Dream Feed question for 9 week old

[makka]

HI there

last night was the first night we introduced the DF. It worked really well for my 2 year old and thought i would give it a go for my son. This was yesterday
7.30am wake feed 180ml
11am feed 180ml
3pm feed 210ml
6.30pm feed 180ml
10pm DF 150ml

this is where i get stuck, normally without the DF he would wake around 11.30pm, and then another feed at 4am, and then start the day at 7am. So his longest stretch of sleep is after 6.30pm, and having to wake up at 11.30pm after just going to sleep is horrible so thought i would introduce the DF.

last night when fed at 10pm he took a full feed, but then woke at 1am??? , so went in as he was out of his swaddle and re swaddled him and put him back down, he then winged off and on and i think went back to sleep as it was quiet for a while and then i heard him again just before 3am, so fed him then, then back to bed and didnt wake until 7am.

So in this was i doing the right thing by trying to stretch him out cos it was almost like from 10pm to 1am he knew that it was time to wake but never does only 3 hours at night, shouldnt the DF make him stretch out longer so at least till 3am?

thanks kirsten

[Lolly]

The dreamfeed can be a tricky one. Some babies take to it really well and it helps them sleep longer. Some take it well but wake more frequently after, some won't take it at all.

I think really the only thing you can do is to try it for a couple of weeks and then assess how things are. You need to give it a good couple of weeks because it can take a while for them to get used to it and adjust to the feed and sleep pattern.

If you don't think he is hungry when he wakes then resettling is fine, but if he's giving you hungry signs then I would always suggest feeding. He is at an age when growth spurts come pretty close together, there will be one around 12 weeks and 16/17 but some have them earlier or later so night hunger at this age could be part of a GS.

HTH!

Laura

[makka]

ok well the DF so far has not been so great for my lo. since introducing and its been 4 days he has been waking several times during the night and is hard to resettle, this is what thursday night was

6.45pm feed 180ml
10.30pm DF 150ml
1.30am wake, was winging off and on, tried to resettle but did not, so my husband fed at 2.30am
2.30am wake feed 180ml
6am wake feed 200ml

the night before was similar, since introducing the DF he seems to wake around 1.00-2am, he is not having a long stretch of sleep, and then even after that when fed at 2.30am he still wakes early. This was last night without the DF

6.15pm feed 210ml
11pm woke up and i fed 210ml
5am wake feed 180ml
7.30am wake feed 180ml

so by looking at this should i just stick with a feed at 6pm at night? then would make him wake just before 11pm or at 11pm? and would this mean the DF would not work for my lo or should i stry it when he is a bit older?

thanks kirsten

[*Jo*]

Hi Kirsten, we are kind of having the same issue here too, its hard to know whether to continue it to see if it will work when its not seeming to work at the present time isnt it?

without the DF we get a waking anywhere between 11pm and midnight, then another around 3/4am and wakeup can be about 7.30/8am, however the past two nights I do the DF at 10 and he wakes at 1am and then anywhere from 3.30 onwards there can be a wakeup with our day unfortunately starting at 6.30am.

So I guess i have no real advice, just letting you know we are in the same boat with Levi, its frustrating!

[makka]

Well the last 2 days without Df has been a success, would love it if my lo would stretch the morning a way bit longer till say 6 or 7am, he takes about 210ml at 11pm....i read somewhere that at this age of 10 weeks should be doing 8 hours over night? and is a 3 hour 30 min routine ok for a 10 week old, its just that he is not hungry around 3 hours and does not wake at that time its normally around the 3 hour 15 min mark then i feed around 3 hour 30 and takes full feeds, therefore only having 4 bottles a day and then the 11pm bottle and 4am one, so 6 bottles is that ok, he drinks about 35oz in 24 hours

day before

6.15pm feed
7pm bed
11pm feed
5am feed
8am feed

last night

6.30pm feed
7pm bed
11.10pm feed
4am feed
8am feed