What is a dream feed

[sebmum]

Hi there

Could someone please explain the dream feed thing to me? My baby is 6.5 wks old and is BF but I'm having trouble getting her to have a decent sleep at night and someone mentioned trying a dream feed before I go to bed.

How do you do it? Do I just express a small bottle or is there a particular amount you're s'posed to give her? Do you just pop it in her mouth whilst she's asleep (will I drown her??!!) and then leave when she's finished or do you take her out of the cot? I have no idea!

I don't really want to use formula so I'm guessing you have to express.

:confused::confused:

[FourAngelKisses]

I've been wondering the same thing for months.

[bindiloo]

The dreamfeed is reccomended to help parents avoid having to get up more than once or at all during the night. usually say your baby has a bottle and goes to bed around 7pm then they would prob wake again around 11pm or midnight then again around 3pm or 4pm.
So if you want to do it bf then just sneak into your babies room around 10pm or just before your ready for bed and gently get them out of their bed,theres no need to try to wake them or put bibon or unwrap them,then place their mouth onto whichever breast your up to for a feed and just let them have a drink. They generally will just start sucking even though they are asleep. If they wake it doesnt matter just continue giving them a feed then when they seem like theyve had enough then just place them back into bed.
Then generally you would be able to go to bed and bubs wouldnt wake till around 2-3am maybe even later and that way you've only had to get up once in the night and eventually they drop that night feed altogether.

Hope that all makes sense:D

[Trumpet]

A dream feed is either bottle or boob while they are still asleep or just barely consious (sp). Usually between 10.00pm - 11.00pm

If it is boob then it does take a little practice and you do the same as you do when you are bf and rub the tip of your nipple on there top lip to get them to open.

Babies have an automatic sucking reflex and even do this while they are sleeping.

As to the amount my DD has the same amount as all her other feeds (I express all my feeds so I know exactly) but if you BF then it's really when she doesn't want to suck anymore. I hope this helps and I have explained it enough.

[Trumpet]

I also forgot to add that a dream feed should be stopped around 6mths as they should be able to last through the whole night.

I have done this with both my babies although I am finding that my DD does not need the dream feed anymore and she is only 4 & half mths old.

[sebmum]

I expressed a small bottle today (only about 100mls, will try to express some more later on today) so I'm going to try it tonight - am worried that if I try to BF her, she'll wake up and scream the house down! Husband is a super-light sleeper and the poor thing works really long hours so I'm trying to keep at least one person sane!

One more thing, is it ok to not change her nappy like I would normally do during the night feeds? So if I do my last feed at say 8.30pm, put her down, go back in at about 10pm and give her the dream feed, can I leave her in the same nappy?

[FourAngelKisses]

One more thing, is it ok to not change her nappy like I would normally do during the night feeds? So if I do my last feed at say 8.30pm, put her down, go back in at about 10pm and give her the dream feed, can I leave her in the same nappy?

Think of it this way, once she is sleeping through the night, she wont be having any nappy changes done, so it's perfectly fine.

[Trumpet]

I expressed a small bottle today (only about 100mls, will try to express some more later on today) so I'm going to try it tonight - am worried that if I try to BF her, she'll wake up and scream the house down! Husband is a super-light sleeper and the poor thing works really long hours so I'm trying to keep at least one person sane!

One more thing, is it ok to not change her nappy like I would normally do during the night feeds? So if I do my last feed at say 8.30pm, put her down, go back in at about 10pm and give her the dream feed, can I leave her in the same nappy?

I would try with just the 100mls to start off with as that might be all she will take it at a feed at one time and if she drains it and still wakes up add a little more the next night. She also might take a week to get used to not waking up at certain times in the morning so try and stick with for about a month and see if it works for you and her.

It all depends have a feel if the nappy feels full change it first then feed. My DD rarely wakes up when I do it but if it doesn't feel full then I leave it.

[bindiloo]

Well the whole idea of the dreamfeed comes from a book called 'save our sleep' by Tizzie Hall and although you dont need to follow her routines exactly as they are a little strict,it isnt really reccomended to give a dreamfeed at around 10pm when they had one just not long ago. Usually she reccomends that last feed be around 6pm but mine used to be 6.45pm roughly.
You may overload their little tummy if they've only just had one around 8.30pm.
But no you dont change their nappy.

[bindiloo]

Basically around that age a baby usually wants a bottle around every 3-4 hrs so say your bub wakes in the morning and has
bottle 6-7am
bottle 10-11am
bottle 2-3pm
bottle 6-6.30pm
dreamfeed 10pm
(so on and so on.)

But in saying that all bubs are different and some get hungrier than others.
But thats just a rough guide.

[lat]

I put my 10 wk old bub down at 6pm and get her up at 10pm and feed her and she is in bed by 11pm and she sleeps right through anything between 630-830am. It is fantastic and i have been doing this since she was 3 weeks and have had not one sleepless night.

[Pinkbug]

I put my 10 wk old bub down at 6pm and get her up at 10pm and feed her and she is in bed by 11pm and she sleeps right through anything between 630-830am. It is fantastic and i have been doing this since she was 3 weeks and have had not one sleepless night.

can u tell me ur routine for this pls?? thanks

[dragonflyblu]

At 6 weeks my bf bub was waking 3-4 times a night for a feed, tried dreamfeeding but she just woke again at 12 for another feed.:laughing: From 5 weeks to about 6 1/2 weeks Clea was feeding almost houry during the day. Maybe bubs is not sleeping well, or waking alot because of a growth spurt. Dont worry it passes, they just need lots of food for a bit and then it settles down.

Clea is now almost 12 weeks and wakes at around 3am after an 8pm feed, she doesnt wet her nappy at night so we no longer have to do a night nappy change. Sometimes she still wants her 12feed but most nights she is content with the 3am.