Dream Feed Wet Nappy Issue

[Roxybond]

I tried a dream feed last night at 10pm with my 4 month old (he last fed at 7pm) and in and of itself, it was easy, bub didn't wake up and fed really well and he went back to bed easily (almost as if I hadn't disturbed him at all).

However he woke 2 hours later with a massively wet nappy that went through his clothes too as a result of both feeds (as my husband predicted). I then had to change all his clothes and his wrap, redress him and then resettle him (because he wasn't due for another feed yet). This took 30 minutes & I'm sure he was harder to settle as a result of this interruption to his natural schedule.

The only plus is that his next feed at 4am only took 15 minutes and he barely woke for that and then slept til 7am.

It sounds obvious that this would happen given that you're not meant to wake them or change their nappy during the dream feed.

I suppose I could have changed his nappy after his 7pm feed but normally after 45 minutes, he hasn't done anything yet.

Did anyone else try a dream feed and if so, did bubs get used to it or did this always happen?

I think I'll just stick with one middle of the night feed until he can go longer without this feed.

[lupa]

We do the dream feed, but call it the rollover feed. I change his nappy first in his cot and he's still half asleep. Then when I feed him he's dry and goes back to sleep on the boob or very easily in bed. This will last at least 8 hours.

If he wakes up because of the nappy change, the feed should relax him before he goes back to sleep!

Good luck!

[lupa]

also,
I tried it doing the feed first and he fell asleep straight away, whereas changing the nappy first woke him up enough to get a decent BIG feed. I find next to the morning feed, it's the best feed of the day!

[Mummy2R&K]

Make sure he has a clean nappy on straight before bed......

and go the next size up at night

That's what I used to do

Sometimes I would even put a plastic cloth nappy cover on over my DS's nappy when he went through a stage of wetting through.....

[Roxybond]

Thanks all, good idea about going the next size up. I was going to try that tonight but after last night's dream feed, I'm not sure it's for us.

I dream fed last night again and changed his nappy first which woke him a bit but once he was on the breast, he went back to sleep. However, he only ate for 15 minutes. He then slept from 10.20pm til 4am when he had a full feed, then slept til 9am, which is great.

The only problem I'm finding with the dream feed is that it seems to be interrupting his sleep pattern a bit. On both occasions, he's woken an hour or two after the dream feed but thankfully put himself back to sleep. Last night, he woke twice, at 1hr and 2hrs after the dreamfeed but self settled til the next feed.

I'll give it one last shot but if it doesn't work as intended, I'm happy to accept that I'll have to get up for a feed once in the night. That's what my little boy needs now so I'm happy to give him that.

[Mummy2R&K]

How long have u been trying it for??

Bubs will wake at the time he usually does until he gets used to the new routine.

It took a good week for it to work with Ds, but he was formula fed, so i just left him in bed and shoved the bottle in his mouth and when he finished, put his dummy in and he passed out.

Does he take a bottle? If so, maybe express it?

Having said that, maybe 4 months is still a bit too young for the dreamfeed. Sometimes it won't work until around the 6 months mark (that's what the sleep clinic my DS went into told me).

I think I tried my DS at that age too and didn't work, waited until he was nearly 6 months and presto.....no more waking

[Roxybond]

Thanks, but no, he's purely breast fed and doesn't take a bottle anymore.

I don't mind getting up in the night as it's only once.

Agree it might be a bit young. I find it harder to disturb him when he's sleeping soundly and it's more about how it seems to have disrupted his sleeping patterns post the dream feed that gives me reason to not try it anymore.

I didn't do it last night and he only woke once and slept really well & didn't wake otherwise like he did when dream fed.

Certainly at this stage, I don't think the dream feed is for us.

Thanks!!!