dream feeding dangerous?

[kerry070]

hi everyone....

Went to see the health visitor today and she was absolutley shocked when I told her I dream feed my 5 month old. She said it is extreamley dangerous to feed a sleeping baby, due to risks of choking.

I was left feeling very annoyed at the way she spoke to me as I also have a 4year old and dream fed her too. I also told her that ive read in various books and in one very well known baby magazine that it is perfectly ok to dream feed, even suggesting that you shouldnt wind them or change babys nappy....

Im confused now

Has anyone else had this information from their midwife/health visitor?

kerry xx

 

[Lara310809]

I haven't spoken to a HV though, so can't comment on that. I reckon people will have different views about it. Some will say it's dangerous, and others will say it's the best things since sliced bread, so at the end of the day you probably have to make your own decision about it.

I only now looked up what dream feeding is, and I personally wouldn't choose to do it, but only because I'm paranoid about my LO having colic, and wouldn't want to make it any worse. They say LO won't take in air "because they're asleep", but I would think a baby can take in air whether it's asleep or not

 

[isil]

The way I see it, they have to be kind of awake even if not fully in order to dream feed. Like, I always had to make my little boy stir in order to get him to feed or else he'd just sit there with the teat in his mouth! I've never encountered a HV with that strong a reaction before!

 

[DaisyBee]

Whenever we've fed Megan at night I've always burped (winded) afterwards even if she was asleep. Dreamfeeding never worked for us as she'd wake anyway in the middle of the night for her bottle so we only fed when she woke to feed - but she'd usually fall asleep right away while on the bottle. The second the bottle left her mouth she was totally zonked out & wouldnt take it again. It took a lot of effort to burp her then since she was sleeping -but she's always needed a lot of burping. She's never had a problem sleeping after burping her.

As far as changing diapers at that time - I was doing it if it seemed like it wouldnt hold much more as we've had issues with leaking by morning if she'd have a feed in the night. I'd change her before the bottle with lights off.... and she'd still be asleep while drinking the bottle.

 

[Laura87]

Hmmm I don't personally dream feed as she is a great sleeper (She went to bed at 6:30pm and is still sleeping now at 7:45am...should i go check on her?!) lol anyway when she was a few days old she got jaundice and i was advised to wake her to feed her, she would never really wake up though so surely this is classed as a dream feed?! And was advised by Midwives and Health Visitors! If it works for you then don't worry about it...As you said you dream fed your 4 year old and she's obviously ok so just carry on!

 

[TattiesMum]

I always dream fed ... it was the baby who was asleep, not me LOL - I think I might have noticed if baby was choking and taken immediate action!!

Stupid woman HVs drive me insane tbh - they impose far too much of their own predjudices on the mothers they are supposed to be 'helping'.

 

[mrskx0x0]

i was told this but its because they dont seem to understand. she thought i did it when she was sound asleep as in not sucking but why would you try it if they werent sucking? if you wiggle it to scarletts mouth she clamps on and sucks like the clappers! she has never choked doing that, she chokes when she is AWAKE and wiggling but never asleep.

 

[Natnee]

My HV came yesterday and she mentioned I could dream feed, as I was talking about routines and things. She didn't go into any details about it, and I didn't ask as not really thought about doing it. I think everything is sometimes down to personal opinion. I have certianly had lots of conflicting 'advice' from midwives.

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

I was told by HV you shouldn't dream feed as it can make them fat because you're giving them milk they're not asking for. Think she was talking crap though TBH xx

 

[emmadrew]

I always worry about dreamfeeding/choking too, but on the other hand i always wind really well, and then when i put the baby down I turn him on his side a little.
That said, I'm giving it up now as it seems to make no difference to when he wakes up for the next feed and it seems wrong to be waking him up when he's so fast asleep!

 

[bubbles123]

My LO always wakes up when I'm actually feeding him, just zonks out straight after again so the risk of choking doesn't really worry me. I did try cutting out the dream feed but he just started waking up for a feed at 4am so I quickly reinstated it!

 

[Mynx]

I dreamfed Evie for a little while and she never choked, but it got to the point where she'd wake up halfway thru lol! Kinda defeats the object! Sometimes she'd only take an ounce or two then eventually wouldnt take anything so it didnt really work for us but my best friend swore by dreamfeeding! It's down to each individual baby, not each individual HV

 

[kerry070]

Thanks everyone for your replies...

it just really annoyed me the way she spoke to me, like a silly little girl and "how dare I do that". I said to her if it was that dangerous then why is their not a warning about it or why is it not mentioned by anyone in the health service.. arrrggghhh!!!

With my 4 year old, I would put her down at 8 and then give her a feed just when we were going to bed (about 11). It really seemed like the obvious thing to do as she would be needing a feed anyway and then she slept right through.. so I naturally done the same with me son, I didnt even know it had the name "Dream Feed" until I read it in a magazine!

I think it was just her own personal view of the matter but she really went to town on me, I only went to get him weighed!! lol

thanks again everyone xx kerry xx