To dream feed...or not to dream feed

[rubyroot]

My baby is distracted in the day and is feeding much more at night, I'm not sure of exact quantities as I am breastfeeding.

I am really wanting to turn him around, but he's just refusing to feed in the day. He's clearly learnt to feed at night and it has become his normal. He has sometimes woken once, but at the moment is waking twice.

Should I dreamfeed a bit earlier than he would wake when I go in to get a bigger chunk of sleep, or is this then just going to encourage him to wake earlier. Eg instead of waking at 2 and 5.30. Dreamfeed as 12.30 and then wake at 5.30 for another feed.

Thanks all

Your situation doesn't suggest a dream feed as 'the answer'. I doubt it will make a huge difference.

What I would suggest is to have a go at settling baby back to sleep without feeding, if possible. A dummy, cuddle and some patting for example.

I used to have the 10 min - 1/2 hour rules for example. All very approximate since I avoided actually looking at the clock in the night. But whenever baby wakes, always (every single time) give around 10 minutes over to settling baby back to sleep without feeding. I would pop dummy in, lean over into the (bedside) cot and cuddle up with a hand on baby's chest and some shushing and patting. Often 10 mins of that would get baby back to sleep.

If baby did go back to sleep, but woke again within half an hour - then I wouldn't bother with resetting at that point I'd just feed. But if baby went over 30mins asleep then I'd resettle again without feeding on waking. Then if after 10 minutes of resetting baby still wasn't asleep, then I'd feed.

Thanks FATEdestiny

I have tried this...perhaps not enough. But, he is crying pretty incessantly and I'm not sure he'll stop!

Guess I need to try for a bit longer, though I may wait till the period of hot weather is over- our room was twenty eight last night!

My little girl has just turned 4 months old. She's a terrible napper, only ever done 30-40 min naps and she'll fight you on every single nap. Her days still don't follow any set pattern. She'll wake at a different time each day and whilst we try to follow a eat, activity, sleep routine every 3 hours ( which ends up being more like every 2 1/2 hours as she won't do more than a half hour nap), it could be a different 3 hours every day.
My question is with regards to bedtime. We've just started trying to implement a bedtime routine but I'm struggling with the timings. As each day is different with how she feeds/sleeps etc. How can I have a set bedtime? Also when do I start the actual bedtime? She gets tired usually after an hour and a half of being awake. So, for example, if she wakes up from a nap at 6pm she'll be getting sleepy at 7.30pm. So do I start the routine with the aim of her being asleep by 7.30pm or does the routine start at 7.30pm?

Don't have a set bedtime yet if each day is different.

Personally I would start at 7.30, but if bedtime includes a feed make sure your baby is not too tired to feed. I'm no expert though.

Btw, I think you meant to start a new thread, rather than add to an existing one!