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Sleep

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Original poster

help - dreamfeeding

17 replies

sleepymama · 02/04/2005 07:47

Hi there
My ds is 16 weeks and for the last 6 weeks has been sleeping from 8pm - 3/4 am (I know its not bad). Last night we decided to givedreamfeeding a go as the middle of the night feed was really getting to be tiring. I did it in the hope that DS would go until 7am ish . The feed was good and ds gardly woke at all- however he was up at 4am this morning and cried continuously for an hour and a quarter. I tried water, the sushinh and patting back to sleep. He would send himself off and then be awake again!!!! Eventually at 5.15am I fed him and he downed the whole bottle in 15 mins!!!!! I really don't knw if I have done it right or if I should just stick with my old routine. Any advice ???

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hermykne · 02/04/2005 07:52

sleepmama
i would leave things as they are, as he has proved he can sleep from 7/8hrs without a feed so why break that long stretch?, 4am til 7/8am is ok too and he mgiht just regulate himself

not like my disastous ds

Nimme · 02/04/2005 08:29

Hi again sleepymama,

When did you do the last feed?

My first attempt at this was around 12 weeks and I was very disappointed after 2 nights when she still woke up at 2am (following a 9-10pm feed) and gave up. I have since learned that it takes longer to break a habit and they need time to adjust. Having said that it sounds as if he is really hungry. Are your feeds nicely staggered during the day (i.e. does he get enough so that he doesn't need to make up for it during the night?) DD2 is now 17 weeks and have last feed at 10pm - until 7am. Her wakings were more habit and kicking her covers off (I was very tough but seems to have paid off, but I KNEW she wasn't hungry)

HTH

donnacb · 02/04/2005 10:05

my little one the same will go from 08.00 till 04-05 ish feed and then wake up 06.30 ish. have also toyed with the idea of dream feeding but woke up at 01.00 instead argh. ds is 5 months have started him on solids at 4months. maybe try a bit of baby rice before bed and see if he last longer. before i started solids my ds up every 3 hours. ps only strarts solids if little one showing signs for weaning

bakedpotato · 02/04/2005 10:17

think nimme is right: he's in a pattern, and it may take a while for him to 'forget' to wake at 4. perhaps if you're sure he's feeding well in the day, if you do end up feeding him at that time, don't give him a whole feed, just part of one, and keep shrinking it night after night.
it may be worse for a short time... but in the long run it will probably be better.

Original poster

sleepymama · 02/04/2005 10:24

Hi Nimme - tried dreamfeed at 11pm (due one around about then anyway). I feed him every 3 1/2 to 4 hours during the day. He normally feeds at 7pm goes to bed at 8pm and wakes between 3am -4am. Then he sleeps after his feed until about 7am. This morning after his feed he woke at 6am then 7am again!!! Not sure that I can take another night like that!

Hi Donnacb - my DS does seem hugry all the time.i.e even after waking for feed at 5ish he then took a full bottle at 7.30am!! Would like to try him on babyrice but abit worried that his digestive system won't take it.

OP posts:

Nimme · 02/04/2005 13:17

Sleepymama - I would either give it another week of dreamfeeding to see whether he'll drop the 3-4am feed himself (in my case have had lots of screaming at 5am which I have been ignoring) or think about trying a thicker milk (aptamil does one for hungrier babies). I have tried that on DD2 but her stomach doesn't like it and therefore I'm not going to try rice either just yet. Maybe your DS is ready for more oomph in his food?

Gotta rush now - will check in later. Don't give up or despair just yet - there is light at then end of the tunnel!

Original poster

sleepymama · 02/04/2005 20:53

Thanks for the advice - nimme. Think I may just stick to old routine for the time being. He is on SMA hungrier baby formula for the last feed only. As he tends to get constipated easily HV advised to just give him the one. May think about trying the lunchtime one as that one too - see if thatchanges anything.
On another note - went to see my cousin and his wife today (he is a GP). Their now 6 month DS started on solids at 12 weeks!!!!! Mind you he's still not sleeping through the night...

