Dream feeds?

[angelandbump]

How to do you give a dream feed?

My LO has not set into a routine yet and can go anywhere from 1.5 hours to 5 hours between feeds on a night time.
My midwife has suggested doing a dream feed but I have issues getting LO latched as he doesn't tend to open his mouth wide enough at first and it's not till he crys that I can quickly get the nipple in and he will latch.

Any advice is great! X

 

[Calif]

Dream feeds never worked for me. He would latch and feed, but never suck as vigorously as a regular feed, yet he would go longer before the next feed. As a result, I kept getting plugged ducts and it was horrible. I'd rather just wake up more. It all sorted itself out as LO got older, so I wouldn't worry about it even if it doesn't work.

 

[angelandbump]

thanks Calif, I tried and failed last night and ended up with a wide awake and unsettled baby

 

[lily28]

Dream feeds are for us the best feeds, he is not distracted and he takes nice deep sucks like Dr Jack Newman's videos lol! I always try to boob him when he is sleepy. I just place him lying on my side and he latches nicely.

Here are some signs that my baby is in fact willing to dream feed: he turns from side to side and is rooting, like he looks for the breast, he has REM sleep I can see his eyes moving rapidly under the eyelids, he sucks his thumb, he is whining in his sleep.

If baby is in deep sleep, let him be

 

[NurseSooz]

I only dream feed my dd if she's not in a really deep sleep. If I go to bed and she's stirring I'll tend to dream feed her. One of my friends dream feeds her dd with a bottle of formula every night and it works a dream for her. Her hubby does the dream feed which means she gets a break and a decent length of sleep. xx

 

[Emma&Freya]

whats dream feed?

 

[angelandbump]

It's basically feeding or topping up baby at night when they are asleep xx

 

[Emma&Freya]

Do I just put boob to mouth then? I feed her when she roots when we go up if that makes sense