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Dream Feeding?

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  • 23-05-2010 11:32pm
    #1
    crazy cat lady
    Registered Users Posts: 1,196 ✭✭✭


    Has anyone done this? Its where you give your baby a feed in their sleep when you are going to bed, the Baby Whisperer recommends it!

    We did it last night as Megan goes to sleep about 9 but was waking about 4 for a feed when she had been sleeping all night. I think this is probably because of the heat and it was more thirst than hunger.

    Anyway, it worked like a charm! She took the guts of 7ozs without waking up and slep til half 7 this morning!


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    #2
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,865 ✭✭✭✭January


    I was doing it with Saoirse until a couple of days ago! When I was going to bed about 12 I would give her a feed, she took about 5oz and would sleep through til 7/8am.

    The past couple of nights the heat has just tired me out competely... But... she hasn't woken up!!! I got to lie in til 9am this morning, delighted! Hope it lasts...

    Both girls just slept in vests last night, the heat is a killer.


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    #3
    gowayouttadat
    Registered Users Posts: 506 ✭✭✭gowayouttadat


    Tried it and it never worked here. It just seemed to disturb DS from his deep sleep and he'd end up waking 4 hours later anyway.
    Have to say though he was/is an extremely windy baby so that probably had something to do with it.


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    #4
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    We have used it quite a bit. Very useful IMO. :)


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    #5
    Pinkdust
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33 ✭Pinkdust


    Hi,

    Slow first timer here.. baby hasnt come yet but just wondering, from what age do ye do that bedtime feed at?? As far as ive read, newborns just get fed on demand which ill be doing, but when do i actually stop feeding every 2/3hours and make a feeding schedule?? :confused:


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    #6
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,865 ✭✭✭✭January


    Baby should start to stretch themselves after a couple of weeks. What I did with my little girl was go every 3 hours so, 6am/9am/12pm/3pm/6pm/9pm/12am/3am and then back to 6am again for the first three weeks. Then I used to stick to a 6am/9am/12pm/3pm/6pm/9pm schedule, put her in her moses basket and then wait for her to wake for a feed, some nights it could have been at 12am, some nights it could have been at 1am or 2am but if she woke I would feed her, put her back down and then let her sleep again til whenever she woke or 6am whichever came first.

    I done that until she was 8 weeks old and then I started feeding her 4 hourly, with her last feed between 7/8pm depending on the days schedule. I would then "dream feed" her at midnight when I was going to bed (I used to wait up til midnight to feed her) and then I would but her back down again, the plan being that if she woke again I would just feed her. So far so good and she was waking at 7am/8am since 8 weeks so stretching a good while in the night time...

    Past two nights I have just been super tired with the heat and have fallen asleep before midnight and forgotten to woke up, she's slept through twice. I will continue to see if she'll sleep through, if not I'll go back to the 12pm dream feed.

    I don't expect her to sleep through this young but if it's working then happy days. Hope that helps.


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    #7
    Pinkdust
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33 ✭Pinkdust


    Brilliant Adrieanne...

    Your a god-send! Its great to actually know how others do it so i can have something to base on. Im 26 and none of my friends have babies just yet and theres only so much in the books! :)

    Thanks a million :)


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    #8
    caprilicious
    Registered Users Posts: 1,880 ✭✭✭caprilicious


    Girls can I ask ye, when you dream feed do you change your baby's nappy?
    If I change Rose after her feed it wakes her up. To be fair to her she settles really easy afterwards so I'll continue to change her but was curious how it works for others.

    If she doesn't wake between 11 - 11:45pm I normally dream feed her and she's stretching til 9 - 9:30am, the bliss of a full nights sleep, I'm loving it :D


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    #9
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,865 ✭✭✭✭January


    I was changing the nappy but found like yourself it woke her up, so I stopped unless she was pooey!


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    #10
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    adrieanne__x wrote: »
    I was changing the nappy but found like yourself it woke her up, so I stopped unless she was pooey!

    Same. Depends on how long she's been in the current nappy though.


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    #11
    caprilicious
    Registered Users Posts: 1,880 ✭✭✭caprilicious


    Dream feed ftw! I didn't give Rose one last night because she was in a really deep sleep - she was unsettled throughout the night & woke at 5am instead of 9am for her feed :(


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    #12
    bogtotty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 150 ✭✭bogtotty


    Pinkdust wrote: »
    Hi,

    Slow first timer here.. baby hasnt come yet but just wondering, from what age do ye do that bedtime feed at?? As far as ive read, newborns just get fed on demand which ill be doing, but when do i actually stop feeding every 2/3hours and make a feeding schedule?? :confused:

    If you're breastfeeding, it's best to feed on demand rather than trying to abide by a forced schedule. Newborns feed about every 2 hours or so, but this does stretch out and a lot of those feeds are the equivalent of dreamfeeds as the baby doesn't wake up after them. Cosleeping/keeping the crib right beside the bed and sleeping when the baby sleeps really helps in the first few weeks.


