To dream feed or not to dream feed

[littlemisssplendid]

Do you reckon the 11pm dream feed is worth it? Doing it with 11wk old dd but she doesn't take much - 2-3 oz of ebm or formula (depending upon whether I have expressed or not). She then wakes up about 4 and has a short feed.

Do you think I would be better to see how long she can go from the 7pm feed and hope that it will get later and later or stick with the dream feed.

I'm thinking that I have to feed her myself through the night anyway so would it be better to just leave her asleep at 11 and she what time she would naturally wake up hungry.

[nannynz]

I've maternity nursed 8 babies, all of them have had a dream feed and slept well from anything from three weeks to six months.

So I'm somewhat suprised by my current charge, nearly three months. He's not been a very settled baby at night and when offered the dream feed would still wake at 2am and 5.30am. That is until last week when I decided to try with out the dream feed, he now sleeps 8pm until he wakes (anything from 3am - 4.30am) he then has a bottle (which I'm slowly decreasing) and sleeps until 6.30 - 7.30am. I've really done nothing different during the day, except for be more relaxed with his day time naps eg he chooses mostly how long he sleeps for and when.

Every child is different so I don't think you've got anything to lose by losing the dream feed for a few nights and see how things go.

[poshtottie]

I'm a maternity nurse too. Could you bring it forward gradually. Try feeding at 10.30pm then to 10pm. IMO I wouldn't drop this feed. Could you express and let your dh do this feed so at least you can get some rest.

[NellyTheElephant]

Hi, my two never really got on with the dream feed. I did it for about the first 5 / 6 weeks but I couldn't manage to do a dream feed if bf (they wouldn't feed), and even if I'd expressed it was v hard to get them to feed properly. So I stopped and found it made no real difference to the time they woke - both followed a similar pattern, initially they woke up at about 2am rather than 3am - but still went through to 6.30 ish the next morning so I still only had to get up once, and in no time the 2am became 3am etc until they slept through a month or so later. So I'd suggest you just try not doing the feed for a couple of nights and see what happens. You could always reintroduce the dream feed if cutting it causes problems.

[poshtottie]

I take back what I said earlier.

I do agree every child is different. It wouldn't hurt to see how long she goes. You could always introduce it at some point if needed.

[littlemisssplendid]

Well, went out last night and didn't get home until 11.30 so had missed dream feed time. Therefore decided to see how long she went. 3.30 which is 8 hours!! Guess she is better without the dream feed.

My boobs, however, are not. They are big and hard this morning

[poshtottie]

Hope you had a good night. 8 hours is really good.

Earlier I said that I wouldn't drop the dream feed only because the last baby I looked after had the dream feed and slept through till 7 am, though she would take about 5-6oz.

With ds I didn't mind doing the one feed in the night as he would then sleep till 7 but when he started sleeping through he would go to 5 am and not go back to sleep.

[littlemisssplendid]

Mmmm I hadn't thought of that!!

[bumbo64]

littlemisssplendid - loved your comment "My boobs, however, are not. They are big and hard this morning". I've had a really crap morning with my two, driving me mad. and your comment made me laugh out loud. I needed that. Thank you.

ps Glad to hear someone else is having the same dilemma as me about dream feeds. I am on my second child and I still feel I don't have a scooby what I'm doing!! Just when you feel you've cracked it, they go and do something else to upset the apple cart. Keep you on your toes, don't they!!

[talilac]

I found DD2 slept better without the dreamfeed. It was almost as if having it set her up to want another one 3 hours later like in the daytime iyswim.

Agree that every child is different though!

[nannynz]

I want to take back how well my charge is doing, 'cos every time I say he's doing well he takes a step back All week he's been asleep by 8pm and not woken until after 3am, tonight he's just finally fallen into a deep sleep, in exchange I've asked him to sleep later in the morning!!

Of course I will not sleep as there is a mouse loose in the room I share with baby, traps are set but so far no success, mice freak me out, so I'll not sleeps soundly at all. Can't even get off my bed to prepare baby's bottle as am afraid mouse will attack me!!!!

[littlemisssplendid]

Aaaaaargh - I once caught one with a ingenious method involving a trivial pursuit board.

[JoeD90]

I am new today and looked up this thread as I have the same issues with a very sleepy Joe who only takes 30ml before going into a very deep sleep at 11.30. All your advice is magic and I am going to try to drop this feed rather than going in putting lights on trying to wake him up. (Yes paranoid first time mum following the books!!).

[littlemisssplendid]

Go for it Joe. I dropped it a week ago and now I'm feeding once through the night (anywhere between 2,30 and 5ish) which I was doing with the dream feed anyway. Hopefully this middle of the night feed will also disappear eventually.

Just need to get those daytime naps sorted now!