Waking for dreamfeed...is this normal?

[nattymarsh]

I started the dreamfeed a few weeks ago and it worked to keep my lo sleeping thru the night within three days.  Previously she would wake between 2-3 am to eat.  The past few nights she has been waking up for the dreamfeed, as early as 10:25 pm.  She also started waking up in the night again to eat around 4 am.  Is this normal?  What can I do?

[RachelC]

She could be going through a growth spurt.  If so, she will revert back after a few days or so.  If you do not think this is the case, you can try moving the dream feed earlier, say 10:00.  There could be some other changes going on with her A times (perhaps not enough/too much day sleep, so more night wakings)

[NikiJ]

I agree with Rachel.  Try to get into her before she wakes @ maybe 10 or quater past.  She's obviously hungry at this time.  How much does she normally have?  She might need an extra oz or 2.

Just realise I don't know if you bf or bottle.

[NikiJ]

Ok duh!!!!!!!!  You posted in the breastfeeding section.

She's obviously eating until she's full then.  It could just be a growth spurt that will pass.  Definately try to give the df a little earlier though.

[rosie and joe's mummy]

rosie did this for a while at 4 months (without the 4 am), and then again (with the 4 am) for a couple of weeks before we started her on solids. i think it is most likely a growth spurt.

does she go back to sleep straight away?  if she does don't worry about it, if not then you really should bring the timing back a little earlier.  I also found with rosie that when she did this it helped if she was actually quite awake for the feed so she took a lot, and also gave her more in the form of expressed milk until she was definitely full, and that helped with the 4ams a bit. (not every night but some which is better than none).

now she's onto solids she's no longer waking for the DF and she's sleeping right through again.  I'm toying with dropping the DF soon, but i'm a bit scared!

[nattymarsh]

When she wakes up for the dreamfeed it usually takes about 1 hour to get her back down...she really wakes up.  When my dd wakes up to feed in the middle of the night she usually does go back to sleep right away so I really don't mind getting up with her, especially if it will keep her sleeping longer in the morning!
I fed her at 10 pm last night and tried a bottle of ebm and she drank all 4 oz I had in the bottle but did not wake up at all for the df.    She did still wake up in the night though and took a full feed then as well.  I am going to give her 6 oz tonight by bottle, I would have done this sooner but I've been struggling to get her to take a bottle again since she started refusing at 10 weeks.  Thanks for your replies and we will see how it goes.

[rosie and joe's mummy]

pur DF is the 10pm one (well 10.30)