Suggestions needed for 5am 9 month old waker

[EvanMom]

ds2 is nearly 9 months and has slept very well since 5 months old with one small problem. I put him to bed at 6:30pm and he wakes at 5am for a 15-20 minute breastfeed and then goes back to sleep until sometime between 7:30 and 8:00am. Not bad really, but I would like to stop the 5am feed now!

The only reason I originally went into him at 5:00am was that if I left him he would wake my other son who has just turned 2. ds1 did the same (woke at 5am), but since ds2 was not around then, I would leave him to go back to sleep until 7am (it would take a few minutes of crying). After leaving him for a few days he eventually did not wake until 7am. With ds2 it has become a habit and I would like to try and get him to sleep until 7am and also this is the only breastfeed he is having and I would like to drop it in the next week or two as I am leaving him with family for a night at the end of May.

Has anyone managed to stop this early waking? Did you offer milk, water or neither? Not going in to him is not really and option as I do not want 2 youngsters awake at this hour. Any suggestions? (oh and I have tried putting him to bed later, but I still get my 5am alarm call!!!)

I haven't any magic suggestions apart from either letting him cry, or you could try either substituting the breastfeed for a (small) bottle and then gradually decrease this, or try settling him with a cuddle. I suspect though that whatever you try there will be some protest crying - can you move ds2 temporarily further away from ds1 (in a travel cot if necessary)? Or just bite the bullet and put up with a few days crying and possible disruption to ds1 (I know, I'd be loathe to risk it too but it might not be as bad as you think!) Actually my ds1 is in a room next to ds2 and he never wakes with ds2 crying - I tend to leave ds2 up to 10 minutes if I'm pretty sure he's not hungry.
Also have you got blackouts etc? Ds2 has recently been waking around 5.45, due to the light I'm sure.

Yes they are in separate rooms. I leave ds2 to cry for short times at night with no problems in that ds1 sleeps through it. When ds2 first started waking in the early hours though he always woke ds1 as I am sure ds1 was in not such a deep sleep in the early morning. As I know ds2 will go back to sleep and ds1 probably will not, I always get to ds2 very quickly - "my 5am dash". At least I know we all may get another hour or two. Oh the dilemma. Plus it is such a habit for ds2 now.

No dinosaur that is not an option - we have no family that will take ds1. Not because he is a terror, I might add, but because my boys only have one grandparent and she is too nervous to baby-sit on a night out, let alone helping us out with his one...

Have had the same problem on and off with mine - especially the worry about waking the older one!
I personally would definitely not offer the feed, just a quick stroke of the head, tuck in, minimum fuss and firmly make them know its definitely still night time. YOu could start giving a bit of water instead of the milk so as not to shock him completely! It sounds like its just a bit of a habit he's got into. At least he does go back to sleep!!! Good luck.