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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Dreamfeed question.

25 replies

selee · 12/02/2007 22:56

Hi there,

Wondered if anyone would be able to help me. My son who is 7 months old, goes to sleep at 19:30, has a dreamfeed via a bottle at 23:00, and then sleeps through until roughly about 07:00.

I am wanting to now stop the 23:00 feed. How should i go about this? Anyone have a tips on how they did this!

Many thanks.

OP posts:

funnypeculiar · 12/02/2007 22:58

I think the theory goes ... gradually decrease the amount you give, and bring the feed forwards simulataneously - so they're going longer on less, iykwim (but that may be wrong as I b/f)

Twinklemegan · 12/02/2007 22:58

Is he cutting down on his 7am feed? If not I'd stick with the dreamfeed for now, or risk middle of the night waking. If he is cutting back in the morning then I'd reduce the quantity of the dreamfeed for a few nights then try missing it out and see what happens. Good luck!

Original poster

selee · 12/02/2007 23:04

He has been drinking less and less at the 7am feed, so think it will be a good idea to give him less at the dreamfeed.

He often has about 180mls at night, should I reduce it to about 150mls ? Does that sound ok?

Thanks!

OP posts:

Frizbe · 12/02/2007 23:04

I brought ours forward to 22.00, for a few nights, then just cut it out altogether a week or so later, with no complaints! (maybe I was twice lucky??) in fact I think I may have had to give a cuddle once or twice with dd1, but recently with dd2 now 11mths, this worked fine.

Twinklemegan · 12/02/2007 23:08

Yes, try 150mls for a couple of nights. Then see how you feel, maybe cut it down again or try one night without. After all it's not the end of the world if he wakes at 3am for one night - perhaps try it on a weekend!

Soppytelle · 13/02/2007 09:31

Hi selee, not sure if this helps but I just stopped it outright - I didn't cut back gradually. I tried it one night, and had decided that if she didn't sleep through that night, I would leave it a couple of weeks before trying again. But as it turned out, she slept right through and has done ever since with no problems.

bristols · 13/02/2007 09:38

Thanks for asking this question. I was wondering exactly the same! My ds is taking less at his 2230 feed and this morning he didn't want all of his 7am feed. I think I might give it a go tonight - just miss it out. Fingers crossed...

Selee - let me know how you get on

Original poster

selee · 13/02/2007 09:47

He had 150 mls last night and slept through as normal until 7am. Am very tempted to try and just cut out the dreamfeed tonight and see how it goes.

If it really doesn't work we can always give him milk in the middle of the night, I don't want him to get upset. But if it works then great.

So tonight.... wel'll see what happens !
Will keep you all posted.

Many thanks for all your help.

OP posts:

bristols · 13/02/2007 13:43

Selee - Let's do it together! See you here in the morning to see how we go on...

notnigella · 13/02/2007 20:24

how i loved the dreamfeed! i dropped it very gradually as i was paranoid that ds would wake at night, and because he had slept through from 8 weeks (with a df obviously) i didnt want to spoil a good thing. so i reduced it by half an ounce every 2 or 3 days until it got to about 2oz, and by then he couldnt even be bothered to take that when sleeping. think i started to drop at 7 months and finished by about 7 and a half. most of my friends simply cut it out at once and didnt suffer any after effects, but i was too chicken!

Kelly1978 · 13/02/2007 20:31

Oh, good luck! I couldn't drop it until mine were well over a year. Eventually I managed to drop it by swapping it for water.

wilkie50 · 13/02/2007 20:32

Scuse my ignorance but what is a 'dreamfeed'? I'm guessing it's when you wake them for a feed before you go to bed?? If so, does it work and what age should you start this?

bristols · 13/02/2007 20:36

I have to say I'm getting cold feet about dropping the dreamfeed. Might leave it a while longer. Its not really a problem.

Wilkie - in our house a dreamfeed takes place at 22.30. We wake DS, turn the lights on and change his nappy, feed him and put him back to bed. He then sleeps through til 7am. Bliss. We started this at about 18 weeks in conjunction with a different routine and he's slept through ever since.

Original poster

selee · 13/02/2007 20:48

Well our little boy is asleep now, waiting to see how it goes overnight. Will keep you posted and let you all know in the morning, (if you change your mind Bristols then let me know!) Feeling a little nervous.....!

xxx

OP posts:

Original poster

selee · 13/02/2007 20:51

Wilki our dreamfeed is a little different from Bristols. We get him out of his cot at 11pm, feed him from a bottle, then pop him back in his cot, all without waking him too much, he then sleeps through until 7am usually. He is 7 months old now, and not drinking all of his morning milk which is why we are trying to do without his 11pm feed. Hope that helps!
xxx

OP posts:

wilkie50 · 13/02/2007 21:12

Thanks. My LO is only 4 weeks so will be a while before we will be doing that!

Original poster

selee · 14/02/2007 07:26

Wow - He slept right through - all the way from 7.30pm until 7.15am, not a peep from him all night, i'm amazed!!! Hopefully will go well again tonight. I am so glad it worked as I din't want ds to wake up in the night hungry. Fab!

OP posts:

bristols · 14/02/2007 10:50

Excellent! I bottled it in the end but am very encouraged by your story. Reckon I might give it a go at the weekend. That way Dh can give me a lie in if I have to get up in the night. I'm not used to it anymore!!

clairemow · 14/02/2007 10:55

hey bristols, we just dropped our dream feed 3 weeks ago with DS2 - he's 23 weeks now. I gradually reduced it by an ounce every couple of nights and once he'd slept through from 10.30 on 2 ounces for a few nights I just stopped doing it, and he hasn't woken in the night since (well, once when his tooth was coming!). He had been losing interest in his first feed in the morning, but now guzzles it down again.

bristols · 14/02/2007 19:16

Hello Claire. Fancy seeing you here! I'm going to go for it tonight and see how it goes. If he still wakes then I'll start to reduce it down like you. Am encouraged by selee's experience. He definitely doesn't seem hungry for his breakfast. We'll see...

Original poster

selee · 14/02/2007 19:21

Well I have just put my ds down to sleep, hoping it will go as well as last night where he slept through. Will post in the morning and say how it went!

xxx

OP posts:

bristols · 14/02/2007 22:23

We're not going for it tonight as DS woke for his feed about five mins ago. The first time ever I think! He must have heard us talking about taking it away... Maybe tomorrow

Original poster

selee · 14/02/2007 22:47

just wanted to add that this morning at 7 ds drank over 200mls of milk, as opposed to the 80mls or so he was having. So dropping the dreamfeed def has made him hungrier in the morning. xxx

OP posts:

Original poster

selee · 15/02/2007 09:35

Right, last night he slept through again, although he woke up about 1am and grizzled for about 10 mins (dh gave him a cuddle) then went back off to sleep. Am very encouraged !

OP posts:

bristols · 16/02/2007 13:03

Success!!!

DS slept through all the way from 7 til 7. Thanks for the encouragement. Fingers crossed for tonight!

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