Dream feed advice

[pandabear]

Hello my lo is 8 weeks and is currently having her last bottle at 8 -8.30pm and waking up between 4-4.30am. A friend has mentioned feeding her again at 10pm in the sense that se may go a bit longer?
Does any one had any advise, or have u tried it? Did it work? Or is she maybe a little too little. Any thing really?
I'm concerned if I try something new it will disturb her routine? Am in two minds weather or not to try it :-/
X

 

[Karate Kid]

It worked for C but doesn't work for all babies. I BFd C at 10:30 just before I went to sleep and it meant he slept until 6 instead of waking at 2/3am for a feed.

Maybe you could try it to see if it works? Xx

 

[Belfast girl]

It worked/works for both of mine. First started sleeping 7-730 at 12 weeks and this one did it at 6 weeks!
It took about 2 weeks to work I think. I loved that feed as well, all warm and cuddly!

 

[pandabear]

I try to be in bed for 10-10.30 so do u think just before?
And try not to wake her when feeding? Think I may try tomorrow nite.
Thank u for ur reply x

 

[littlemonkey]

I'd be tempted to say don't change anything. Your LO is doing really well to be going that long at night at 8 weeks. My son has his last feed about 7-8 and wakes again at about 5 for a feed, and he's 3 months. They will gradually get used to sleeping longer on their own.

 

[Karate Kid]

Yes I loved the dream feed to as C was so snugly!!

10ish sounds fine Hun, try not to wake LO and hopefully you will get more sleep!! Xx

 

[Lynds77]

I'd be tempted to say don't change anything. Your LO is doing really well to be going that long at night at 8 weeks. My son has his last feed about 7-8 and wakes again at about 5 for a feed, and he's 3 months. They will gradually get used to sleeping longer on their own.

^^wss

I would stick to your routine. Eventually your baby will drop the 4am feed of their own accord and you will be getting a full nights sleep. This could happen at any time!!

if you introduce a dream feed, they can sometimes be hard to stop. Also your baby might start getting up earlier each morning.

at least if she is only getting up once at 4am, you are getting a good block of sleep before and after?

 

[pandabear]

Am not sure now :-/ going to give it a bit more thought. Going to leave her as she is for the minute I think after hearing your views/ opinions thanks ladies x

 

[Emma.b]

I hope my little one is sleeping like this when he's 8 weeks!

Personally it sounds like you have a good thing going, i wouldn't do anything to change this. As someone else said, she'll eventually drop the 4am feed on her own. If you introduce something new now it might mess up her routine, and you might end up worse off!

Good luck with what ever you try tho xxx

 

[kat1988]

from 2 weeks old ruby has been dreamfed, last bottle at 6pm (7 when younger) dreamfed at 11.30ish, dreamfed at 3am ish, awake and 1st bottle at 7am, she dropped the 3am feed at 6weeks ish

u could always try dream feeding an hour before your lo normally wakes to be fed, it may not work and they may wake up naturally anyway at that time, but if it does work, u can then gradually move the feed back/forward to suit so u can get more regular sleep (yay!) it also helps them get used to sleeping thru the night

tbh if it works it's a godsend, if it doesn't there's no harm in trying (the whole point is that they don't wake up so won't know the difference other than wont wake up starving!)

if u do try it, it's important not to wake them up, waking a baby = grumpy baby, well with my lo anyway!

 

[Ella1979]

I remember meeting up with a few girls I met at antenatal classes and not knowing what on earth they were talking about when they talked about "dream feeding" lol! We never bothered with it, even after it had been explained to me.

It's entirely up to you if you try it or not, pandabear, but as others have said your LO is only very little and sleeping from 8-8.30pm to 4-4.30pm is really really good for that age. I think our LO slept from around 10pm til 3am at that point. We gradually brought the last feed of the day forwards and she gradually stretched the amount of time she was asleep before needing a feed. At 4 months old, she was going from 8pm until 5am and by 5 months old she was sleeping from 6pm to 6am. She did this without any specific intervening on our part. Now, at 15 months old, she's a wonderful sleeper, goes off to sleep easily by herself and now sleeps from 6pm (sometimes slightly earlier) around until 6.30am and doesn't fuss for breakfast until just after 7am.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I've heard good stories about dream feeding, but will definitely be doing what we did with our daughter with our newborn when they arrive.