To dream feed or not to dream feed?

[LikeAnAdventCandleButNotQuite]

My baby feeds (ff) at 7pm, and is asleep by 8pm. So far, I have been dreamfeeding her at 11pm (sometimes it's an awake feed). She will then usually go til anytime between 2-4am. Thing is, she has such a great sleep from 8pm onwards that I feel sorry for her disturbing it with a feed....however, I imagine if I leave her to wake when hungry she'll maybe wake 12/1 then again 3 hours after that, which results in two night wakings (gah!)

Similarly, if I dont feed at 11pm, when she drops a feed, I imaine it'll be this one she drops.

Who out there does a dream feed/10-11pm feed....? ANyone just let baby wake when they need?

She's 6 and 1/2 weeks.

We did as you are and dream fed DD between 11 and 12, usually closer to 12. For the first month or so she woke around 4 for another feed but that started pushing back until she eventually went through to between 6 and 7. At first we changed her a well as feeding her but stopped doing that as she was well and truly asleep and happy to take the bottle while, well, dreaming.

We dropped the dream feed at around 3 months and she barely noticed and carried on sleeping to 6ish. We did give her an extra oz on each of her daytime bottles to make up for it though.

Not sure if that's helpful but our experience means I would dream feed again.

I always thought it seemed daft to wake them. Did try it a couple of times but found it v hard as it was the time I was most tired I think.

I found that my two mostly just went through to 1 or 2 am anyway. DS2 slept til 6 am from 6 weeks (amazingly!) so IMO don't bother and get some precious zzzz's yourself!

Also whichever one I did try it with didn't really feed properly anyway as was just too sleepy.

I'm with Hairy. I found that it was easier to wait for ds to wake whenever he needed and feed him then. He started sleeping 7-7 at 16wks anyway, he just used to drain both boobs when he woke up in the morning

Choc any tips for pushing back the 4am feed? I am usually so sleepy I just think "feed" and actually, I think more often than not, it's just cause she's awake, rather than actively seeking the milk...did you pacify with a dummy / give water?

Good call on bumping up daytime bottles

We did/do use a dummy and found by popping that back in she would drift back off.

Now she's almost one I have the problem that I should probably wean her off the dummy...