OP posts:

Nimme · 04/04/2005 07:49

How is it going sleepymama? Any improvements?

Could your partner perhaps do the last feed so you could go to bed earlier and get a nice stretch of sleep in before the 3-4am feed? (Not that it works like that in this house.. ) I am waiting for sleeping bag to arrive today as I was convinced she was waking up because of kicking her covers off . Been tucking her in very firmly - and it works. Also completely ignored her at 5am. Started by going in every 5-10 min tucking her in and sticking dummy back in but she got more angry when she saw me. Process could take up to 2 hours. Then competely ignored her and was down to 30 min, then 20, and so forth.

I hope you find a solution soon as sleep depri vation is gruesome!

Original poster

sleepymama · 04/04/2005 16:24

Hi Nimme - gave up with the dream feed My DH works shifts, so can not rely on him to do late night feed or middle of the night one!!! Am hoping that eventually ds will sleep through when he's good and ready. I wish I could just ignore his cries but am very flaky and after 10 mins I am picking him up!!
Does anyone know anyone who'a lo grew out of the 3/4am wakey thing eventually. WHen did it happen?

OP posts:

Nimme · 04/04/2005 19:17

Sleepymama,

Sorry to hear you are still having those middle of the night feeds.

I have seen your other thread and do hope someone can offer some better advice (just think it could be worse - someone is complaining of the same but their baby is 9 months!!)

Thinking back I never did any dreamfeeding with DD2 and she used to wake up 3-4am but it became a habit as opposed to hunger. Eventually did controlled crying. If he gulps the bottle it sounds as if he is hungry. Perhaps you shold try him on some baby rice. It might just work. If his stomach isn't ready it's "only" one evening of misery. Just remember that even if he does take the rice and the stomach is okay and he is no longer hungry he might still wake up out of habit and you'll have to get tough eventually...

I wish I could solve your problem as I do know how awful it feels. Keep trying - but one thing at a time and then give it a week or so before you give up.

Good luck

All I can think o

Original poster

sleepymama · 06/04/2005 14:10

Hi nimme - hows your lo doing? Have you overcome the 5am wake up?
My lo still a terrror .

OP posts:

Nimme · 07/04/2005 20:08

Hi sleepymama,

We seem to have solved the night wakings with a pair of socks would you believe. A friend of mine mentioned that she always put socks on her baby if she didn't have feet in the pyjamas - i.e. sticky feet kick of covers. It worked instantly - and probably also the fact that I tuck the covers really tightly around her which she seems to love. Combined with ignoring her and I seem to have solved the problem. I should be whispering all of this as I'm sure I'll otherwise jinx it.....

Of course it isn't all rosy - she now wakes up every 30-45 min of her lunch nap which is not acceptable so I'm back to some screaming/ignoring.

I hope you find a solution to the night wakenings soon as that is dreadful - I really do feel for you

Mosschops30 · 07/04/2005 20:35

Message withdrawn

Nimme · 08/04/2005 08:00

Mosschop - dreamfeeding is just where you pick them up before you go to bed and stuff another feed down their throat (so that they can stop feeding in the middle of the night and go through to morning).

mogwai · 12/04/2005 17:56

can you start dream feeding from birth? I have the book somewhere but I don't have the energy to look for it and I don't remember it saying anything about when to start? I'm thinking if we get into a routine straight away it might work out?

Nimme · 12/04/2005 20:11

Mogwai - I'm sure you can but baby will probably wake up by him/herself anyway at that stage. Tried implementing a routine at 4 weeks - too early for us, took another few weeks before we were in a routine as such - and didn't start dream feeding until approx. 14 weeks

Good luck

hummingbird123 · 14/04/2005 12:33

hi Sleepymama, I had exactly the same prob (sames times etc eveything!) I ended up giving feed at 4am, to try and work out whether she was hungry or not. To start with d's took whole bottle, but slowly the amount of milk she took decreased over a wk or so to the point d's would still wake at 4am but only take an ounce....at this stage i then replaced bottle with dummy, re-swaddled and shush pat.....back to sleep and up as 7am as normal. Good luck

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