Is this a bad idea? Please help.

[HakunaMatataa]

My LO is 11 months and still waking 4+ times a night for a feed (breastfed). He is on 3 meals a day and around 4 feeds a day.

I just can't go on any longer without sleep. I'm so drained ALL the time!

I started making progress and he was sleeping much better and then he started teething, relentlessly and we are back where we started.

Would it be a good idea to add a dreamfeed just before I go to sleep to try and get a longer stretch or is it too late for this now?

Any suggestions? Last night I offered water, both me and DH tried settling him but in the end he was awake for 2 hours and I fed him in the end.

He self settles for naps so he is very capable, just doesn't at night

Oh dear, looking at this on the app the paragraphs have disappeared.
I'm sorry

I think a dream feed works better when they are tiny and need the calories. Sounds more like you have habitual waking than needing food? Do you feed to sleep at bedtime and at each waking?

Provided his weight is good, he shouldn’t really need a feed during the night at the stage. It sounds like he’s just looking for comfort. This must be so exhausting for you. Will he take a bottle of expressed milk?

Agree he’s not waking for food so the dream feed won’t work. He hasn’t learnt yet to resettle himself so needs you to do it for him.

What's the longest he's slept without waking for milk at night? And how many hours between feeds? Agree that it sounds habitual. Does he feed to sleep at bedtime? It's a really hard habit to break but if he feeds to sleep all the time you're going to have to get him to learn to fall asleep without milk at some point- it'll be hard whenever you do it so you may as well do it soon for your own sake (speaking from bitter experience!)

Op my DS was still breastfeeding during the night at this point and a bottle refuser. Thankfully the night feeds did pass once solid food was more established. I ended up just reducing the amount of time feeding and getting my husband to do the pick up put down method to break the cycle.

Thank you for the replies. He doesn't feed to sleep. At naps and at bedtime he is put into his cot awake and then falls asleep himself. He has slept through maybe 3 times in his 11 months, and before the teething he was down to one night feed.
At wakings if I'm asleep I'm generally feeding him to sleep as it's all that works. I know he doesn't need the calories. I think we could all do with the sleep I just don't know what to do anymore. I am averaging about 5 hours of broken sleep a night and it's exhausting.
I give him water in a sippy cup, he has never had a bottle but if it may work I could buy a pump and try bottle.

He's not waking because he's tired, he's waking because you've allowed him to develop a sleep association with milk.

*because he's hungry

I wouldn’t bother with a bottle at this stage. It was more so someone could take over and allow you a night of sleep! He’s been able to reduce the amount of feeds before so he can do this, try and cut down the feeds at night. Can you nap during the day?

The hindmilk makes BF babies sleepy

No napping in the day as have another DC but yes I'm sure he can do it again. He woke up just now and I offered water and gave him a cuddle ect wouldnt settle so set a timer and fed for 10 mins. I'm just going to reduce feeds gradually by a minute every few days as I done before. Its just being awake enough to bother with timers during the night

You will get there. It’s just an exhausting time, especially when you have other DC. If your husband is able to settle him instead of you it may be a faster process. No smell of milk to make him feel frustrated.