how do I know if I can drop from 5 to 4 bottles?

[Kellyshe]

My DD is 5.5 months old and has reflux.  She was just released from the hospital this past Tuesday due to vomiting then diarrhea.  She's bounced back pretty quickly to eating every 4 hous and 6oz per feed.  We are trying to follow her cue rather than rush into anything so if she needed a NF, we were cool with it. DH is doing everything at the moment cause I'm ill. tonight I've watched through the monitor and she fusses between 11 ans 1.  He gives her a paci and she calms down (her last bottle was at 8pm and 8 oz).

At 2:30 she fussed again.  He gave a paci and she passed back out.  He ended up giving her a bottle in her sleep (essentially DF her at 3am).

How do we know if she is really hungry or just looking for the paci?  She only took 4oz that feed.  I guess I don't know if we should drop to 4 bottles.  How do I know when it's time to go to 4 bottles?  We have not started solids.  Perhaps we should be doing a DF rather than a night feed?

[*Kara*]

If she resettles with her paci, she isn't hungry.  If she is hungry, she will wake up and won't resettle for more than a very short time before waking again... you can try a DF but most do start to phase it out once solids are established around 8 months... really depends on her reflux as to which will be better for her in terms of a NF or DF... only way to know is to try a DF for a week and see how she does with it.