7 month old's nightly feeding

[pinkthechaffinch]

My 7 month old dd wakes around 11pm and has about 2 oz formula. She then wakes about 3.30/4 and has a great big feed of 7oz.

She goes to bed at 6.30pm and wakes at 7am.

I think part of the problem is OH who is a light sleeper and rises to get dd at the slightest noise. I'm finding it very annoying tho!

I'm thinking about giving her water only when she wakes at 3 and seeing how that goes-the thing is she isn't drinking a lot in the day time at the mo.

Anyone else been through anything similar? Is offering water only at night a bit cruel?-
all this stemmed from feeding on demand in the beginning.

I'm no expert but could you try dream feeding her when you go to bed (not sure obviously what time that is) and see if it cuts down waking to only the once.

Watching this to see what people advice. My DS is 6 1/2mths is similar. I'm obviously hoping for some miracle.

hI MYCAT

Nice to know I'm not alone . All other mums I've met so far seem to have dc's that go through the night from 6 weeks!

Tonight,I'm on my own with her (OH away)so I'm planning to feed her at 11 and then give her nothing but water if she wakes. [emoticon for bracing myself]

I'll let you know how it goes!

Hi Pink

Nope, you are not alone. And I have the same as you, everyone elses child seems to go through the night. I have decided they are lying to make themselves feel better. You and I are the only honest ones!

How did it go last night? I was going to be tougher this weekend with DS too, but DD is ill at the moment, keeps being sick at night, so I decided one DC to cope with was enough!

Next week though son, your time has come...

Well, madam had 4oz at 11pm. She then woke at 3.10 and I gave her some water. She had an oz and was not impressed and cried. I put her back to bed. She woke crying and refusing water at 4.30, 5 and then 7 am, when I got up and gave her her breakfast.

(I used earplugs in the end as it was a whingey cry not a frantic yell [guilty emoticon]).

If OH had been there ,we would have given milk from the first waking! I did feel a bit cruel but am glad I stuck at it this am!

She has had 5oz so far this am and a bowl of porridge, so I think this could be the way forward!

By Jove, I think we've cracked it!

Last night, she had 5oz at 11pm, woke at 4 and had 1 oz of water; went back to bed and cried a little bit but under 5 mins, and is now still sleeping at 7.30am!

I'm really pleased because for the last week or so, she'd been sleeping for longer and longer in the day time and less and less at night IYSWIM.

Pink - sorry, meant to catch up on this before but have had a nightmare with DD getting up and coughing like a loon for an hour or so around 2am every night for days! [completely knackered emoticon]

I am really pleased for you. I need to pluck up the courage to do the same with DS but I keep finding excuses. I BF and he comes into bed with us around 1am to 2am depending on when he wakes up - and I rather like it.

Keep it up.

It's been a while but my ds did this - he would dream feed at 11pm (7oz I think???) and then would be awake at 2am and then 5am. One night I decided I'd had enough and would just refuse to feed at 2.....we had a dreadful night when he wailed on and off from 2am until about 5 when I relented and fed. He never woke at 2am again. I think it was habit as he ate well in day and was a good weight etc.

It maybe that, if the water went down badly at first, it was just a habit and she's now getting the message that food is not coming at that time in the morning!

Hi jimmjamm,

Yes,I think it was just a habit,

last night she went through for the first time.

Down at 18.30, dream feed of 4 oz at 11.00 and up at 7.20 am! And 2 shortish daytime naps!

Mycat, go for it-it was scary the first night, but SO worth it!

just re read your post properly,

then again if you enjoy it, why worry?

That's going to be the problem when OH gets back tonight-he enjoys night feeds!