dreamfeed + starting out help with special circumstance

[season610]

my 12 week old son has had variable sleeping as he has reflux and a few other feeding issues that have just recently been worked out. He is on easy during the day then eats last evening feed around 7. i started to dreamfeed 2 days ago at 11pm. he now wakes around 1 and is resettled with sh/pt and pacifier for about 1/2hr.-45 minutes only to wake again. I know he couldn't be hungry so I just keep resettling him until about 3am then I give in and feed -he takes 4 oz (usually takes 5 during the day) then falls back asleep until 530 where he won't resettle without being held. He then falls back asleep with be holding him very restless until 7 when we start EASY.
Should I keep resettling or is he waking up so frequently because he is still hungry? I know it usually takes a week or so but I just want to make sure I am going about this the right way. Since I am getting up 5-7 time a night with him I feel like I want to get it right the first time. Part of me feels like he might be waking up at night after the initial sleep so often because he is losing his paci. I am not sure about taking that away because he does have reflux. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. I am feeling a little hopeless at this time on night time sleep. during the days his naps are very short but i always try to just hold him the remainder of his naps to reassure he is getting enough sleep. If he doesn't have his paci during a nap he will wake up within 15 minutes and won't resettle without it.

[Mashi]

Most babies have  growth spurt at about 3 months - so it is possible that he truly is hungry when he is waking. 

HTH

[KathrynK]

Sophie had the dreamfeed with no problems.

With Alex, the dreamfeed actually caused more problems. On nights without a df, he would wake for a feed around 1am and 4am, and sleep in between feeds no problem. Everytime I tried to reintroduce the df he would then wake repeatedly throughout the night, almost every hour, and be difficult to resettle.
He was diagnosed with reflux a short while later. My health visitor reckoned that the df was aggravating his reflux, as feeding him and then immediately laying him down for a long period was just making it flow back up and burn. I have to admit, it made sense and I couldn't believe I hadn't worked it out for myself!
He slept much better once we stopped it and just let him wake when he was ready.

Just my thoughts, the df is great when it works, but is not for every baby
hth
x

[MummyToBen]

My lo has got reflux, but I can't remember what things were like at 12 weeks as it was such a blur 

But, I just wanted to check that you had seen the reflux and colic board (it's one of the health boards)....I didn't find it for months after joining the site  !!

Also, do you have your lo's cot propped up at at angle as this helps with the reflux when they're sleeping...anyway - some great ladies and tips on the other board should you need them 

x

[season610]

I was thinking the same thing about feeding him and then laying him down, but that is essentially what I do when he wakes up to eat in the middle of the night, so I wasn't sure it that was it. It does make sense though. When did your Alex start sleeping longer periods of time? Thanks for your input.

[KathrynK]

well, Alex sleeps through now, but for a long time his sleep was poor, which in hindsight was due to the reflux. He wasn't medicated until 9mo, and I wish I had realised sooner and gotten some proper treatment for him. But it wasn't severe, and he had great weight gain, so it was difficult to get to the bottom of.

Anyway, by about 10 weeks he had dropped to one night feed, and by about 14 weeks could go from 7 till 7 without a feed. However he did need resettling a few times during the night.
I often had to hold him to settle him back to sleep, which again I think is a common reflux thing.

Is he medicated for his reflux?
not sure I am helping at all here. 

[season610]

Our Dr. gave me some Previcid solutabs but he can't keep them down. I can't get them to dissolve in his mouth and he throws them up with water. He has mild to moderate reflux. My lo is also gaining weight well and during the day is a "happy spitter" although it more like throwing up 3-4 times a day + frequent spit up and congestion. I add rice cereal to his bottle at night which does help keep him from throwing it up but am wondering if he still has frequent silent reflux that he is spitting up. I didn't dreamfeed last night and he slept until 1am then 4am just like you said That must of been the cause. I am still confused though as to the difference for him when he wakes on his own at night and then feeds and lays right back down he doesn't have the same problems. Hopefully he will drop to one night awakening soon. maybe i should try another medicine, I just hate that he has to be on meds already but if it will help him sleep better and be in less pain it would be worth it.