7 month old still in our room and DF

[daisylulu]

Oh wise MNetters, I'm getting myself worked up about my 7 month old DDs sleeping arrangements and could do with some advice.

Background - DD still sleeps in our room in her own separate cot. I'd always planned to move her into own room at 6 months and for one reason or another (cold, teething etc) it still hasnt happened. I would prefer to move her once she has dropped dreamfeed (which is a separate issue) but as she shows no signs of doing that anytime soon I'm concerned she could end up being in with us for another couple of months. If truth be told both DH and I like having her in with us but I am concerned that I'm making a rod for my own back and the longer we leave it the harder she will find the change.

So my first question is to those of you who moved your DCs to their room after 8 months how did they (and you!) find it?

My second question relates to dropping the dreamfeed. We are lucky in that if we give DD a bottle at 10pm it generally sees her through until 6-7am. I have been feeling pressure from myself that now DD has started on solids we should drop the DF. However we have tried to drop it with limited success - no DF results in the need for a 3am feed and a reduced DF means DD wakes for the day at 530am.

I personally would like to let DD continue to have DF until she drops it of her own accord. I suppose my fear is that she won't drop it naturally and in the meantime I'm creating bad habits. Both Baby whisperer and she who must not be named suggest babies should drop DF when on solids.

Id love to hear your experiences of dropping DF.

I think I need to relax and go with the flow- I suppose I'm worried that at the rate things are going DD will still be in with us and having DF when she is 2 years old.

Thanks for reading and sorry for any typos- am typing from iPhone and can't scroll back up!

I can't answer for the sleeping arrangements (mine went to their own room early on) but from my experience with DS I didn't drop the dreamfeed for ages. He was probably nearer 10months. He was exc BF which might make a difference, but he would eat masses of solids too, so I think he was just hungry so it took a while for the DF not to be needed.
Then one night we tried out just dropping the DF and he went through. So I guess my advice would be to continue and get your sleep - she'll drop it soon enough!

Dd went into her room at ten months and started sleeping through after three nights! it was amazing. In with us she wakes. Never did a dream feed though.

Can't speak for dreamfeeding.
My DS1 went into his own room at 1.2 yrs! I think in the end, we were waking each other up.
My DS2 is nearly 7 months and still in our room, he'll be with us until the new year, I think. Not quite ready to move him out just yet.
I'd say do it when it feels right. Too much gets in the way like you say, but I think there will come a time when you both are ready or fed up.

Thanks everyone. You've all helped to really reassure me. I've decided not to rush moving her or stop dreamfeed but do it when it feels right- and as a compromise I've decided to start putting DD in her own room for daytime naps. The first one was this morning and she woke up in her cot in her own room happy so thats a good start. Thanks again

It's the rules of parenting that we have to beat ourselves up about something! At 7 months old waking up only once sounds like a dream to me! If it's working for you, just go with it, who gives a toss what baby books say? If you're happy and your baby is happy, then YOU ARE DOING IT RIGHT!

my 10 month old is still in our room and only dropped the dreamfeed a few weeks ago. he seems to have had bit of a growth spurt and is suddenly eating loads more solids so i'd give it a few more weeks. just try and get as much solids in as possible and offer a bowl of cereal or something last thing before bed time milk.

i moved my older 2 out at 7months and it was a nightmare, they really really protested about it! i ended up doing cc with ds1 and moving ds2 in with him so he still had company.