Dream feed

[Twinklestar2]

I dream feed my 5 month old son at around 10ish every night. He usually takes about 5oz.

He then usually wakes up around 1, I settle with dummy and he then wakes around 2.30. Because it's been over 3 hours since the dream feed I feed him. Some days he wakes later and last week he slept through till 6.30am.

Should I be feeding him at 2.30? I do sometimes try and settle him in other ways but that can take up to an hour and then he's due a feed anyway.

He's mixed formula and breastfed.

[firsttimemumma2014]

I'm doing the same as you with my DS. I would say try not to feed at 2.30 and start to gradually stretch out the timings. Mine started waking at this time (it was previous feed time before I introduced DF) and I think it was his internal body clock as I was waking too. First of all I fed him, but he never took much so I knew he wasn't hungry. So I decided I wouldn't feed but would do whatever to help him settle. Within a couple of days, he was putting himself back to sleep at this time without me. He gradually started waking later and later. Now on average he wakes between 4 and 5 for a good feed and then sleeps on til 7 - 8. I thought not feeding him at 1.30 would be awful but he got used to the idea pretty quickly and it only took a few nights for him to self settle. Good luck!

BTW this could be just my DS but I've found he goes longest when I give him combo BM and F - I make up 6oz bottles (3oz of each) and give him one bottle at 7 as his last feed and one at 10.30 for his DF

[Twinklestar2]

Thx firsttimemumma!

Well last night I settled him at 2.30 with dummy and he lasted through to 4.30. So no more feeding at 2.30am from now on! Wish me luck for tonight!

[firsttimemumma2014]

That's great news! Well done both of you :). Hope it continues!

[Redling]

My 5 month old sometimes goes 8hrs straight no feeds, sometimes 3-4 hourly feeds. I've not found I can actually put him off a feed if he really wants one, but I do check that he's not just stirring/waking for some reason other than hunger. He's generally on midnight and 4am for feeding, although occasionally surprises me and goes until 3 dropping the midnight feed. I still think he's hungry if he wakes at midnight, he takes varying amounts in the day so the nights can reflect this!

[Twinklestar2]

Well last night he was up at the same times again - 1.15 and 2.15 - then he woke up at 3.45 and wouldn't resettle so I fed him.

Need him to drop the 1 and 2am wake ups, I wonder why he's doing it and why it's the same time every night?

[mcdog]

Why not push the dream feed to 11 and see if that helps? He's not waking up at 10 for a feed so it should be too hard on him.

[firsttimemumma2014]

I do think it's his internal body clock - mine does the same. I think over time if you settle him but don't feed he will gradually stop waking. Definitely worth trying a slightly later DF too as mcdog suggests. Is it also worth doing a bit of cluster feeding before he goes down - say feed at 6pm and 7pm to see if he'll take a bit more?

[mcdog]

Shouldn't*

[Twinklestar2]

I settle him with the dummy, is that ok?

Will dream feed at 10.30 as it's only last night he didn't wake up around 9.30 for it - and again I hold him off with dummy.

Re cluster feeding I let him have a long feed before bed on the boob. This can sometimes take an hour.

[Twinklestar2]

So later dream feed ended in earlier awakening in the night for boob (3.15) and up for the day earlier (6.15) argh!!

[Redling]

Twinklestar in my experience and having asked other mums, at this age there is no Magic routine solution to making them sleep in a defined pattern! Again DS slept from 9-5.30 with no feed on Sunday night, but last night he fed at 1.30 as well! I think it's fine to try new things as routine can be fluid as they change so much, but I've given up setting store by anything as bless my DS, he gets hungry, growth spurts, teeth pain etc can wake him and he's doing ok for a 5 month old so I don't want to be frustrated with him at all, he's foing what babies do! I take the good nights as a lovely treat :)

[Redling]

For example,
Night one - bed at 8pm, wakes naturally for a feed at 10pm, sleeps until 6am.
Night two - bed at 8, I dream feed at about 10pm hoping to repeat the miracle 8 hours he wakes at 4am for feed.
Night three - bed at 8, I don't bother dream feeding, he wakes at 4am after another 8 hour stretch.

What am I supposed to do with that?! I've decided to let him do what he likes!

[Heatherbell1978]

I feel your pain. I started dreamfeeding DS1 at 12 wks (now 5 months) and weve just stopped it as he was waking up for the dummy at 1.30am then a feed at 3.30am (although that 3,30am feed started at 5am originally and regressed...)so it didn't seem like it was working. Now he's down at 7pm, wakes at 12am for a feed and then goes to 4am for a feed so we've skipped the 1.30am dummy. I really don't think he needs food at 4am but he doesn't seem to settle unless I feed him. He has still never gone longer than 6 hrs at night and that was when he was about 4 weeks......I need more sleep!!!!

[Twinklestar2]

Looks like we are all in the same boat!!

[Twinklestar2]

How are you all getting on? Last night I managed to settle baby at half 1 and half 3 and not feed till 5am! Then he was up for the day at 7 which is much better

[Twinklestar2]

How are you all getting on? Last night I managed to settle baby at half 1 and half 3 and not feed till 5am! Then he was up for the day at 7 which is much better