Dream feed advice please

[littlemisssplendid]

My 11 wk dd is sort of getting into a routine (hooray). She bfs at 7,10,1,4,7 and then has an expressed bottle at 11 and then wakes at 4ish for a feed.

However, at the 11pm dream feed she only takes about 2oz and the 4am feed only lasts about 10 mins. Soooooooo, I'm thinking that if I could get her to take more at 11 then she might sleep longer as the 11 and 4 feeds really only account for 1 full feed. Am I being unrealistic?

If not - have you nay suggestions as to how I can make her take more milk at dream feed time?

[anonymama]

You are very lucky, IMHO. Both my boys took about 6 months to get to this stage. However, to help her take more milk at dreamfeed time you could change her nappy between first & second breast or mid-way through the bottle of EBM.

Or you could go with the flow and let her wake up when she needs the feed. It might be that she would sleep on till 1am, and then drop the second night feed. You don't have to do the "dreamfeed" suggested by HVs and other "experts" if it is not working for you or your DD.

Good luck.

[littlemisssplendid]

Thanks, will try the nappy change and see if it works first. I'm quite keen to keep the dream feed as dh does it and if we skip it then I will be doing the 1am feed (as well as ALL of the others).

If not then skipping it might work as before we introduced it she would often go until 1 before waking up for a feed (but then she still woke up at 4 as well)

[Pavlovthecat]

I don't really have any advice regarding the actual dream feeding, however I had to post as it sounds like you are doing amazingly and wanted to congratulate you on firstly bf'ing, secondly getting a routine this early, thirdly, having your DP involved!

Keep it up, however you choose to manage her dream feed. Her routine will change quickly so it might be that previously she would go through until 1am and feed again at 4am, now, or soon in the future she will drop that 4am, although my DD did not drop her 4am (went forward to 4:30am then 5am) until about 7 months ! and she had a well established routine quite early.

[littlemisssplendid]

Thanks for the congratulations. I'm amazed that I've got this far as I almost gave up at three weeks. Still taking it one week at a time but am really gald that I persevered.

[anonymama]

Keep going mate, it gets easier. It is probably easier to whip out a boob to feed your LO in the middle of the night than go and heat up a bottle - but that said, expressing for the last feed at night is a good way of keeping your baby adept at taking a bottle (which means you have the option of going out without baby for the afternoon or evening if and when you want to again!)

Would agree with Pavlov, you are doing really well. The first 2-3months are the hardest, after that it becomes a pleasure. You have the right attitude - one day at a time - we all have good and bad days, but on the whole BFing is really lovely in the middle to longer term. Give yourself and your DP a pat on the back