Hi, this is my first post ever. I am new to the BW thing and am having some struggles. I too am confused if my 8 mo old DD is waking out of hunger or habit. She wakes anywhere between 4am-5:30am everyday.
I've just recently started her on EASY. She is getting more solids so I am starting to wean the dream feed, just moved it the other day to 10:30. The morning starts at 7-7:30, BF, A, maybe solids around 8:30, A until 9, nap. She naps from 1h 1/4 - 1h 1/2. Then BF, A, solids around 12:30, nap around 1-1:30, usually only sleeps an hour, trying to stretch this with PU/PD but she gets REALLY angry. Sometimes she doesn't even want to go to sleep at all, but she is SO tired. She really fights it and because she is older now (never been on a routine) she is fighting the change. So then BF at 3, A, usually a cat nap around 5-5:30 (again if she doesn't fight) then solids around 6, BF 7, start bedtime at 7-7:30. She doesn't get a bath every night, we were doing a book but I think it is too stimulating so we've cut it out for now. We play soft music and have a night light on. She usually sleeps well until the DF, which she starts to wake up for now, that is why I am starting to cut it back. Then she stirs 2 or 3 times in the night but can usually go back to sleep on her own. BUT, she wakes up every morning anywhere between 4 and 5:30 and is awake and sometimes fussing a little, sometimes screaming. She fights going back to sleep for an hour to an hour and 1/2. Everytime she starts to settle she wakes herself back up. When she finally gets back to sleep it is only for about an hour before it is time to get up (7:00). I sometimes let her sleep until 7:30 depending on when she went back to sleep. I haven't been feeding her when she wakes up early because it said not to, but I feel so guilty because in the back of my head I'm thinking she is hungry.
I'll give a little background - She was a small baby at birth (still pretty small for her age) and so I had to feed her every 2 hours in the beginning. Well, I had that stuck in my head, and until about 3 weeks ago, I kept feeding her every 2-3 hours so she just snacked, very rarely ever took both sides (she does now at every feed). Even though she was quite healthy I was afraid she was hungry all the time, especially at night, so everytime she woke up I fed her (if it had been at least 2 hours). She was also a terrible napper. My DH and I were her props from day one and rocked, sung, walked (anything!) her to sleep all the time. And if she woke up early (like she still does) my DH would take her downstairs with him and let me get some more sleep, so not sure if that is the problem there. She napped erratically, never the same time, mostly only 20-30 min, sometimes she would go 2 hours late in the afternoon. She never napped in her crib before EASY. She fell asleep nursing most of the time. I was at my wits end and knew I had to do something to fix what I created. Surprisingly though, she was (and is) a very happy and content baby, even when she doesn't get enough sleep. I think she is a combo Textbook/Touchy baby. Anyway, I read one of the posts the other day and discovered that I was still being a prop to her falling asleep by talking to her and touching her back too much. So I've just started to wait until she is crying for real (no just mantra) before I touch her. I don't speak anymore, and I sit on a stool (which I'm slowing getting closer to the door so I don't have to be in the room while she falls asleep).
I think she is teething, has been for a while now, still no teeth. She uses a soother, her thumb, or her blankie to help soothe herself. She is getting much better at it.
Wow - I'm really sorry if that is too much information, but I didn't want to miss anything that might be helpful. Hopefully I won't be banned after my first time
