need help with getting dd to go longer between feeds

[kalani04]

HIi my dd is 6 mo old and nursing- doesn't take a bottle well at all but that is a different matter  anyway she still eats every 2-3 hours and wakes up around 1:30, 4 and 6:30 for night time feeds- I still just feed her on demand and I hadn't thought much of it- she drains me every time she eats and seems to get a good feed in- after a few postings on this sight and reading a few others I think she should be going longer during the day for feeds and maybe this would help her sleep through the night better? I am wondering how I wean her to go longer- she really is hungry when she eats- some have suggested she is snacking and may well be but she still is hungry and it is how it has been her whole life- how do I do this? I would love any help and suggestions for helping her sleep through the night better- thanks!
kalani

fyi- her schedule usually looks like this

-7 am up
8:30- 9 nurse
9-10 play
10- nap- 1.-2 hrs
11-12- play.lunch, nurse
1-2 nap, usually nurse for 1-2 hrs
4-7 play, usually nurse about 5 then 8 then bedtime

[Samuel's mum]

Hi there. I wouldn't say she is a snacker - she sounds completely standard to me.
When my LO was around 6 months he was probably feeding around every 2.5 - 3 hours. I found that when solid food was introduced just after 6 months things changed quite a bit. My LO still woke up at night but timings were all different. Are you planning on introducing solids soon? Having a look at your schedule - I would call the 6.30 feed the first feed of the day rather than think of it as a nighttime feed but maybe that's me! 
Are you familiar with 'dreamfeeds'? A lot of people who read Tracy's methods do a dreamfeed before they go to bed at around 10.30/11. It's not too late to introduce one. The baby can still be virtually asleep when you do it you are just 'tanking up' so they last longer at night. You may find this will then change the 1.30 wake up completely. You could also try more cluster feeding at night. Feed every 2 hours from the afternoon but cluster feeding doesn't work for everyone especially if baby is a little bit older. You talk about feeding every 2-3 hours - that's quite a big range. Is it normally nearer 2 or 3?

[kalani04]

Hi- thanks for the reply!
I too think of the 630 am feeding as her starting the day. I have introduced cereal for about a month, but she usually has just gottne it in the morning- I am trying to get her to take it at night also but she usually just wants to nurse. Solids probably this week. I do a dream feed around 10:30 and sometimes it eliminates the 1:30 feeding and sometimes it does'nt. She really is sporadic with her feeds sometimes she goes 2 hours and sometimes three- I never know.
thanks
kalani

[Samuel's mum]

She sounds excitingly unpredictable! So if the dreamfeed does eliminate the 1.30, how long does she normally go for then? I'm surprised there's such a range in the stretches between feeds. Do you feel she sometimes feeds differently? Does her latch vary at all? It's normal for there to be some change during the day - gaps often get shorter later in the day as the supply naturally decreases after the morning for most people. See what happens with solids. I have to say that Sam still woke up quite a bit and sometimes he was reacting to digestion issues as his tummy was experiencing new sensations. Things are likely to be different though. It may not be the best thing to give solids too near bedtime as they do sometimes get extra gas etc with more solids.