Unintentional DFs

[JennŠ]

DD is now 18 weeks old, 13 weeks adjusted.  Her new thing when she wakes at night to eat is to fall back to sleep part way through the bottle and finish it as a dream feed.  It does not work for long to try to keep her awake to finish.   It's not the same as the eat to sleep she did a few times when her reflux was bad, then she would fuss until she got a bottle.  Then take about 3-4 swallows and be out like a light.  This is more of a drifting off if that makes sense.  She may or may not stir when put back to bed, if so, she squirms a bit and then settles.  She is up to 5-6 oz at a time at home and 3-5 at daycare.  Still not sure what's up with that one.   Do we let her dream feed or keep trying to wake her to finish?  If only we could feed her in our sleep.  I wonder...

[jayne]

i would see if she will take the whole bottle at once.. but if not she will drop the df when she is ready.. she is only 3months and could be having a growth spurt too.

[JennŠ]

She is doing an actual dream feed at 10 or 11.  What's going on is she wakes up at 2-3ish to eat and falls back to sleep partway through the bottle.  Usually finishes it in her sleep.  Is it ok to let her do that, or keep trying to wake her again?

[jayne]

i would suggest to try doing pat/shush when she wakes next time--if she still wants a bottle i would give it to her..she is still so young and may be needing the extra calories..or going thru a growth spurt..

but from what you are saying she only eats a couple of oz. so it leads me to think that she is waking more for comfort than for food

let me know how it goes.

[JennŠ]

Actually, she is drinking a couple of ounces awake, and up to 4 in her sleep.  Seems like she needs the calories.

[jayne]

then i would continue to do it.. pay attention and when you think it has become just for comfort i would phase it out and start with pat/shush to put her back to sleep --