When do we start the df?

[athenasmom]

Hello, my dd is 6 weeks old now. She has her last bf at about 7:30 before bt. She has usually 2 nf after that the first one around 12-1 am and the second around 3-4 am. She is usually up for the day between 6:30 and 7. So her long stretch is between bt and the first nf. I would love to start df because it worked great with ds the last time  But I do not know if she is too young. Also, since her long stretch is the first part of the night, will df mess that up?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

With all three of my kids I started the df right away...worked like a charm for DD1 (resulted in a nice long stretch). DD2 still woke for 2 nf's in addition to the df until she dropped them all around 6 months but for DD3 she would never rouse for the df (tried at all different times) so I fed her as she woke. So it could go either way, but if you try it for a good week you should know either way.

[Adelheid]

I'd start DF too! Helps when you drop the 2am feed! My LO still wakes habitually for the DF, but is easily put back to sleep, no NFs.
Plus, doing the DF is reassuring that he's getting enough nutrition. I pumped for the first 6mo so that my DH could do the DF. He loves doing it, so it was worth the effort. Now that my LO drinks up to 8oz, I switched to formula. Didn't have the patience to pump THAT much.

[trimbler]

Can I listen in here, as I have a similar question? DF also worked great with my DS1, who started to drop other night feeds around 8 weeks, but we've been away a lot and had lots of disruptions to routine with DD2, we have the following issues:
(1) sometimes wakes before our intended df time so feed then anyway
(2) latches ok initially but then it's difficult to get her to re-latch once the initial fast flow decreases, so doubt she's really getting a full feed
(3) doesn't seem to make much difference to when she wakes for the night feed. On the occasions when we haven't offered a df (eg I've gone to bed early and dh forgot to wake me!), she's woken at around the same time as she would if she'd had the df, going up to 6-8h since the bedtime feed, but maximum 4h after a dream feed, so she seems to naturally do the longer stretch right at the start of the night.
Any thoughts?

[athenasmom]

Trimbler - I think the df should be done with bottle ebm because it is almost impossible to make lo get a full feed from the breast. Wow 6-8 hours  I envy you  My dd can only do about 5 at most. She is only 6 weeks though.

So we did the df for 3 nights now. She took the full bottle and stayed nicely asleep. It stretches her a bit longer because naturally she would wake for a feed between 12 and 1 but with df she goes from 11 to 3:30 ish. However, the nf time has remained the same. I am not sure she wakes out of hunger because she is usually super gassy at this time and squirms and grunts a lot. She takes a decent feeding not a great one. Is the 3:30 nf normal for her age? She usually wakes after that between 6:30 and 7 for the day but she sleeps very light in the early hours and grunts and pushes a lot. I hate this gassy stage 

[trimbler]

I should add that the 6-8h has only been on the rare occasions when we haven't given a df! And of course not at a time when we could make the most of it, so don't envy us too much! I confess I haven't even tried expressing or offering a bottle yet, DS never took a bottle and I couldn't express at the beginning, his first expressed feed was in a cup at 6mo, so his dfs were always straight from the breast, I never realised it could be a problem, maybe I should try pumping... just seems too much hassle!

I can relate to the gassiness, do you use infacol? Do you manage to burp her after the df? My DD can do this without waking up, although DS never did. She still wakes with wind though, this morning she woke with hiccoughs and the first sound I heard from her just before 4am this morning was a poo, I think that's what woke her rather than hunger!

[*Ali*]

Tracy did say the DF may be easier from a bottle but I know many mamas on here successfully DF from the breast. My LO definitely used to latch on and have a good amount.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

My older two both did df from the breast with no issues. DD3 would not take breast or bottle, nothing would rouse her!