DD 17 weeks waking several times in night but not hungry - we all need more sleep

[m27]

DD has only fed once in the night since she was about 8 weeks old and has even gone the whole night without needing any food a few times. We should be all set for sleeping through or at least two big chunks of sleep for mum and baby, but she wakes up crying at least 3 or 4 times between bedtime (8pm) and feeding (3-4am).

Its driving me a bit loopy with the lack of sleep as I'm up for at least 20 minutes settling her nearly every hour or two in the night.

I can get her back to sleep by giving her the dummy but she'll keep dropping it and waking up if I don't stay over her popping it back in her mouth till she's properly asleep.

Does anyone have any advice on why she might keep on waking up? And what I can do to help keep her asleep till she needs feeding?

The reason I don't think she's hungry is that she does go back to sleep until between 3 and 4am, after which only feeding will settle her.

Any advice very much appreciated.

sounds like she is dependent on the dummy and needs you to go and replace it when it falls out. This was precisely the reason we got rid of ds's dummy around 5 months as I was sick of replacing it many times in the night. I started with naps first but stayed with ds while he cried and picked him up when he got worked up - it took 45 minutes for him to go to sleep the first time without the dummy but it was worth it as he slept much better without it.

This will work but you must stick with it. My baby slept in bed with me, waking up more and more in the night and would only fall back to sleep with breast feeding & she would only nap on the move. I hired a sleep pro when she was 6 months, who said that children don't need a night feed (or dream feed) from 7-9 weeks. So, when she wakes, don't pick her up, just go in and say smthg like 'Mummy's here but it's sleepy time' & leave the room. Go back in when you feel the time is right (don't time it - this is based on instinct and is not the same as controlled crying where the baby learns to cry for longer and longer)and repeat the words. Keep going until baby is asleep. Do this every time she wakes until it is a time you consider to be morning. If you do this, you MUST persevere so be prepared for a few days of being knackered. My baby slept through from 7-7 on the 3rd night. Do let
me know if you have a go. If you would rather hire the sleep pro, like I did, then I can give you her details.

7-9 weeks - I dont think so[hmmm]

too many mmm's last time , try again