DD is a week shy of 9 months. On average for those 9 months she had woken twice in the night and I had fed her back to sleep.
There had been times when she hadn't woken or only woken once so I knew she could do it but previously, when we had attempted to resettle her without a feed, after an early waking say 9.30 - 10pm, she would still be crying an hour later, when I would give in. So basically I thought I was going to be night feeding until she was about 13.
After a particularly rough few weeks, this had really started to wear me down. We waited until she'd resettled into a 2 feed pattern - roughly about 11pm and 3am and then decided to tackle it.
I reintroduced the dream feed at 10, that got us through to about 3am, then DH went in armed only with water in a beaker.
First night it took an hour to get her back to sleep, she wouldn't be settled in the cot so he did lots of cuddles and walking up and down.
Second night it took 45 mins.
Third night, I went in when she woke at 4, (DH starting to complain of tiredness and achey back, poor love) she was crying but not very awake. She didn't want to be stroked in cot, but after a cuddle she calmed down and after a quick water drink she went back down without a murmur. In less than 10 minutes!
We've had 2 more nights since then and although she's still been waking at between 3-4, I haven't fed her and she's gone back to sleep in 5- 10 minutes. She generally wakes up again betwen 5 and 6, feeds and then goes back to sleep, sometimes in with us.
I know we haven't cracked it completely - I was hoping she might stop waking at 3 - 4am altogether. But I am feeling so much better that I am now not the only person in the house who can resettle her!
So for other mums who were in the same position as me in the 8-9 month thread - take heart. When people used to say 'have you tried just not feeding her' I scoffed, but it turns out (for 5 nights at least!) it can be done.
Now on to day time naps which are a wriggly, shouty battle!