Habitual waking or genuine hunger

[cocosmum]

Hi, I posted recently about stopping the dream feed as it didn't seem to be helping and so that's what I did
 Since stopping the dream feed two weeks ago and just letting DD let me know when she wanted feeding she has woken each night at 1am (give or take 10 minutes either side) and then again at 5am (give or take 10 minutes) to be fed. She takes pretty good feeds each time but it is pretty clockwork. Often she can wake around 4am but given that she has been making it to 5am I have held back and she has been going back to sleep within a few minutes before waking at 5am when I feed her. In addition it is very hard to get her to take any feed at 7am when we wake for the day although she has been making it through for her next feed despite this. She is 12 weeks. She has her last feed before bed at 6.30pm so is doing a six hour stretch by herself so should I just be patient and see if she drops this 5am feed by herself in the next couple of weeks or should I try and do anything to help her stretch out to 7am. Thanks.

[*Ali*]

I'd just relax and be very happy she is only waking twice to feed in that time. It may all change again when the next growth spurt hits or you come up to the 4mo sleep regression 😊

[cocosmum]

Ok so she is now 12 weeks and last night wanted feeding at midnight and 3.30am which I was fine with and just went with it as I was aware we could be having a growth spurt at this time (she has also pooed less the last two days and also pooed at night rather than in the day which she hasn't done for weeks). Given that she fed at 3.30am rather than 5am I thought that she would at least be hungry at 7am, particularly if in a growth spurt but it was the same thing again. Hardly ate anything at 7am.

[*Ali*]

Yes it's quite common. My 9wo is doing the same thing. The milk producing hormone is highest in the early hours of the morning which is why young babies tend to feed then.  It'll sort itself out as she grows.  It's normally just a phase.

[cocosmum]

Ok, last night she fed at 1am and then woke just before 4am as she often does. I gave her a few minutes and she went back to sleep until just before 5am and she woke again so this time I fed her (was that the right thing to do?) She didn’t seem that hungry and did a slower feed and pulled off after 8 minutes. Usually I would encourage her back on to the boob but instead I just burped her and put her back down and she was still fast asleep at 7am. She took a slightly longer feed then than she has been taking. Should I keep doing this and see if I can then reduce this 5am feed gradually until hopefully she won’t want it. I am happy to keep feeding her I just don’t want to reinforce night wakings and feedings that are not needed. Thanks.

[*Ali*]

Yes i would just give her the little bit she seems to be wanting at 5am. No need to encourage more if she's making it happily to wake up time.