Getting rid of the 5am feed

[watersni]

Hello all,

My LO is 8mo and still wakes up around 5/5:30 for a small feed. He goes to bed most nights around 8:30 and on a good night will sleep through and wake up around that time every morning expecting his feed. I have decreased it to only 2oz (as per suggestions from other moms) with the hopes that he'd eventually stop waking up for it because it's such a small amount. How can I get rid of this feed and get him to sleep right through until morning?

[Haribo2012]

Hi, is it the feed he's waking for or maybe a routine issue? 5am WU is so common and sometimes looking at your day can help, 8.30 BT is quite late with a 5.30wu if LO is not going back to sleep.
If it's only 2ozyour giving it won't be hunger, you could try a little water. What happens if u don't feed?x

[watersni]

Usually with the 2oz bottle he would return to sleep and wake up between 8 and 9. Recently he's been harder to get back down. I've tried eliminating the bottle as it does make sense he couldn't be that hungry if I'm only giving him 2oz, but the bottle is what seems to soothe him and help him fall back to sleep at 5am. I'll admit it's still been a bit challgening as of late to get him back down, even with the bottle, but I'm hoping it's just a phase.

What I worry about is that if I move is bedtime even earlier, than he'll wake up even earlier. I've always had him going to bed between 8 and 9pm because he would generally wake up around 8 or 9 in the morning. He's never really been an early riser until recently with this 5 am wake and not really wanting to fall back to sleep. I'll post my schedule below for you to review and please tell me where I'm going wrong or what I could change. My LO is 8 months. Thanks!

Each day varies a little because I let my LO wake up when he's ready so it can fluctuate about an hour or so. This is an average day.

WU & bottle (6oz): 8:30
Breakfast (solids): 9:30
Morning nap: 10:30 (usually an 1.5 to 2 hours)
Bottle (6oz): 12:30
Lunch (solids): 1:30
Afternoon nap: 2:30 (this one is usually shorter ranging from 40 mins to an hour)
Bottle (6oz): 4:30
Dinner (solids): 6:30
Bath:8:00
Bottle (6oz): 8:15
Bed: 8:30
WU: 5/5:30 and will take a small feed (about 2 oz) and will generally go back to bed although recently he's been staying up from about 5 to 6 before he falls back asleep?

[Haribo2012]

Hi, it sounds like he's just using the feed as a comforter...

Your first A of the day is very short for LO age it would be more like 3.5 hours, do your first nap is really early then your 2nd nap short but a very long A to bed. This could be causing the EW.

I'd be tempted to do nap around 11.30/12 hope for 1.5/2 hours then nap 3.5 hours after that WU to give u more balanced A times.
If you get a short nap you need to really knock 30 mins off A time.