DF not working..... any suggestions?

[litomi]

My LO is 4 mo 3 weeks old. She's on 4hr EASY. Her wake up time is usually between 5:30 to 6:00. (We need to leave the house by 6:30.)
Before we started DF, my LO had her bottle between 5:30 to 6:00 pm. and went to bed and slept until 3ish, got her night feed and went back to sleep until 6.
Since we want to drop her night feed, we started doing DF. We DF her between 9:30 to 10. However, she still wakes up between 2:30 to 4 for night feed. She usually wakes up and settles herself back to sleep but wakes up an hour later crying for hunger.
So right now, I sort of dream feed her again (2-3oz) when she falls back to sleep, since I don't want her to relate feeding and going back to sleep in the night.
I've been DF my LO for a month by now, and still can't drop the night feed.
I've tried to drop DF few days ago... and guess what? My LO just started crying around her DF time! I think her body is getting used to get a feed at that time now.
What can I do? Any suggestions?

[rebecaq]

Hi

I think she's still too young to drop the DF, as she's still telling you that she's hungry.  How much is she taking at the DF, is it a full feed? How is she eating throughout the day?

[LŠuren]

HI Litomi
Are you saying that your LO still wakes at the same time with or without the dreamfeed??

If you are saying yes, then the DF isn't working. The dF isn't suited for every LO and usually we recommend if you see no changes in sleeping patter after a week then it isn't working. If your LO wakes at roughly the same time during the night for a feed regardless of the dreamfeed then stop.

If you find your Lo is now waking for the dream feed then try and bring forward the DF time by 15mins or if you want to stop it use shushpat or wake to sleep.

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=54662.0

HTH's
Lauren

[litomi]

If I do DF, my LO wakes around 3ish, she is not really HUNGRY, HUNGRY. She only drinks 3 oz of milk and goes back to sleep. 
If I don't do DF, she'll wake up around 11ish and 3ish 
I've decided to keep on working on DF and just sh-pat/ pupd when she wakes up at night. Going to be tough for few nights, I guess.... until her body is used to not having any food between 10 to 6.

[LŠuren]

Sounds like you need to dreamfeed, the dreamfeed is working. You r LO is only 4.5months and may not be developmentally ready to sleep through the night.

Shush/pat will not be effective if your LO is acutually hungry when she wakes. I only ever gave Calum 3oz of milk for a night feed.

Try and reduce to 2oz or make a bottle with 3oz water and 2 scoops.

DS started sleeping through at 5.5mnth, but all LO's are different.

How is she eating throughout the day? And what amounts? Does she drain any of her bottles?

[litomi]

Thank you Calum's Mum... I'm glad to hear that DF is working for my LO.
We tried it last night.... I gave her 5-6oz for her DF. She finished the whole bottle. She woke up around 1ish, burp. 3ish again... passing through gas and then 4ish, almost 5 and then woke up around 6 (her usual wake up time). Although she slept fitfully, she still managed to fall asleep on her own and without night feeding.
One more question, what if my LO wakes up in her DF? Is it OK? She sometimes gets startled by the whistling sound made by her bottle (AVENT).  Maybe I'll try B-free (Dr. Brown) bottle and see how it goes.
I noticed if I do night feed, she won't be that hungry by 6 and it took her almost an hour to finish her bottle. (EAEASY)
Without night feed, she is HUNGRY in the morning and get to finish the bottle earlier! YEAH
She usually drinks 6oz per meal, can finish 7oz for her bedtime bottle.
I'll keep on working for few days....  Hope this will work.
Since I've gone back to work, my LO's daytime routine is a little messed up and usually exhausted by the time I bring her home. We made her bedtime ealier.... sometimes almost an hour earlier than her usual bedtime. Depending on whether she has good naps that day and when she wakes up from her catnap. She can only stay awake for 1.5hr-1hr45min. after her catnap. Hope this won't effect her wakeup time in the morning. I really don't want to start her day at 5am.

[LŠuren]

One more question, what if my LO wakes up in her DF? Is it OK? She sometimes gets startled by the whistling sound made by her bottle (AVENT).  Maybe I'll try B-free (Dr. Brown) bottle and see how it goes.

Hi

Your Lo shouldn't be waking up at all, have you tried the quieter bottles?

Lauren

[litomi]

She was exhausted yesterday... only took 3 1hr naps So I put her to bed earlier than usual (5:45) and fed her earlier(5:00). I forgot that I should move the DF earlier, so she woke up before DF (hungry). 
After DF, she slept until 4am, settled back to sleep and woke up at 5:30. At least she had her 12 hr rest.
She took 3 1hr naps today exhausted, I didn't want her to have her bedtime earlier than 5:30 so I gave her another catnap from 4 to 5. Hope this will not effect her sleep tonight.
Keep trying today....