1yr-DF causing EW?

[arook]

I am sure I shouldn't still be dreamfeeding a 13 month old according to Tracy (right?).  But this is my 2nd and I hung onto it to get LO to STTN.  Now he wakes for it around 10 and I nurse for a few min. (just a snack really).  I am wondering if it may be causing the consistent EW (4:45 ish)?  I don't feed him when he wakes. It takes up to 1 hr sometimes to get him back down and then he sleeps one cycle and it's 6:30 so I finally feed him and we start our day.

Easy
6:30 Wake, nurse
7:30 breakfast
9:30 snack
11:30 Lunch
12:00/12:30- Nurse/Nap (2 -2.5 hr)
2:30 wakes
5:30 Dinner
6:15 head to bedroom/ jammies/ nurse (top off) 
Asleep by 7:15
DF btwn 10-11

We dropped AM nap about 2 months ago b/c he was so hard to get down for it.  It was time, and now for PM nap he sleeps longer if I get him down closer to 12 than 12:30. 

[*Becky*]

I would get rid of the DF...it may be a couple of rough nights but it will be worth it in the long run. Does he EW every day?

[arook]

Last night was 3am (went right back down) and 5:45.  Couldn't get him back after 5:45.  Held him off till 6:30.  Usually it's 5am though

[*Becky*]

If he is normally up at 5am and going to bed at 7.15pm it is likely he is OT. It is a good idea to try and keep the day to 13 hours max so maybe an earlier BT might be a good idea,

[arook]

13 hrs ...got it!  So since he woke at 5:45 this morning then no later than 6:45 so I'll just start that way around 6 and maybe try to shoot for a 6 bt the rest of the week.  And I will research on here about the best way to drop that DF.  I know I could go cold turkey.  But wonder it there's any other ideas.  He has never taken a paci. I've never done WI/WO or PU/PD. This will be the first AP thing I have had to break with this one.  This baby responds to touch as a soothing element.  A hand on the cheek has usually been all that was needed to settle him to sleep. But once he gets ramped up it's very difficult to bring him down so not looking forward to this.

[*Becky*]

good luck with it all....let us know if you need anymore help. If a GW approach has worked in the past then I would stick with that, he may surprise you!

[arook]

Went well the first 3 days of going cold turkey w/o DF.  4th night was horrible. (last night)  He was OT going down and woke at 10 like usual for his feed.  Other nights he went back down on his own.  Not last night.  I didn't feed him and then after 4 hours of trying to get him to sleep (had my hand in the crib to try and soothe him back to sleep)  I finally gave him 2 oz in a bottle of reg. milk.  After about 20 min he went to sleep.  So obviously hungry.  Took a shorter nap today waking after 1 hr 15 min (usually will sleep 2 hrs.)  Now he's crying and I am trying to figure out if I should try to get him back down.  He's cried for over 20 min stopped for a few minutes but just called out again.  Grrr.  This baby never goes back down after me going back in to try and soothe.  So now he will be OT tonight  AGAIN!    I guess I'll try for an early bed time and hope for the best.  Is this a time for growth spurts?//13 months?

[*Becky*]

it could be a GS but I would be surprised if a 13 month old really NEEDS the milk, more likely he likes it and has got used to it. It does sound like OT all the way to me so if he short naps then BT needs to be early...my lo never resettles either after a short nap so we just get up and do an EBT.

[arook]

Last night went much better.  I started bed time at 5:30 and had him down by 6:15/30 (can't quite remember).  He slept thru and woke at 6:30 YAY!!!!  I was also able to get him to drink 2.5 oz milk before bed after his regular BF. Tonight I had him down at 6:30.  He has resettled after a few wakings.  I wasn't as successful at getting him to drink extra milk tonight before bed.  I have always EBF.  He has only recently started reg. milk and it has taken a while to get him interested.  I try to get the milk in other ways with dairy and that helps but I feel like I'm constantly pushing him to drink milk b/c I don't think he's getting all that the Dr. says he should from me and what he's eating.  I think that may also be a factor in the EW.