Should I still feed him?

[~Alexa~]

Hi everyone!! My lo is 4.5 mo and we are still having one night feed.  I'm pretty tired and want this to end, so during the last 3 nights, I tried to use the paci instead of feeding him. 
During the day, he goes to sleep by himself (no paci, no rocking, no shushing). I just put him in his crib, he mantra cries for 30 seconds and goes to sleep for about 2 hours.  During the day, everything is great, he is an independent sleeper.

But, during the night it's different.  His last feed is around 8 pm, then he goes down for the night.  I tried the DF at different times for about 2 months, but we had no success, he is so sleepy at that time, that he won't drink it, if I'm lucky, he drinks 1 - 1.5 oz, so I've stopped doing the DF. 
He drinks around 7 - 8 oz at 8 pm (during the day he usually drinks 5 oz bottles, but the bedtime bottle is the biggest) and then goes to sleep by himself until around 4 - 5 am.  That's when he wakes up.  Before this Monday, I gave him a 4 oz bottle, and he drained it and went back to sleep, but then, at 7.30 am (when we start our day and wake him up) he doesn't want to feed.  This is a mess, because if I'm lucky he only drinks 1 oz, so then he is starving by 11 am, and wakes up early from his nap. 

So this week, I decided to use the paci instead of feeding him during the NW.  So, the first time I plug the paci, he goes to sleep for around 1 hr, but then from 6 am till 7.30 am I have to re-plug every 15 mins.  It's crazy!! Then, at 7.30 am I feed him, and he drinks 4 - 5 oz with no problem.  So, I really don't know what to do!! I'm worried I'm making the paci a prop b/c if I feed him he goes back to sleep with no problem, and doesn't wake up until 7.30 am.  But, if I don't feed him and plug the paci, I have to replug it like 10 times in 1 hr.  I'm more tired now!!  It's been 3 nights and nothing has changed he still wakes up at around 4 - 5 am. 

Should I keep doing this to get rid of the night feed? Is this the way to do it? Or should I feed him? What do you think?

One more thing, sometimes he just drinks 3 oz during the night feed and goes back to sleep, so I'm not sure that he is really hungry. 

Thanks!!

[Lolly]

It sounds to me like he is hungry, if you have to keep replugging the paci it's usually a sign they are hungry. At 4.5 months it's still totally normal to be having at least 1 night feed, in fact he's doing brilliantly to be going from bedtime to 5am without a DF!

How long ago did you stop doing the DF? If it was a good few weeks ago then I would try that again first to see if it will push him a bit closer to wake up time, now he is a bit bigger he may take it better. If you do decide to try it again then give it a good week to see if it's effective.

If a small feed is enough for him sometimes you can try only giving that amount when he wakes and resettling then topping him off when he wakes for the day.

Laura

[Shiv52]

I agree with Laura. I would feed.  Most 4.5 month old take a night feed.  Its not unusual at this stage for them to take a NF and then for their first feed to be a bit off for a bit. 

[~Alexa~]

Thanks!! I will definitely feed him again! It's more tiring to be replugging the paci every 15 min.

We stopped doing the DF 1.5 weeks ago. Do you think I should try it again now?