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    #13
    Das Kitty
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    We tried it twice. It seemed to wake him up a bit but not enough to burp and he kept waking every half hour so we stopped.


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    #14
    hacked
    Registered Users Posts: 812 ✭✭✭hacked


    Pinkdust wrote: »
    Hi,

    Slow first timer here.. baby hasnt come yet but just wondering, from what age do ye do that bedtime feed at?? As far as ive read, newborns just get fed on demand which ill be doing, but when do i actually stop feeding every 2/3hours and make a feeding schedule?? :confused:

    whilst i agree adrieanne's advice was great...don't get too set on anything before your baby arrives! My little girl can be quite a hungry baby by times. After a number of weeks i tried getting her into a schedule and it almost killed me. I just feed on demand now...makes for a happier baby and a happier mummy! I wish i would have learned this sooner, as i spent a good few weeks pulling my hair out and near tears because my baby wouldn't stop crying! Don't worry if the stretching doesn't work.

    As for dream feeding...how does this work with breast fed babies? My fear is that if i tried to feed her before i sleep it would just wake her up.


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    #15
    gowayouttadat
    Registered Users Posts: 506 ✭✭✭gowayouttadat


    hacked wrote: »
    whilst i agree adrieanne's advice was great...don't get too set on anything before your baby arrives! My little girl can be quite a hungry baby by times. After a number of weeks i tried getting her into a schedule and it almost killed me. I just feed on demand now...makes for a happier baby and a happier mummy! I wish i would have learned this sooner, as i spent a good few weeks pulling my hair out and near tears because my baby wouldn't stop crying! Don't worry if the stretching doesn't work.

    As for dream feeding...how does this work with breast fed babies? My fear is that if i tried to feed her before i sleep it would just wake her up.

    I totally agree with what hacked says above! I broke my heart trying to settle my little man into a routine and it nearly sent me into a mental institute. Some babies will settle very well into a routine, others not so much. Totally depends on the baby in my opinion. Plus throw things like reflux, colic and wind into the mix and got knows what you'll come up with!


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    #16
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,865 ✭✭✭✭January


    hacked wrote: »
    whilst i agree adrieanne's advice was great...don't get too set on anything before your baby arrives! My little girl can be quite a hungry baby by times. After a number of weeks i tried getting her into a schedule and it almost killed me. I just feed on demand now...makes for a happier baby and a happier mummy! I wish i would have learned this sooner, as i spent a good few weeks pulling my hair out and near tears because my baby wouldn't stop crying! Don't worry if the stretching doesn't work.

    As for dream feeding...how does this work with breast fed babies? My fear is that if i tried to feed her before i sleep it would just wake her up.
    gowayouttadat wrote: »
    I totally agree with what hacked says above! I broke my heart trying to settle my little man into a routine and it nearly sent me into a mental institute. Some babies will settle very well into a routine, others not so much. Totally depends on the baby in my opinion. Plus throw things like reflux, colic and wind into the mix and got knows what you'll come up with!

    Oh God no! Sorry, I should have said, that's what works for me and it's because my baby is happy to stretch out her feeds, if baby doesn't like it then don't try force it! Feed on demand if that's what baby wants!!


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    #17
    gowayouttadat
    Registered Users Posts: 506 ✭✭✭gowayouttadat


    adrieanne__x wrote: »
    Oh God no! Sorry, I should have said, that's what works for me and it's because my baby is happy to stretch out her feeds, if baby doesn't like it then don't try force it! Feed on demand if that's what baby wants!!

    Can we swap babies?? Mine is 10 months this week and still likes to throw his routine out the window every few weeks just to change things up a bit :D


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    #18
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,865 ✭✭✭✭January


    Stop, it's all good the 3 month old sleeping through, I still have an 18 month old that likes to wake up at 3am for a bottle!!!


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    #19
    hacked
    Registered Users Posts: 812 ✭✭✭hacked


    Here's an example of switching it up for you:

    Isobel has been sleeping through the night practically since she was born. She was 10 weeks yesterday, and last week I got her sleeping through 8 hours at night. Along comes the 10 week growth spurt (in which milk supply is brought from the typical 4 ozs to 8 ozs) and she needs to feed ALL the time...for at least an hour at a time. This includes through the night. Guess who didn't get any sleep last night??


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