How can I increase dream feed and drop night feed for 5 month old?

[Mum41]

Hi everyone - I've had some brilliant help from these forums already and have returned for your tips and thoughts    My LO is 22 weeks and she takes 800 ml on average a day (formula fed).  I think I need to tweak her feeding routine to encourage her to drop her night bottle but am unsure how to do it.  On average she only takes about 60 ml at around 2am so it seems like comfort not hunger.  I try and DF at around 11 pm but she tends to take only a little 40-80ml.  She's also started waking at other times in the night and has trouble going back to sleep (trying some PU PD).  Her days vary a bit but go something like this:

E. 7.00 - 7.30 (awake 6.30 average)
S. Btw 8.45/9.00 on a good day until 10:30 or 11.00 (wakes after 40 mins and settles herself after 10 mins or so)
E. 11.00
S 13.00-15.00
E 15:30
E 17.30
S bedtime sometimes at 18.00 depending on timing of 2nd nap as she tends to resist a catnap for the 3rd nap
E 23.00 (but sometimes earlier as she wakes anytime from 21.00 onwards if she didn't take much at the 18.00 feed)

Any advice would be great. I'm worried her night waking will only get worse unless I can tackle this soon but I want to be sure she's not hungry at night by getting her to have more in the day.

[Mum41]

Hi - I've had no reply to my topic  Should I post it elsewhere - EASY or Sleep?

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

It does seem like a habit if she's waking around the same time and only having a small amount. I formula fed dd1 and to cut out her last night feed we actually diluted the bottle by one ounce each night. She was taking a bigger feed than your dd though. What would happen if you just didn't feed her?  Ie tried to get her back to sleep with pat/shh? 

[Mum41]

Hi - thank you for responding.  At the moment she would cry and not settle even with P.U. P.D. I read in BW about tanking up so will try doing an extra DF and then will reduce her 2am feed to 30ml and will see how it goes. I manage to get her to settle with P.U P.D when she wakes habitually around 5am as I don't think she expects to be fed at that one but does at the previous time.  Wish me luck!

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

Good luck!

[Lolly]

How are things going?

Laura

[Mum41]

Hi - well I've managed not to give in and feed her for the last 2 nights! I can tell she's definitely after the bottle for comfort to help her get back to sleep as she's not ravenous first thing in the morning but takes the 7am bottle well.  The problem is she's taking half an hour to an hour to settle with PU PD and then wakes a second time last night awake 2.15-3.30 and briefly at 5.00 then ready to get up at 6.20.  She's so OT as a result and all the naps have gone wonky (40 min and wanting to sleep sometimes after only 1 hr 30 min of A time). Any tips on how to get through this?  I'm hoping she'll stop waking and needing the PU PD after a few more nights maybe?

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

Oh wow, from that behavior it seems like she really is hungry. I can understand the first long pu pd session but not the next wakings. How much is she taking at the dream feed? If she's not taking much at 11 I suppose you could skip the df and just feed her when she wakes. What do you think?

[Mum41]

Hi - she only took a small amount - 60-80 ml and didn't seem hungry at 7am when I used to feed her in the night.  I used not to do a DF and left her to wake but it just meant she woke twice for small amounts instead of once.  She's taking 800-1,000 ml in the day now so I really don't think hunger is waking her.  I'm not sure what to do for the best as the tiredness is getting tough - for both of us!