'Dream' Feeds

[Greenjade]

Hi all!

I just wanted to know if you do a 'dream' feed to help your LO sleep longer?
Does it work?
DS generally has his last feed at about 8-8:30pm then will sleep until about 2-3am so I'm thinking if I do a dream feed he might go a little longer. Would that work?

Any help would be great!

[LilMissnBoo]

For us, the dreamfeed was a waste of time. It actually made DD's sleeping worse.
She was sleeping the same hours as your DS, and I introduced the dreamfeed in at 10.30 when DD was 4 months on advice from my MCHN. After that her sleep has never been the same!

How old is your DS?
Honestly, his sleep patten sounds perfect I wouldn't change a thing at all! You're very lucky!

HTH

[Greenjade]

He is 7 weeks. I did think that it might change things (not for the better). Maybe I should just leave him to sleep and wake when he is hungry.

Thank you!

[NibbleCurlynBub]

:no: Just gave bub boob when bub wanted boob.

Worked fine for us from day 1. :yes:

[Naboo]

I think it works for some babies but not others. DS has had a dream feed from very early on and it's really worked for us. He is 12 weeks tomorrow and pretty much since he was 4 weeks old he has gone to bed at 6.30/7pm we wake him at 10.30pm for a feed and then again at 3.30am. Some people may not agree with this method but it works for us in that we can control the times he feeds at night so we can sleep around it. If we didnt wake him he'd probably wake anyway but at a time that isn't as good ie 12.30am (after we have gone to bed).

BTW I do demand feed during the day.

[Seacretsquirrel]

For us, the dreamfeed was a waste of time. It actually made DD's sleeping worse.


:iagree: For my DD it made her sleeping worse and we ditched it quicksmart and luckily her sleeping patterns went back to normal pretty fast and she is still a pretty good sleeper.
I think if the current pattern is working for you (and this is the important part I think - not what your DR/MIL/mum/MCHN etc thinks your bub should be doing) don't change it but if it's not then it is worth a go.:goodvibes:

[Mrs Potts]

I tried it with DS and found that he'd have the dream feed, but would still wake at his normal time anyway. Little piggy that he was. Plus, it wasn't really a "dream" feed as he would always wake up and then we'd have to resettle him.

I never tried it with DD1 and won't do it now with DD2.

[LibranTwin]

I also found that the dream feed didn't work for us either, my DD would wake 2-3 hrs after it anyway.

[Manxie]

Hi

Seems to work for my dd2. I'm not sure if its truely a dream feed though. I go and feed her anytime between 10.30pm and about 3am, she never wakes for it I just feed her when I'm awake.

If the feed happens to be an earlier one she tends to wake at 7.20 am (strange time but true!) If its later then she will wake around 8am/8.30am.

I am very lucky:baby:

[JJJ&D'sMum]

I tried the 'dream feed' thing with DS3 and gave up very quickly. He won't wake up when I want him to...he wakes when HE wants to. There is no way I can force him to wake up enough to feed so there's just no point (for me).

At 7wks he was sleeping about 6hrs at night and has increased to 9-10hrs atm (He's just over 13wks old)

Personally I think that if your 7wk old bub is sleeping 6-7hrs at night then you're doing really well. A lot of babies don't even sleep that long at 3-4 months of age.

[Greenjade]

Thanks for all your replies. I think I will stick with not doing it. He seems to be sleeping well (usually 6 hrs, then he'll wake for a feed and back down for 3-4 hrs). Thanks again! :)