wake up for milk" thing - I really like chocolate, but I don't wake up in the night for it . Something else is waking him up (could be any of those developmental things you've suggested) and the thing that comforts him is milk.

For us, it happened on and off until he was about 2. Although every time he woke up, my feeling was "nooooooo! I just need to sleep!", if we didn't faff around and provided some milk, we were all back in our beds within 15/20 mins. It worked for us, anyway. Good luck....this stage is exhausting.

It is a case of doing as purplemeggie has suggested and just ride it out til it happens of its own accord, which could be a long while yet, or taking the tough hard route of not giving the comfort through boob and giving comfort without persistently.

I found I was too tired to do the hard route by myself, it took my dh to get up each time to give comfort for 2 nights, and not put the breasts within range (I think I might have slept in a different room, but still woke each time, and breasts swollen with milk), I took back over on the third night and just offered bottle of water each time a request of feeding started. Cuddled, kissed, said night night and put back in the cot. So he got the comfort without the breasts. It worked as within a few days it reduced the night wakings significantly. Only happened after this when ill/teething.

My only problem was with the two of my children whom I did this with, age one and over, was that I promptly got mastitis with both of them, due to the sudden drop in feeding verses milk supply. For my dd it ended breastfeeding during the day too, as less than a week after managing to stop night feeds, I was in hospital with IV antibiotics for three days/nights for the mastitis (not something I would recommend!).

children over the age of one, really do not need feeding at night, they do look for comfort for a number of reasons and it is up to you to decide what is important for you and your child. For some giving the comfort via the breast is the easiest (though tiring), for some it is getting more sleep to be able to give more focus during the day. It is individual not only to the mother but also to the child too. Each is different, and you have to decide what is right for you and for your relationship with your child.

I can empathise it is a tough time.

Purple.this sounds like us. Since birth we've done demand feeding then as he got older it's the "feed to make happier all round really... As he will just feed quickly then go back off most times. But then it's got to the point where I feel like it's not milk he wants sometimes and he's just beingwokenup.

He's got chicken pox at the minute so very rough sleep. But I'm use to the lack of sleep!