Dropping the dream feed

[sweetcheeks78]

Hello all. My LO is almost 2 months old. I did BF at the start, but slowly have been moving over to FF (he's now mostly on formula). He takes about 6oz 4 times during the day, and then I wake him for a dream feed around 11.30 and after that he sleeps to around 4am when he wakes and gets another 6oz. He then sleeps till anything between 7.30 and 9.30am. We're really struggling to get him to take anything more than 2oz at the dream feed and even that feels like we're force feeding him as he isn't interested. Is it a good idea to just drop this feed and let him sleep until he wakes himself for a feed?

 

[andbabymakes3]

My little sausage is almost 5 months and we still do the dreamfeed, but she is slowly weaning herself off it. Last night she only took 3oz, whereas it used to be 7oz!

I'm reluctant to stop it in case she stops sleeping through! She woke for the 4am feed until she was 4 months old, then gradually stopped doing it. I think the dreamfeed really helped her learn to sleep through (since she had a nice full tummy all night), and she now sleeps (most days) until 8 (from 7pm).

 

[bibswy]

I didn't drop the dreamfeed til a couple of months ago... I wish I'd done it earlier though coz she now wakes at 2am and 5am... groan........ I would say that if he doesn't seem that interested then leave it. You could always try again in a month or two? We didn't actually start DF til Billie was about 3 months old.

 

[Vicks]

We have only just dropped Joe's DF in the last few weeks. He has 4 x 7oz bottles & 1 x 8oz bottle every day and we only now give him a DF if he hasn't had that much milk in the day, say if he woke late and so his feeds were pushed back or if he didn't take much at one feed.
Maybe try dropping it and see how he gets on. You may find he starts taking more at his last feed and the early morning one too.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

We dropped Ruby's dreamfeed on xmas day, we didn't think she needed it. She's ok but is unsettled and kind of half wakes and whinges a couple of times between 10 and 11pm which was when we dreamfed.

 

[sweetcheeks78]

Thanks all. My main concern is that we go from waking once a night to waking 2 times. I'll start afresh next week with it and give it a try. We can always go back to the old routine I guess

 

[RJ01]

Don't forget to give it a few nights to work too, I am not dropping her dream feed until I wean.

 

[pheobe]

I read a post t'other day from one mum who dropped the dream feed one night without weaning the baby off it - she replaced it with stroking the babies face/back rubs to soothe etc. Out of interest the next night Niall woke for a feed I gave him his dummy & stroked his face for like 30 seconds and he was away, next night he woke again but since then he's slept through and the rest of the nights sleep has been tonnes more settled for not being taken out of his cot and winded etc.

Turns out he was prob just waking out of habit not really needing the milk - worth a try maybe???

 

[sweetcheeks78]

Interesting points folks. I haven't dropped the dream feed yet - we still do it between 11 and 11.30pm, and now I don't want to drop it just yet as he slept through the night for the first time last night! On Monday he went to 5.50, on tuesday until 6.30 and this morning I woke him at 7.30

I'm sure it won't be consistent yet but I think we're on the way, so until we're steadily going through the night I think we'll leave things as they are.