9.5mo NW is it hunger or habitual? How do I fix it?

[NZ_Mum]

Hi everyone, thought I'd post to see if anyone has any ideas, I'm tired of living with this regular NW!

DS got sick a while back (weeks ago now!) and that's when it started.

He wakes up usually sometime between 4-5am and wants a BF.
It's not really like clockwork because it can be slightly different times but usually round about between these times. Last night it was 4:15am, the night before I don't think he woke at all. Night before that was 5am etc.
Some nights he wakes and cries for just a little while and then goes back to sleep but it's restless sleep until I give in and get him up for a feed usually around 6:30am which I consider to be our "wake up" time.

So I think that it is hunger, but made it's just that he's gotten used to having a feed at around this time? And so is not making up for it during the day?

During the day it feels like I am constantly trying to pack in the food... He is good on his solids and BF's well at normal 4hr intervals (sometimes abit under or a bit over 4hrs because our naps can be a bit wonky lately)

We're also still doing a DF which I am trying to bring forward to drop but can't tell if it's working as he wakes up anyway.

Otherwise our EASY routine is pretty good during the day and he sleeps well for naps and at night - except for this one NWing!!

Hope someone can help or maybe it is an EASY question after all??

Thanks in advance!!

[anna*]

I think you're right, learned hunger. You could drop the feed by reducing the number of minutes you let him feed for, or by using shush-pat/PUPD.

[NZ_Mum]

Well last night he woke at 5:20am and was crying for a feed.
I decided to do ShhPat/PUPD as doing less "minutes" just results in crying anyway. He hates being taken off the breast and will get into a real crying fit if he thinks you're only giving him half a meal!

So I did Shh pat mostly as PUPD never really works for us, as he doesn't stop crying when you pick him up anyway and pushes away etc. (And we have a bit of SA thrown in there too, as everytime I thought he was settled to sleep and tried to creep away he'd start up crying and rolling round again.)

It went on for about an hour till 6:40am when I finally gave in and fed him - because that's our "wake up" time, sometime between 6:30-7am.
But of course being so tired from all the crying and after one and a half breasts(!) he fell asleep on my lap. I deliberated wether to wake him up and start the day or not, and decided that he could sleep a little bit till 7:30am as I wasn't looking forward to an OT baby if we tried to stick to our usual routine after being up since 5:20am. At least I think that was the logic! 
BUT I fell asleep too and so he slept till 8:45am (unheard of!) and so we have had a completely messed up day, with him not wanting to have a nap until 3:15pm!! Lets just say I'm not looking forward to tonight...

Hoping I have done something right here and at least am starting to break the cycle of early morning feeds(?) nevermind what other OT or NWings may occur in the meantime...

See how tonight goes, if anyone has any ideas on what I could do better then please post away!