My LO goes down around 8:30, but some night she is super exhausted and goes down around 7 or 7:30. I try to dreamfeed to prevent the 4 am wakeup call with limited sleep after but she won't nurse while she sleeps. She opens wide and latches and then just lays there sleeping. I can either try and wake her up completely or just let her go.
I don't have an answer but wanted to let you know that it doesn't work for others as well. Never worked for DS1 and now it doesn't work for DS2 so I don't even bother. In fact, I think it sets him up to wake up even more throughout the night...
It only works for me if he's already stirring (before he completely wakes up). If I initiate it, it doesn't work. Not sure if your LO wiggles and grunts before waking MOTN, though...
These answers make a lot of sense. Glad I am not alone. Lo will dreamfeed if she is wiggling and grunting but when I initiate it is when I have no luck.
Try waking her up a bit more. My first daughter, to get a good dream feed in, I would have to unswaddle her, change her diaper, reswaddle, then dream feed. I did all this in the dark so she didnt think it was morning time. About halfway through the feed, her eyes would close, then she would finish up and be all the way asleep.
Disclaimer: Some babies may wake up and stay awake. Mine always went back to sleep easily. But it wouldnt hurt to try once.
I've been having the same problem. Last night I pumped and fed her that with a bottle, and she ate it like a champ - way less messy then when I've given her bottles on other occasions!
Re: why can't I dreamfeed
"You reach deeper until you can find the strength. That's all life is, one big fight after another."
Angel babies: 9/19/07, 10/08/09, 1/05/11
DS1: Quinn - 10.22.10 and DS2: Cole - 01.18.13
Try waking her up a bit more. My first daughter, to get a good dream feed in, I would have to unswaddle her, change her diaper, reswaddle, then dream feed. I did all this in the dark so she didnt think it was morning time. About halfway through the feed, her eyes would close, then she would finish up and be all the way asleep.
Disclaimer: Some babies may wake up and stay awake. Mine always went back to sleep easily. But it wouldnt hurt to try once.