10 months old and a night waking question

[Baileysmom31112]

Hey there, my LO is 10 months and one week. He has slept through the night a handful of times and I really feel like he is ready but he usually wakes up crying once a night any time between 2:30 and 5 am.

Typically, he goes down for the night between 6-7pm and then once he nurses at that nightwaking, he will go back to sleep until about 7am. There have been a few nights when he has just slept straight through and there have been a few nights where he will cry and either resettle or allow us to resettle him (without nursing) and then he sleeps on til 7am. The rest of nights, he will keep crying on and off for over an hour until I finally give in and nurse him. He will nurse for a full feeding but it still seems more like comfort and often he will then not be very hungry at 7am when I want to do the first "E" of the day. His naps have also gotten a little wonky as well as you can see below, but wondering if anyone sees anything obvious for me to try to drop this NW/NF. Here are some recent days.

Day 1
WU/E(nursed): 7:05am
Breakfast: 7:30am
E (bottle): 10am
S: 10-10:45am
Lunch: noon
E (bottle): 2pm
S: 2:45-3:25pm
Dinner: 5:20pm
E (nursed): 6pm
S: Sleep (no night wakings!)

Day 2
WU/E (nurse): 6:55am
Breakfast: 7:45am
Snack: 9:30am
E (bottle): 10am
S: 10:20-11:20am
Lunch: 12:30pm
E (bottle): 2:20pm
S: 2:30-3:25pm
Snack: 4pm
Dinner: 5:40pm
E (nurse): 6:10pm
S: 6:30pm (one NW/NF @ 5:30am)

Day 3

WU/Nurse: 7:20am
Breakfast: 9am
S: 10:30-11:35am
Lunch: 12:30pm
E (bottle): 2pm
S: 2:30-3:50pm
Snack: 4:45pm
Dinner: 5:40pm
E (Nurse): 6:05pm
S: 6:40pm (one NW/NF @ 4:25am)

[becj86]

Have a read of this: 10/11 month old sleep gone wonky? Read this first!

To be honest, I'd keep the feed since it gets him back to sleep easily or do PD consistently if he wakes if you want to drop the feed. Is it possible he's thirsty rather than hungry? Or would be happy with just a cuddle instead of a BF?

[Baileysmom31112]

Thanks Bec for your reply. I never considered thirsty. He does get easily constipated w solids and seems to love drinking water. And sadly, he doesn't want cuddles from me when he's like that, he just wants the boob. I will try water and see what happens.

And then do you think the night feeding will just eventually fade out or how will I know when he's ready to drop them?

[becj86]

TBH, mine still wakes thirsty - I can now give him a sippy of water in his cot though and he can open, drink and close it. I still do NF if L asks, as I'm not guessing, he's asking specifically for milk with words.

Thirst will also depend on the weather, how much he's taken in during the day, etc. I have even found if I send a slower flow cup to daycare with him, he will wake thirsty more than if I send a drink bottle with a much faster flow.

At this age, I'd just have a sippy of water available where LO is playing so he can drink as needed.