Increasing calories to stop night feedings?

[Sienna Raynes mum]

Is it possible to have night wakings that are both habitual AND due to hunger?

My 6 1/2 month old has always woke in the night so we have been working on trying to stop this, I  usually give her "the boob" when she wakes to fall back asleep.  (I know this is not a way to put her back to sleep so we are working on PU/PD)
Here is the thing, I realize that she is waking due to a habit  but she also wakes at different times in the night as well, (which can mean hunger) so I feed her (and she eats well) and goes back to sleep...

What is the best way to increase calories during the day so I can ensure that she has a full tummy to get through the night?
More breast milk, food, both?

Here is our schedule...
(We implemented EASY and PU/PD 4 weeks ago and I can not believe how much easier things have gotten! ..now if I can just squash these constant night wakings!)

7 - wake
7:30- solids
9- nap
11- bf
12- solids
1pm- nap
2:30 -bf
4pm - (sometimes a short nap)
6pm - solids
7pm -bed

(I haven't been breastfeeding first thing in the morning bc she has been waking around 4:30 am and taking a full feed)

Any thoughts!?

[Jo-FrasersMum]

Hi

Firstly I would offer a feed at breakfast time - you want Sienna to get used t taking her milk during the day so every day she takes some milk at that time you are off to a good start.

It is VERY common for babies to still wake for a feed or even 2 during the night at Sienna's age.  If you believe you are dealing with habitual wakings, I would suggest you try the wake-to-sleep strategy for those wakings.  But if Sienna is waking because of hunger, if it were me, I would feed during those wakings.  You might reduce the need for feeds during the night if you are offering a dreamfeed (are you?).  You would still find the dreamfeed beneficial at this age, although you will want to eliminate it by the time solids are well established (around 8 months) because after that the dreamfeed serves to interrupt sleep rather than prolong it.

Good luck
Jo

[teezee]

i had the same prob with dd.  she would wake habitually and from hunger.  she wasn't getting enough calories during the day and i couldn't get anymore milk in her no matter how hard i tried so instead of frusterating her and me to no end i tried what i read on a post in the nightwaking thread.  it says to reduce the minutes u feed your lo through the nightfeeds every few days, and eventually they will basically think it's a waste of time to wake and will stop.  it has worked with us wonderfully and naturally as she wasn't getting as many calories at night she started slowly eating more and more throughout the day without me even so much as trying, and i didn't have to feel bad as she wasn't 'starving' at any point or fussing for more milk at night b/c it was so gradual! we still did the df but after she was sleeping better i thought that maybe she outgrew the df and at about 8 months i cut it out and beisdes a few gassy nights she has been sleeping ever since - the df i cut out cold turkey to see what happened and it just worked for us!  good luck to you!