Trying to cut out 1 ounce night feed

[jj131]

My 6.5 month ds wakes once a night for a feed, usually around 3 or 4 am. He used to take up to 4 ounces, but now that he's started solids I've been gradually reducing the amount that I put in his bottle at night. Now he'll fall back to sleep after having only an ounce, and will sleep until about 7am but is not at all interested in eating until about 8am, so he obviously not particularly hungry when he wakes.

I'm never aware of him being awake more than this one time a night, so he must be able to settle himself to sleep in the middle of the night at all other times.

Last night I tried just dropping the feed to see what would happen he cried off and on for about an hour, nothing hysterical a few wimpers here, a few wimpers there (with a few dozes in btw), but he couldn't settle back to sleep. I finally caved and gave him an ounce and he went right to sleep until 7:30am.

Before I try this again I wanted to see if anyone has any ideas for me...

2 suggestions

1. guess that the 3 or 4 time will (in time) get later and later until he does not need feed until the morning. This may take a few months though, but you could just sit it out for a few weeks to see
2. Some would say that this waking is just habit and you need to wean him off it. So simply replace milk with water, then try just giving a cuddle. when he is happy with a cuddle, try just a pat.

As it is still early days i would just wait and see

I agree with the water. that should take him out of the habit of that feed. It doesn't sound to me as if he needs the milk