My daughter is almost 5 months old and wakes up at 5 AM. She used to wake more often before i started giving her at least two ounces of formula for her dream feed. So at least now it's 5 AM when she won't go back to sleep. She does wake up sometimes before that but I ShSh her back to sleep and give her the pacifier which fell out of her mouth. I've tried feeding her more during the day but it doesn't work. She is a big "spitter upper" and just spits up a lot, especially if I nurse her when she's full. She takes 3 naps a day (first two are about 2 hours - as long as I can get her back to sleep if/when she wakes up in middle - and the last is about 45 minutes) and I don't have to do much to get her to nap. I just swaddle her and sometimes she is sleeping within in 90 seconds. I would say she's on the 4 hour EASY: Eats every 4 hours, first two naps for two hours, bed at 7:30 after her bath. I give her the dream feed, hopefully before 11 (I nurse her until she stops nursing, then I give her a two ounce bottle of formula). I even tried pumping milk during the day after my feeds and giving it to her but that's extremely annoying and before I know she's due for her nap again because I spent so much time getting her to feed. She cries a lot during the feeds because she has to burp and then usually spits up a lot when she burps. Whenever I breastfeed, I always feed on both sides (She even cries if she starts nursing on one side and decides she doesn't want that side first!). If I pump after a feed, I barely get an ounce afterward from both sides combined.
Here's a scene from last night: Bed time at 7:30, she woke up a few times after since she lost of pacifier. i pumped milk about got an ounce and half and fed that to her at 10:30 and since it was my first time pumping milk for the dream feed, i gave her two bottles of 2 ounce formula. She woke up at about 2:30 since she lost her pacifier but went back to sleep right away when I gave it to her. She then woke up at 5 AM and was NOT going back to sleep. I tried to pick up her but she was just arching her back and crying. She would not go back to sleep on her stomach or her back. She calmed down for 30 seconds when i was shshpatting her but starting crying again. several times of that. I just caved in and fed her, and boy did she eat!!
After she eats, I usually put her on her back to play with toys on a mat.(sometimes her stomach - or else she'll spit up and play with her spit up so i usually give her a little tummy time right after she wakes up from her nap then feed her) or I put her in a swing or bouncer, or in the mornings, in her crib with the mobile on until I'm ready to start my day.
She has never slept from 7:30-7 (with the dream feed) there's always at least two wakings at night and she used to take her full feeding at 4:30 before I gave her the formula. Sometimes she would wake up every hour! I know she is not teething yet.
Another thing: I used to put her to sleep on her stomach because she slept so much better that way but she would just spit up too much so we started putting her on her back with a very light blanket near her cheek and she cuddles into the blanket and instantly closes her eyes if she's tired. She is swaddled when she naps and sleeps and occasionally gets out of the swaddle. (My husband discovered that trick when he wrapped my scarf around her face (not over her face) in the carriage and she was instantly calm!)
I hope I gave enough information to help you help me!
Thanks.