9 month old baby - cutting down night breastfeeds

[Cinnamon2013]

Hi there.

DS wakes at 12 and 3 every night to bfeed and then has his final wake at about 530. I've been led by him till now (happily) but working again and both me and dH (who handles any additional wakings due to illness/teething, of which we've had a lot lately) are destroyed. So tired.

Tried offering water last night for one feed on health visitor's advice and it was pretty awful, after an hour of crying I gave in, hating myself for being weak on top of the tiredness. It seemed to unsettle him for the whole night, so we only got 3 hours sleep.

Is there a better way to do this, will he start dropping the feeds on his own anyway (he is definitely feeding, not just comfort - but he's very fat so I'm not worried about him missing out).

I am truly at my wits end, any advice would be hugely appreciated!

Firstly big hugs. Sleep deprivation is the worse. Don't feel bad for giving in. I couldn't do it either. Tried the water once. Wouldn't take a bottle anyway so really was a hiding to nothing for us. Not knocking it though as know its worked for some.

My plan was to feed as much as possible during the day, every opportunity and always give something filling around 6pm for tea. Potatoes, Baby rice with fruit as a pudding, weetabix anything filling. I'd then do the last bf at 7 and wait. He'd wake around 2 and then 5 am, the two feed got later and later until eventually he was waking between 5 and 6 but wasn't really hungry so that's when we got tough.

Hope it helps, and good luck x

Thanks sleepy. That really does help. Exactly what I was hoping for, just want to try something gentler at this stage. Ours was also a bottle refuser, we've got him on sippy cup but I don't think he was feeling the love for it at all last night, pretty pants boob substitute. I have weetabix and fruit at the ready this eve x