9 month old still waking at 4am for a feed

[Mel06]

My 9 month old baby girl has always been a very good sleeper and was in a good routine at 8 weeks going to sleep at 7pm. She used to wake up just once during the night for a feed and the habit is still there. She goes to sleep by herself even after her 4am feed but just lately she can't seem to go straight back to sleep and although she mostly talks herself back to sleep after an hour or so she has now started to cry. She doesn't take much milk at this feed so have started to dilute milk. Anybody got a similar experience ??

When she wakes up don't give her milk because your rewarding her for waking up & now shes in the habit of waking.Try cooled boiled water once she knows shes not getting her milk she should stop waking up.I had the same problem with dd2 after a few nights of water she started to sleep all night & i've had no probs since.Hope this helps

Last night we diluted feed to 6oz water to 2oz formula. She woke at 2am and it wasn't until 5.30am that she stopped crying. When she first woke up she talks and plays. After 30 mins or so she starts to gently cry. After giving her the diluted milk she went back down which was about 3am and then the crying started within 20 mins. Tried the controlled crying thing but in 9 months we have never experienced her crying like this. She settled at about 5.30am but still wimpering (which made me cry) and woke at 7am and took 6oz milk. We are getting very tired but we are persevering. I'm sure it is a bad habit but I do worry that she is genuinely hungry.

No 9 month old NEEDS a night-time feed, you are doing the right thing

if you persevere it will be over soon

it is far harder on you, she is just learning how to sleep through which is a totally new thing

My DD is doing the same thought it may be teething be like you she does seem hungry ! havent started to cut this out as yet as I have a 3 yr Ds and dont want him waking at this time as he already gets up around 5.30 to 6.00ma killer !!

My 9 month old eats 'solids' constantly all day, but he won't breastfeed off of me hardly at all in the day, only for naps, or if he's very tired/absolutely famished. If I didn't br'feed him at night he wouldn't get enough milk in his diet. He's not going to stop being so distractable by day. So my 9 month old does indeed "need" a night feed, afaic. All babies are different, all that...

Has she got a bit of a cold or anything? My ds who rarely wakes in the night woke a few nights when he was snotty/coughing. Medised & a small milk feed made him sleepy enough to go back down for the rest of the night.
Friends have also tried giving really filling solids before bed eg. porridge.
Just a couple of thoughts... hope you get some more sleep soon

Could it be teething...maybe if you give some calpol before bed see if your dd wakes up. She may not be hungry but may be hurting a little.

Had a much better night last night. My dh made me sleep in the spare room so he could sort out dd. She ate much better during the day yesterday and slept from 7pm until 3am but didn't cry at all. He fed her diluted bottle but didn't change her nappy or turn the light on low like normal. He thinks if he had left her when she first woke she would have probably gone back to sleep.

She woke at 7.30 am this morning and would only take 4oz milk.

My turn tonight so will try just offering her water. Anybody know if I should do this from bottle or beaker ?

Feeling much better today, thanks to everyone for your support and advice.

I give ds water from a bottle - it soothes him a little better - but maybe you don't want her to get dep. on this.