Def habitual waking. Where do i start?

[Fenella]

Ds is now 8 weeks old and whilst i realise he needs a night feed still i don't believe he needs it 3 hours after df.  he is waking same time every night. 1.45am.  A couple of weeks ago i managed to get him to start sleeping till 4am by using the dummy.  Then for one night we missed the df.  He then woke around 1.30am we were back to the df the next night but since then he has consitently woken 3hrs after df when he feeds at 2am he is impossible to wind so wakes up at 4.30 struggling and cat napping till we get up at 6am so i really need to try pushing him to stretch further than 2am even if it is only to 3am.  Though i don't know which technique to try. Do i try the dummy again along with pat/sh or W2S (which concerns me slightly in case it goes pear shaped) or do the feed reduction.  i have also heard of people offerering cool boiled water.  Which technique do you think would be first to try.  He is in bed by 7pm every night the daytime routine runs reasonably smoothly i just need more sleep.

[Fenella]

just to say doesn't need more oz's during day feeding 3 hourly 5oz with a 7oz at bedtime and 4oz at df.  He weight 12lb 7oz

[Colin Macs Mom]

When he wakes, what does he do?

[Fenella]

he just fusses at first but if no response will start to cry not scream. at this point i go in and pop dummy in whilst i go to get bottle when i get back he is usually starting to cry.

[Colin Macs Mom]

Ok, I see. You are doing well to wait until he starts asking for you rather than as soon as you hear a peep. 

At 8 weeks, he will still need at least one night feed, in addition to the dreamfeed. If you are sure that he isn't hungry yet at 1:45 then W2S would be a good place to start, but understand that he will surely need a feed later on then.

[Fenella]

last night he woke at 2am as expected i put dummy in and he went straight to sleep until 2.45 i put dummy in whilst i went to get bottle and came back he had fallen back to sleep till 3.15 when i fed him.  he still woke all windy or constipated at 4.30 but managed to resettle at least.  i think i need to change his formula he is on a thickened feed for he reflux but i think we may have been better on aptimil along with the infant gaviscon.    i do expect to feed him once in the night but i know he doesn't need a feed 3hours after the df.   i am a bit worried about causing a problem with the dummy so if he doesn't sleep himself for longer in next couple of nights will try wake to sleep.
Thanks.

[Colin Macs Mom]

Sounds like a good plan - switching formula may be the right trick!