Waking up before dream feed

[KECA]

Hi there - I had been considering starting a dream feed for my almost 3.5 mth old...but the last 3 nights she has been waking up herself at around 10:30/11pm before I can get to her.  Is this ok to consider as her dream feed or should I be going in there before 10:30/11 and trying to do a true dream feed.  I don't want feeding to become a prop.
I have had some difficulty getting her to have the catnap in the late afternoon - so this may have something to do with it.  I'm wondering if we should be starting a transition to 4 hr EASY?

She has also been waking up more frequently during the night where she used to sleep at least for a 6/7 hour stretch, now seems to rarely do more than 2 or 3 hours without needing to be resettled.  Her other naps during the day are generally around 1.5-2hrs (with exception of the catnap).

[momofclaire]

How long has she been waking more often?  Could you post your current routine?

At her age you probably should be moving towards a 3.5-4 hour easy.  Let's take a look at your routine now and see how we can transition smoothly. 
I wouldn't do a dream feed after 10:30. 
Feeding won't become a prop unless you are feeding when she isn't really hungry. For example, if she doesn't know how to put herself back to sleep and so you feed her to sleep you could end up with a prop.

[KECA]

She's been waking the extra 10:30/11 slot for almost a week now.
She's pretty much the standard 3 hr EASY starting at 7am and bedtime around 7:30/8pm.  I just have the worst time getting her catnap in the late afternoon because somewhere in the day we have usually had one of the feeds go 1/2 hour late and so her 4pm feed is often waking up at 4:30 and feeding and then she gets tired again around 6pm... maybe I should move the bedtime up?  I'm just nervous that the 6pm bedtime will result in a 6am wake time ... I kinda like the 7 or 7:30am wake time if I can be picky
Her main feed last night was at 1:30 (woke up around 12:30 and since I had done a feed at 10:30 I didn't think she would be hungry but an hour later she was still upset and when she fed she had a very large feed).  She then slept till 7am (waking at 5 and 6am but surprisingly resettled herself to sleep again - that's a first for her early morning wakings!)

[KECA]

I just looked at the sample 3.5 hour EASY and I had been thinking that the first wake time (at 7am) needed to be stretched to 2 hours and I had no idea if my LO would be able to do that - but I see that it's the 2nd awake time that you start stretching - I think we are probably already almost at the 2 hours already - I think I may try this 3.5 EASY - just not sure what the result will be throughout the night.

[momofclaire]

I think stretching her A times is a good idea.  It may help with the cat nap in the afternoon as well.  Resettling herself is a great thing at this age. 
When you did the feed at 10:30 had she woke or did you df?  Does she take much at that feed? What would happen if you tried to settle her instead of feeding?

[KECA]

She woke herself at 10:30 - and she didn't take as much as a normal feed so I think she would easily be resettled - I don't think it's waking up from hunger.  Due to a longer wake time today, and her usual 1.5 hour nap, our schedule got bumped back - so she ended up going down at 7pm (after 2.5 hours of awake time - not ideal, I know).

[momofclaire]

If she wakes tonight before the df I would attempt to soothe her back to sleep, feed at the next waking and hope that gets her through till morning. 
Sound like a plan?

[KECA]

K - so she didn't wake up till 12:30 and so I fed her - she took a really good feed.  Now she's up again at 3:30...am so tempted to feed her, but I know she's full from her 12:30 feed so I'm trying to resettle her - it's taking a long time though.  Should I have tried to resettle her at 12:30 instead?
(recap - last feeding was at 6:45)

[KECA]

So I gave in...ugh... at 4:10 and gave her the breast.  She took it, but not the same way as she did at 12:30.  I cut her off as soon as there was some slowing down and put her down.  With a little time she settled by 4:30.  Then she was up at 6:30am...  That isn't very good consolidated sleep...for either of us

[momofclaire]

K, I think I would have fed her at 12:30 because her last feed was almost 6 hours prior. The hope would be that she would eat and then go another 6 hours till morning. It is possible that she needs two night feeds.     I would keep doing what your are doing for a few days and note changes and patterns.  If you notice the 3:30 wake is consistant you could do w2s to stop it.  I know it feels like you are getting nowhere but you are.

[KECA]

Thanks so much for your help - I'll see what happens over the next few days and also see if the 3.5 hour routine will work for us.

[momofclaire]

Keep me posted.
 

[KECA]

What a mess!
So our day went ok - here's what it looked like:

6am - awake, resettled
7:15 - awake
7:30 - E
8:45 - S
10:30 - E
12:30 - S
2:30 - E
4 - S
5 - couldn't resettle - so awake
5:30 - E
Bedtime routine
6:45 - E
7:15 - S

Now she has awoken this many times so far tonight:
11 - resettled after a bit of work
12:15 - awake
12:30 - fed
2:40 - awake (3:20...still awake - won't resettle)
  Can just imagine what the rest of the night will be like!!

Why is she waking up so much?  There was a time she used to only wake up 1x at like 2:30 for a feeding...
This is VERY frustrating!

[KECA]

So I finally just fed her (3:25) - and she took a pretty good feeding....maybe I'll be lucky and she'll sleep till 7 now...*crossing fingers*

The thing is -the last few 7/7:30 feedings she hasn't eaten much at all - not sure how to change that up - so that she eats less during the night and eats a good meal at 7/7:30.

[KECA]

Oh - and similar to Katiush, my DD has discovered her side and seems to enjoy going to sleep on it, but later I'll find her asleep on her back as usual.
And when she woke at 2:40am tonight - her blanket around her head was wet from spit-up.
Could either of these be playing a role?