5mo NW every 1.5 hrs + which feed to cut out first?

[spodnic]

Hi all

Since a succession of colds and tummy bugs my LO has been waking every 1.5 hrs at night for the last week or so. She is EBF and I had been responding to her waking by feeding over the ill period but now she is better I know she doesn't need it. She is exceptionally small for her age (but not prem). I have stopped feeding her this frequently and have started pu/pd (although I would have liked to wait longer) which is working ok, she gets fed now every 3hrs. First question is: how long before she stops waking habitually?

Second question: which feed should I attempt to drop first - typically her night feeds are 9, 12, 3, 6. I'm thinking the 12am one?

I can't remember how the night feeds stopped with my first LO, at the moment waking eight times a night means I can barely remember my own name! When she got ill I took her into bed with me for the first feed onwards to get more sleep since she immediately settled when I didn't move her back into her own bed. Now I am still doing that but plan soon to get her back into the crib every time.

Can anyone help? I am really struggling. What's really annoying is that from birth to about 12 weeks she consistently only woke once or twice at night for a feed.

[spodnic]

Thanks! Today looked like this:
6am e
6.10 a
8am s
8.45 e
9am a
10.30 s
11.15 e
11.30 a
1.30 s
3.15 e
3.30 a
5.30 s
6pm a
6.30 e and bed by 7.30

She has a dummy for naps but not usually at night. Her naps are the best I can manage with a 3yo running around. Although she has been unwell she seems much better now. Her last feed I do feed her to sleep but if she wakes when I put her down I try to settle her with patting, which does work sometimes at night too.

I was wondering if it might be my snoring waking her, but she still wakes in the early evening when I'm not there.

Thanks in advance

[*Ali*]

I notice she often eats every 3 hours (no doubt because you feed her when she wakes early from a nap). This is inappropriate for her age. You need to transition to a 4 hours EASY during the day. This may increase her intake at each feed and therefore her overall intake and mean she is less likely to wake from hunger overnight. Have you tried a dream feed to tank her up? Perhaps if you could merge the  9 and 12 NW into one DF without waking her you could then also push the 3am feed later before dropping it completely. Have you tried to extend her naps using PUPD? I would also recommend using PUPD to get her back to sleep at night without feeding. If you have someone else who could try this with her it may be easier as she associates you with BFing.
If you can stop the feeding over night this should curb the habitual waking in as little as a few days.
Good luck.

[spodnic]

Thanks Jane. I will try and increase the first A time, though I am looking for her cues and by 2hrs she is already makes grizzly noises which I've interpreted as tired.

Cadie's mum, I'm aware for her age she should be heading towards a 4hr EASY, however, she is so small (11lb) and seems to be hungry about this time, I've been guided by that. Are you saying regardless of weight this is what she should be on? Even if her tummy is smaller and therefore emptier sooner?

We have a holiday soon, she'll be 6 months when we get back and that is when DH and I are going to implement PUPD, when we both have time (and I'm not so tired). For sure I won't be missing these night feeds!

[*Ali*]

Hi, ah yes I see in your first post you did mention that she is exceptionally small. 11lb is small for a 5 month old in fact it's off the chart in my child health record book. Was she born very tiny or has she just not grown much? Perhaps it is too soon for a 4 hour easy especially if she is not putting on weight well. I would go with what your doctor has recommended in that case as helping her grow is obviously more important than getting rid of the night feeds at this stage.
I have just started using wake to sleep to extend naps and it is working well thus far. Much less time intensive and less upsetting than PUPD so maybe you could try that and see if it works too.
Good luck and enjoy your holiday.