Dream Feeds

So, after a nightmare couple of weeks of no napping and screaming psycho babies every night, we have fallen into a lovely pattern. DD, who is 13 pounds, is consistently (for the last few days anyway) STTN - 6:30 to at least 6:00 and is annoyed at being woken up to eat with DS. DS, who is 16 pounds, basically sleeps (with some pacifier insertions and occasional moving to the swing) until around 4:00 - then he wants to eat. I'm going to stop waking DD up because I don't think she needs it and I think she will sleep through. My question is, should I try a dream feed around 9:00 with DS? Would that help him get through the night until the same time as DD in the morning? Do people find that this works - good thoughts, bad thoughts. I know that HSHHC says no dream feeds because you are basically waking up a baby and feeding it when it is not hungry, but I'd love to hear some real life experiences.

 

I did not dreamfeed, but have read alot from others that did. I would say try it and see if it works. And if not, then you know that DS is hungry and needs to eat at 4am.

ETA: At 4 months only getting up one time to eat is awesome no matter what!!

 

We dreamfed from 3-5 months and it was a godsend. We would do their last bottle at 7, bed about 7:30 then dreamfeed around 10:30/11, then they would sleep until 7:30 the next morning. DD occasionally still woke at 5 for a quick bottle but it was way better than those 3 and 4 a.m feedings. I say what the heck, give it a try!!

Oh and we are HUGE HSHHC fans but in our case the dreamfeeding really worked for us.

 

First we were feeding their "last" bottle around 6:30 and bed by 7. Then a dreamfeed around 10, when we would go to bed. Then they were waking at 1 and 4 and 630 like clockwork...somewhat annoying. I posted on here if I other parents saw that their DC were actually waking more because of a DF and several mentioned yes. So, we decided to drop the dreamfeed. After we did the days that followed were a little messy (both waking at different hours) and we were so close to going back to the df when the girls started to sleep longer.

Now Ava is sleeping 6:30- 6:30ish and Julia is sleeping 6:30-4:30-6:30 and sometimes waking around 12.

I would suggest dropping the dreamfeed and giving it at least a week to see any new results. If you don't think it is helping (or in this case if it is making things worse) you could always go back!

 

Hi,
When I was looking at people's feeding schedules here on this site it looked like a lot of people were doing dreamfeeds. So I started doing it. Well it did not help my kids sleep any better. Now I was doing a dream feed, as well as all the other feedings so I dropped it. My girls eat about 7:30 and go to bed at 8:00 pm. Every once in awhile they wake up at 11:00 to eat again, but usually they sleep until 2:00 am. It was also exhausting me to stay up until the dream feed. I was finding I needed more sleep, and would sometimes go to bed at 9:00 pm, but if I had to stay up for a dream feed I was just too tired. So, this is what worked for us. We dropped the dream feed, and now I get more sleep and so do the babies most nights.

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Jun 2 2008, 02:11 PM) [snapback]805610[/snapback]
I did not dreamfeed, but have read alot from others that did. I would say try it and see if it works. And if not, then you know that DS is hungry and needs to eat at 4am.

ETA: At 4 months only getting up one time to eat is awesome no matter what!!



I know! But of course I have to strive for the holy grail of two babies STTN! Actually, last night DD woke at 5:00 and DS was still sleeping, so we are doing well.

 

QUOTE(Mom to Jack and Anna @ Jun 3 2008, 01:10 PM) [snapback]807098[/snapback]
I know! But of course I have to strive for the holy grail of two babies STTN! Actually, last night DD woke at 5:00 and DS was still sleeping, so we are doing well.


Nothing wrong with setting goals :laughing: Glad to hear things are getting better. Great job!

 

We don't dreamfeed because my babies don't wake up enough to actually eat. It's just wasted effort on our part because they really don't want anything to do with a bottle unless it was their idea.

 

Wow...I'm impressed with your schedule as is. Mine were still waking for feeds at that age(last feed at 7:00p...woke up around 10p and 2a and then wake up for the day). Didn't really start an "official" dreamfeed in my house until closer to 6 months (still was waking around 2 so we started a dreamfeed around 10:30 and it stopped the 2 am waking and eventually just dropped the dreamfeed all together) and then at 7 months they were STTN.

 

I don't believe in dream feeds. Why wake a sleeping baby to feed if they're not waking up for food? Sleeping comes from the brain not from the stomach. If they can't STTN yet, they won't. If they can, they will. I believe it's mainly developmental. Sure the weight will help (I make big babies) but it's not a guarantee.

My oldest was the best sleeper, going 10 hours at 8 weeks, 12 hours at 3 months and 13 hours (6 to 7) at 4 months. The twins, pretty good too. My girl very similar to my oldest, but she was an early riser for a long time (between 5 and 6 am). My boy, probably the worst, but also doing 10-11 hours straight at 4-5 months (he woke around midnight for a while by himself). Now they both sleep 11-12 hours straight every night.

ETA: and then ... you need to get rid of a dream feed again too ...

 

Thanks all. We haven't started a dream feed, and DS did well last night. He's still ending up in the swing at some point overnight, but it seems to be getting later (and that's really my issue - do I want to put him in the swing and know he will sleep the rest of the night pretty much or do I want to get up several more times to put his paci in?) We just put that soother thing with the fish in it in his crib, and I'm in love. He bumps the button and turns it on whenever he starts to stir, and he's going a lot longer before he wakes up wanting a paci. He doesn't even need his paci to fall asleep - just his fishy thing. Woohoo!

DD has spoiled me. Down at 6:30 or so, and she doesn't wake up until 5-7, even when DS cries! Now, I expect that from both of them, but he just doesn't have her soothing skills, even though he is 3 pounds heavier and you would think he would have been first.

Naps are still a nightmare, but I'm expecting those to start to work themselves out? Are they still too young at 4 months for a "clock" schedule?

 

QUOTE(Mom to Jack and Anna @ Jun 2 2008, 01:43 PM) [snapback]805538[/snapback]
So, after a nightmare couple of weeks of no napping and screaming psycho babies every night, we have fallen into a lovely pattern. DD, who is 13 pounds, is consistently (for the last few days anyway) STTN - 6:30 to at least 6:00 and is annoyed at being woken up to eat with DS. DS, who is 16 pounds, basically sleeps (with some pacifier insertions and occasional moving to the swing) until around 4:00 - then he wants to eat. I'm going to stop waking DD up because I don't think she needs it and I think she will sleep through. My question is, should I try a dream feed around 9:00 with DS? Would that help him get through the night until the same time as DD in the morning? Do people find that this works - good thoughts, bad thoughts. I know that HSHHC says no dream feeds because you are basically waking up a baby and feeding it when it is not hungry, but I'd love to hear some real life experiences.

I did dream feeds until one night decided not to do it and DS slept through night - DD still needs it....try not to do it and see what happens - I follow HSHHC also but the kids are really the ones in charge.