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Sleep

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Original poster

Dream feeding... should I try it?

20 replies

stellarmum · 02/04/2004 19:52

Dd2 is 9 weeks old and sleeps well..she usually goes to sleep around half six in the evening, sleeps till around four , feeds for around ten minutes, and then goes back down till around half six. My question is, does anyone think it would be worth dream feeding her at around eleven when I go to bed (with the goal of her then not waking till morning)or is she still likely to wake at four?
What have other peoples exeriences been?
I don't want to mess up what is quite a nice little routine!

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hercules · 02/04/2004 19:54

Excuse my ignorance but I've seen this trm before and dont know what it means - dream feed?

kiwisbird · 02/04/2004 19:56

IME mine still woke at 5am and then would not settle
Mine was breastfed might be diff for bottlefed?

kiwisbird · 02/04/2004 19:57

hercules its getting baby up for late night 11pm time feed without really waking them up...

hercules · 02/04/2004 19:57

Ahhh

kiwisbird · 02/04/2004 20:03

as opposed to G BitchNoKids Ford who advocates slapping cold flannel around their little warm snuggly chops at 10pm to rouse them enough to feed enough to sleep through til 7am when if not awake you should throw open the curtains and do a Julie Andrews impression about teh joy of the scenery outside on this fine English day...
tee hee

melsy · 02/04/2004 20:13

LOL Kiwisbird !!!!

Its actually quite gentle and dd feeds quite well like this & is only slightly roused and then goes straight to sleep after . BUT every baby is different.

I actually do the dreamfeed a la Tracey Hogg & it seems to work very well. It was the one bottle that took her to 5:00 when she may have a little cry and then go back to sleep till 7 ish, SOMETIMES!!!

Original poster

stellarmum · 02/04/2004 20:13

Lol Kiwi that's one of the things that scares the bejeesus out of me about GF! My dd is breastfed at night, I'm beginning to think along the lines of 'if it aint broke, don't fix it'! I just want to be able to show off to all my friends that my girl goes through the night!

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miranda2 · 02/04/2004 20:49

I did GF (ducks) and didn't use wet flannel!! Was very quiet and gentle, no eye contact or stimulation, jusst the feed at c.11 and straight back to bed. Found it brill as you then got a decent sleep chunk yourself. If you bottle feed either fully or for that one feed, you then reduce it by 1/2 ounce every week or so up to only 2oz by 5 months, then drop it - worked like a dream and he slept through from 7-6 thereafter.

Evita · 02/04/2004 20:59

stellarmum, sounds like your dd is doing absolutely great all on her own. My dd slept well from early on too and I did try the 'dream feed' for a while and it worked in that it didn't interrupt her sleep but she still woke in the early hours for a feed and slept til the same time so I gave it up. I also read a v. good book called 'Sleep' which recommended NEVER waking them up to feed once they've learned to sleep a long block of hours as it messes up their digestion etc. and it made sense to me at the time. Though I know GFers will totally disagree!

Original poster

stellarmum · 02/04/2004 21:04

That's what worries me evita, that she will just wake up anyway... I'm hoping that the four am feed will just get later and later until it just merges into the waking up for the day feed! Unfortunately the age gap between dd1 and dd2 is so big i can't remember what I did the first time around!

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SenoraPostrophe · 02/04/2004 21:06

lol kiwisbird!

I tried dream feeds with dd and she woke up at the same time anyway. I did try to wake her right up once (and had to hold her in front of the fan - how cruel am I? ) but that didn't work either.

hercules · 02/04/2004 21:09

lol kiwisbird

allatsea · 02/04/2004 21:30

lol kiwisbird

allatsea · 02/04/2004 21:33

dd has a dreamfeed bottle at about 10.30/11pm. He was waking at 5.00 am (or 1am or 5.30am) but then only fed for a couple of minutes. Over the last couple of weeks if he wakes before 5am, then 5.30am, then 5.45 am and now 6am we try to settle him back to sleep without feeding. This usually takes just a few minutes. The last time he woke at 3am it took nearer an hour, but he's not done it since! He is now 17wo HTH

Tommy · 02/04/2004 22:14

I tried this with DS2 but found he still woke up at 3-4am whether or not he's had a feed at 10.30pm! It was like he was thinking "Oh, this is nice - I'm not really hungry but I'll have a go anyway..." then he'd wake up at the same time in the early hours for a proper feed. I've given up now and just feed him when he wakes up - sometimes conveniently at 11pm when I'm going to bed and sometimes not. I'm assuming it will get better (!) He's 7 months btw.
Stellarmum - have you tried trying to put DD to bed a bit later? (although would understand if you don't want to!)

Original poster

stellarmum · 02/04/2004 22:27

Toomy, I've tried lots of times to put her to bed a little later but she's an absolute nightmare after 5, and it's all I can do to keep her up till half six! She's what my mum calls a 'spirited child'... she lets you know when she's not happy!

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kiwicath · 03/04/2004 10:38

Stellarmum. Have fed (10.30pm) since birth and has suited little man perfectly. Can't believe I did it but yes,... wet cold face cloth in one hand, Gina in the other. Grrrrrrr, can't believe I was so easily led and so willing to ignore my instincts. Hence, no more face cloths or Gina instead a lovely sleepy babe who latches on and drinks on autopilot until he slips off and back into his milky dreams. Good chance to change nap so he's nice and comfy for the rest of the night. Like I said, have done this since birth and he sleeps through to 7.30am without a wimper. Can't guarantee that your little one won't still wake at 4am but at least it will give you the confidence to know she's probably not that hungry and try letting her settle back to sleep without feed. Give it a go. I don't think you will upset the applecart if it doesn't work and decide to go back as she sounds like a preddy laid back little lass. Cheers

Spod · 03/04/2004 11:01

is dream feeding just for young babies? or just for any baby that doest sleep through? ie mine is 5.5mths and still drem feedng at 11.30. should i be expecting her to sleep through....everyone keeps telling me that she ought to sleep 12 trainght hours....how i chuckle!

melsy · 03/04/2004 11:42

My dd is nearly 7months & I still do it , some have said on here that they are still doing it at 9months. Im just not sure when to drop it. I suppose when she starts playing around with it & just wants to go back to bed.

Original poster

stellarmum · 04/04/2004 14:33

I'm going to give it a go tonight and see how we get on. The little dear slept from 6pm till 4am last night, and then till half six. It would be ace if I could move that big sleep till a little later... if i fed her at ten, she might sleep til 8! jumps up and down with excitement imagine that!

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