Still night feed at 18 weeks - how do I eliminate??

[Lasm2016]

Hi there,

My son is 18 weeks and 3 days (he was early so his adjusted age would be 15 weeks and 2 days).  If I am honest is a real dream baby, not sure if this is 2nd child syndrome or just his nature but he never demands anything and rarely cries.  When he does it is more of a grumble is it always down to either hunger or tiredness/overstimulation.  He naps very well - on the whole 1hrs in the morning, 1.5-2 hrs over lunch and usually a cat nap of 30-40mins in the afternoon.   I just can't seem to drop the middle of the night feed and I don't know why!!!

The night feed used to be around 3/4am which didn't disrupt the day feeding too much as he would be hungry when he woke at 7/730am but the last few days his middle of the night feed has stretched out until 5/5.30 which means he just isn't hungry at 7/7.30 when he wakes.  This then disrupts the day feeding as he isn't hungry until 9/10am.  On top of this I am sure we are transitioning from a 3hr - 4hr easy.

Yesterday looked like this...we had playgroup in the morning with my 2 year old so napping was a bit patchy in the morning as he was in the sling.  As a result one of his feeds was split into two at 1230 and 1430 - this would normally just have been one feed at 2pm.  Over the course of the day he still had enough milk.  Napping was slightly less than normal but not by much.

E: 0600 (WU at 5.30 fed at 6am) 7oz
A: n/a
S: 0630 - 7.30am (back to bed, asleep as soon as put back in cot)
A: 0730 awake and not hungry
E: 1000 7oz
A:
S: 1045 (until around 1130)
E: 1230 fed him 4.5oz as he woke up in the sling and wouldn't settle
S: 1245 nap 1.5hrs
E: 1430 was still hungry as only had 4.5 oz earlier so he took another 3.5oz (normally the 2pm feed would not have been split at 12.30 and 14.30)
A:
S:1530 40 mins
E: 1830 7oz
S: 1900 bed for the night
E: 2300 dream feed 6oz

And running in to today...

A: 0300 awake grumbling, I managed to help him settle and was asleep within 2 mins
E: 0500 feed 5oz
S: 0530 straight back to sleep until 7.15
A: 0715 awake but not hungry
E: 0830 3oz, to be fair he didn't seem hungry but I thought id try as the feeds are completely knocked out for the day.  He defo didn't want anymore
A:
S: 0910 self settles for a nap no problem, wakes after 30mins (presuming hunger as his awake time was 2 hrs 7.15-9.10)
E: 1000 just over 3oz

Again that is another split feed (3oz at 8.30 and 3oz at 10am) but I am hoping I can now do the rest of the day at a 4hr EASY, feeding him at 2pm, 6pm and the dream feed at 11pm.  We are behind on napping so will need to try and catch up on that but I will probably give him an hour or so of A time now and take him out in the buggy where he could easily do over 2 hrs of napping!!

I will monitor the rest of the day but if anyone can help or spot what is going wrong to help me eliminate the night feed I would so grateful.  Thanks so much as always!!! 

[Katet]

TBH I think the stretching out to 5am is him working on not needing the night feed.  Possibly if you bring the dream feed to 10.30pm or even 10pm, you might bring the night feed more into the night & not impact the morning feed. But with the 5amish feed I'd try to decrease/water it down a bit & see if that helps make him more hungry for a feed at 7am. The reality is that if you are transitioning to 4 hour EASY & he's giving you a longer stretch in the night he's on the right track himself & it's probably not that long before it might be a feed closer to 7am.

My DH is the Finance Director for a place here that supports Mum's & Babies - they are expanding around our State (in Australia) I've met a number of the Nurses  who work there at fundraising events & talked with them & they say "the biggest problem with night sleep is actually the dream that babies will sleep through the night in the first 6months.... 5-6 hours (say 11pm to 4/5am) is normal. Some lucky parents get more, some unfortunate parents get less, but if the baby is extending the night sleep (not eliminating it) then you are on the right track.

[Lasm2016]

Thanks for replying.  I did say to my husband yesterday that I thought maybe it was a good sign that the night feed is being stretched out and hopefully its just a matter of time before it stretches to 7am.  Just wasn't sure how to deal with it impacting the day but I could try a slightly earlier dream feed.  I already curbed the night time feed to 5oz (he would normally take 7oz) but also a good idea to maybe reduce little by little over the next week or so and see how he goes.  Perhaps I will try just giving him 3-4oz tonight.

I know what you mean, I feel bad seeking help for only one night feed.  I have friends who are still up multiple times with their kids so I know he is really doing very well.  I was also very lucky with my daughter who dropped the 4am feed very early on.  Mind you she was breastfed so as far as I know she could have been gradually reducing the amount of milk she was drinking without me realising.  Unfortunately BF didn't work out for my son for various reasons and I am finding bottle feeding trickier!!

I think he might also be teething.  He had another 30 mins at 1120am (he has never been a catnapper!) and he woke up really screaming...tried him on some milk but only wanted 3oz and was really chewing down on the teat.  Have given him some calpol and he's been napping for 1.5hrs and still going. Poor lad