Is feeding nearly 7m DS in the night reinforcing his waking?

[fabulosa]

My DS has started waking in the night again once or twice after a while of sleeping through pretty well. He seems hungry and will finish a 6oz bottle in a few minutes. Last night he woke at about half twelve and again at 6, and had 6 and 5 oz respectively. I'm loathe to try PU/PD or any of those other techniques that don't involve feeding because at the moment, even though I'm being woken which obviously isn't ideal, I can be back in bed in about 15 minutes. I'm hoping that he'll get through this growth or development spurt, or adjust to having solid food, and it'll stop on its own. However, I've read a few things (perhaps stupidly!) that suggest feeding a baby at night just makes it worse as he'll come to expect it and so not fill up during the day. I'm not sure if it's a sleep issue or a food issue. He's still awake when I put him back and he settles himself so I'm not feeding him to sleep.

Any thoughts? Am I doing the wrong thing here and being insanely over optimistic if I think this will sort itself out? I've posted about this in the 'Weaning' topic as well but had no response, so grateful if any of the wise and experienced sleep experts could tell me their experiences and give me some advice or reassurance!

I have an 8 month old who still has one feed in the night, and I'm pretty sure he's hungry. A couple of months ago he was having 2 or 3 feeds, and like you I wasn't too worried because it is a lot quicker!

When he started taking less at each feed I started trying a dummy instead, which often works fine, but once a night he wants food. I will say he drinks more in the day now he has less at night BTW, so he was filling up at night.

I think putting him down awake is the main thing - we're currently working towards this!

If you think he's in the habit of having too much, try giving less or watering it down gradually.

there are alot of people, including close friends of mine (well, one actually ) that would say it is reinforcing it. 'sleep' books do too - but then they wouldn't sell if the answer was to feed them, would they - they have to come up with elaborate schemes to get babies to 'give up' asking for food .

i don't think so. if he is settling quickly afterwards, i would say he is hungry. my mum would too .

i was never left to cry and we all grew out of it around 9 months ish, once fully established on solids.

hth

Thanks, that's reassuring! I'm pretty sure that he is hungry and he'll finish or nearly finish a bottle in a matter of minutes. Once he's back in his cot that's it, he doesn't need settling. If anything, I think he prefers to go to sleep on his own: he;s not the cuddliest baby in the world and seems to find it too stimulating rather than relaxing. Consequently the idea of cuddling him to calm him down doesn't fill me with confidence! I'll continue as we are for now until he's more properly established on solids and offer more milk in the day. Or until I just get too tired and annoyed about it to carry on!

Thanks again

yo're welcome. my ds was waking up every two hours demanding milk (bf) (totally thriving - a big chunky boy - but the milk was being digested so quickly i think!) and my friend said to leave him to cry it out . i am soooo glad i didn't because now we have started on solids he is so much better - within a week he is sleeping 6 hour stretches and settling really well which is such a difference! (he is 6mo and we are doing blw) i hate to think i would have left him there hungry if i had taken my friend's, and all the books', advice . he's only a baby!

trust your instincts as a mother is what i have learnt from that situation! .

ruby my DS is exactly the same! Now we're on solids, he's sleeping so much more in the night. It's great (but a killer on the boobs)

haha rocks! i am assuming that will sort itself out! i can't imagine what would happen if he slept more!