Dream feeders - when do you stop?

[Popples1]

My LO is almost 4 months and early on he fell into a vague routine of having a feed somewhere between 10-12. Then he started falling asleep around 9ish but we continued doing a dream feed at 11 which will make him go through to 4ish. However, I'm feeling kind of bad that we're messing with his natural rhythms by disturbing him at 11. He's also started falling asleep a bit earlier recently, around 8 (sometimes earlier but he'll wake up crying between sleep cycles if he does). I've tried three nights without the dream feed and he's been waking up around 1/2 and then again at 5ish. I'm tired! Do I suck it up and stick with it or should I go back to dream feeding (DH does it so I get a decent sleep that way). Will he naturally drop the dream feed when he's ready or is it better to ditch it and let him find his own groove? Help!

Note - I've been combi feeding but he won't latch most of the time now so I think going to swap to ff. From what I can tell I think he's getting 28oz+ per day...

 

[wtbmummy]

I used to do a dream feed at 11 or ds would wake around 12.30 just after I got to sleep. He gradually stopped it himself though. At each feed he started taking less and less so I thought why bother. However he then still woke between 2-3 for a feed and 5-6. He stopped the dream feed just over three months. My lo is only slightly older than yours and is now dropping the night feed altogether.(However it means the day now starts at 4.30-5am)
If he is still taking all the dream feed then I would continue as you are personally untill he decides he doesnt need it anymore

 

[HKateH]

We stopped when we realised it was disturbing his sleep. Around 4 months. He went back to having a night feed briefly (around 2am) but soon dropped it and started STTN around 5 months.

 

[Popples1]

We stopped when we realised it was disturbing his sleep. Around 4 months. He went back to having a night feed briefly (around 2am) but soon dropped it and started STTN around 5 months.

This is what I'm hoping for! I think I'll see how we get on this week then take it from there. He seems to have moved his 9pm bedtime forward (he was down by 7.40 tonight - we ate dinner together at a table like grown ups!) so hopefully is getting into a more sensible routine...

 

[Rosie06]

with DD i stopped around 4half months but that was because she was taking most of the time no more than 1oz of milk regularly so i stopped one night and she still slept through

so far ive been doing a dream feed for a week and half with DS and he only takes around3oz he normally wakes around half2 to half 3 but the last 3 nights hes not woke until 5am then straight back down till around 8-9am he goes to bed for 7pm x

 

[meli1981]

I still do it...and hes a year next week if i dont hell wake sooner for a feed

 

[steph.]

Mine is nearly eight months and I still give it. She drains the bottle so I know she's hungry, and if I dont give it she'll wake up around 2. I'm not in any rush to get rid of it, after having a first baby who was up all night this is heavenly!

My sister still gives her 22 month old a dreamfeed! She thinks he doesnt eat enough so that's her way of getting extra calories into him!

 

[jenmcn1]

My first son(now 5yrs old), would go to bed between 7:30 & 8 pm, dream feed at 10:3pm which would take him till 4am, & back to bed until 8am. He dropped the dream feed around 5months if I remember correctly. As this is when he started to sleep through the night on his own

 

[Popples1]

Thanks, all. Like everything it seems to completely vary by baby! I didn't do it again last night and he slept 7.40 - 2.30 then 3ish to 5.30. He's wide awake and full of fun now. A six hour stint is pretty good so I'm happy with that, it's just be nice if the 2am feed would take him an hour or so longer!

 

[loopylj]

My lo is 3 n half months and there's no sign of him dropping it.... He's in bed between 7 and 730 then I feed him between 10 and 11 and he sleeps until 6. Tried without it last week and he was up at 230 and 5. X