to dream feed or not to dream feed?

[vic891]

i posted the same question on the sleep board a while ago but didn't hear too many experiences - wondered if any of you could add to this...

ds (10 weeks) will sleep roughly 7pm til 12:30, then 4:30 if left to his own devices. i've tried a dream feed at about 10:30 a couple of times - which, in theory, should see him through to 4:00, meaning only one night feed. BUT it has never worked that way - last night he woke at 2:00 and wouldn't settle 'til he'd been fed.

i'm wondering if the dream feed is disrupting his natural sleep pattern - if so i think i'll just leave him to it and will have to continue with 2 night feeds. i have a friend who swears by the df though...

opinions or experiences...?

[starlover]

i think it's normal for a 10 week old to need 2 night feeds tbh

[Kelly1978]

I think it depends ont he baby, and it doesn't sound like it suits your baby. My older two never wanted it, and it never made the slightest difference. My twins love their 10 oclock bottle and will wake if I leave it too late. I think it's because the twins don't drink enough durign the day though. I would leave it if it isn't working.

[Leogaela]

Vic - I had the same experience and he wasn't hungry enough to feed enough to make it worth it, sometimes he would wake up and think it was time play again then it would take ages to get him off to sleep again. Since he was about 2 months old he has been sleeping from about 9 until 3.30 - 5.30 and then through to 7.30 (somedays better some days worse) I really don't find the night feed a problem to do anymore at all (and I never thought I would say that!). Feed him as much as possible before he goes to bed and then just relax and go with it, it sounds as if he is a good sleeper anyway and things should only get better. Remember this is only for a short time (I realise that now ds is over 5 months).

[Pruni]

Message withdrawn

[Tinker]

I've tried it, thought it was making a difference then forgot to do it a few times (too tired) - made no difference. If she wakes in evening I feed her, otherwise I leave her.

[rubles]

I did it for a while and then when dd was 10 weeks i was at my mum's and she (who is of the old school of parenting) said why not try just leaving her. At the time she would sleep from the dream feed through till 6am ish. I went along with mum's plan just to prove her wrong because she seems to think she is know-it-all expert of motherhood, but I was delighted when dd slept all the way through till 6am again. Never looked back after that because it proved to me that she didn't actually NEED the night feed anymore.

[Frizbe]

Dream feed worked for our dd, from about 12 weeks tho... she used to booob at 7pm then bed, more boob whilst asleep at 10.30-11pm (later changed to bottle of boob at about 5mths, so dh could do it!) found out she took more from a bottle?! nappy change, thus didn't wake early with full nappy, then slept thru til 6am, when more boob, then back to bed until about 8.30! (I wish these days! now a 7am riser!)