How do I know when to drop dreamfeed?

[amyboo]

DS is coming up for 8 months old. He currently has a 210ml (8oz?) bottle at bedtime, which is around 6.45/7pm. Since I went back to work when he was 4.5 months he's also then had a dreamfeed at 10.30pm. He will then sleep through till about 6/7am.

I'm just wondering how I know when to drop the dreamfeed? He currently has 3ish meals a day:
Breakfast - 210ml bottle and either fruit or cereal
Lunch - meat/fish and veg/pasta
Afternoon - fruit
Bedtime - bottle
Dreamfeed - bottle

He has started getting very difficult at drinking his bottle in the mornings, and I'm wondering if this is because he's perhaps not full... The paediatrician recommended perhaps adding a small evening meal (around 5ish) when I drop the dreamfeed, as DS is a pretty hungry chap. But, I'm confused as to when I should stop the dreamfeed. Are there some signs I should be looking for, or do I simply pick a time to start doing it?

Also, in peoples' experiences, am I going to end up getting even earlier mornings? He currently usually manages till around 6.30am, but we have a few days a week of 5.30am starts, which are a killer when I'm working fulltime!

I stopped the dream feed shortly after we weaned our lo off her night feed at around 7-8 months. It wasn't planned as such- I just couldn't be bothered to wake her up one night and she slept through. Then did it again the next night. Why not try it and see?

FYI she had started having three solid meals a day at that point, and was having 3-4 breastfeeds a day too. I think the combination of dinner at 5.30pm ish and milk at 6.30pm before bed helped to send her through the night. You may find you need offer another bottle in the day eg mid-afternoon, to make sure he gets enough milk.

And yes, sorry, our mornings did get earlier- this morning I uttered the words "ten to six! That's good!". But since I'm not doing the dream feed I can go to bed at 9pm, and I figure (hope) it won't last forever.

We dropped it around 8 months - we got back from holiday, it was quite late and it seemed a shame to wake DD again for a feed, so we just didn't do it and she slept through! I think you just have to try it and see what happens. She was still taking it before we dropped it, but I think it was just becasue it was being offered. Her wake up times were initially a bit earlier, but improved pretty quickly (generally between 6.45 and 7.30). Good luck!

OOoh thanks for the advice. Sounds like I'm going to have to just bite the bullet and give it a go! In fairness, we've had three 5.30am mornings this week, so I guess it might not be any worse than that!

He's really getting difficult with his morning bottle. I think I might try dropping the breakfast at the moment, so he'll take his bottle, and then adding in a small tea when we get back from creche around 5ish, as the paediatrician suggested.

Yes, it does sound like he is needing less milk, so dropping the dreamfeed would be better than fighting with him over his morning milk. I would definitely add a tea in if you're dropping the dreamfeed (just soup and sandwiches or something similarly light if he has a decent meaty lunch). Also, I would gradually reduce it a couple of oz every few days, so he can adjust gradually.

I wouldn't bother mucking around with his breakfast though, once he's taking less at the dreamfeed he should be more keen on his milk in the morning. It does sounds like the right age to do this, good luck.

Thanks lukewarmcupoftea. That does sound like what I was thinking - that he's simply not hungry enough in the mornings. He doesn't seem to be desperate for his breakfast anymore like he was a few weeks ago. I think I'll try what you suggest, and drop the dreamfeed a bit at a time and see what happens.