Dream feeding

angelinthepit23

DS is 8 weeks and is now eating 5 oz per feeding. Ever since we started the 5 oz he eats very little at his before bed bottle. Last night he only ate .5 oz before passing out. We start our bedtime routine around 7 with him in bed by 8.

A few night ago he started sleeping until 5am and then ate like a Viking. Problem is I get up at 5 to get ready for work and he just gets so happy to see me in the AM that he WILL NOT go back to sleep.

I was thinking of maybe dream feeding him before I go to bed. Has anyone done dream feeds? How long after baby goes to sleep should you try? I was thinking maybe 10pm as he should be in a nice deep sleep by then. And how much should I give him? I'm thinking maybe 2-3 oz.

kdoak2015

Your 8 week old is sleeping from 8pm to 5am and not waking for a feeding in that time frame? I would definitely try a dream feed, that's a long stretch for an 8 week old to go without eating.

angelinthepit23

Yeah he was waking up between 3-4am and then a few days after he transitioned to wanting 5 oz I woke up to him fussing and it was 5am. Thought it was a fluke and then it happened 2 more nights.

He's always been an amazing sleeper at night. After I stopped waking him to eat after he surpassed birth weight he was going 4-5 hr stretches off the bat.

I wouldn't be as concerned if he ate a 5 oz bottle before bed, but since he barely eats that I think dream feeding is going to be a necessity.

I've never done it so I'm worried it will backfire and he will be up and raring to go at 10pm lol.

GoogleMD

kdoak2015 said:

Your 8 week old is sleeping from 8pm to 5am and not waking for a feeding in that time frame? I would definitely try a dream feed, that's a long stretch for an 8 week old to go without eating.

It is not really that big of a deal if he is gaining weight appropriately and has plenty of dirty diapers. He is likely making up for it during the day. If my LO has ate really well during the day he can go 8-430 without feeding.

However since we started cosleeping he does want to eat around 230 or 3. When he starts getting restless, I will let him breast feed lying down. He will lay there and feed off and on until I get up for work at 5am.
Would you be able to BF or get him a bottle before he really wakes up, Grayson never really wakes up to feed if I can get it to him before he is really awake.

angelinthepit23

@GoogleMD hmmm, that's a good idea. I could give that a shot, just set my alarm a little earlier. As long as he doesn't fully wake up I think I'll be ok. Once he realizes what's going on the gloves are off lol.

mrsgabus

Anna falls asleep between 10-12 and sleeps till 6-8 As long as baby is eating well during the day and has a good amount of diapers I wouldn't wake.

However if I feel like she hasn't ate enough then I will dream feed 3 oz right before I go to bed (top her off)

Pontot31

I used to dream feed my daughter and will probably start again with DS when I go back to work. I start work at 3am and get up at 2am. So if DD didn't wake up around 12:30-1am to eat I would feed her anyway so I didn't have to pump or go to work already a little full because the first time I can pump was 6:30 or 7am. This would also buy my husband some more sleep.
It's worth trying.

Ceridwen77

How do you get your LOs to dream feed? If I try this she just purses her lips making it impossible for anything to enter. Not that I have any real reason to do this because she wakes fine to eat and passes out instantly after eating, but sometimes she only ears from one side so I do try to feed her from the other.

smnewby

Ceridwen77 said:

How do you get your LOs to dream feed? If I try this she just purses her lips making it impossible for anything to enter. Not that I have any real reason to do this because she wakes fine to eat and passes out instantly after eating, but sometimes she only ears from one side so I do try to feed her from the other.

She may not be hungry if she is pursing her lips. In the middle of dream feeding if my LO is full she unlatches and there is a very firm 'no re-admittance' pursing on my babies lips. I couldn't get my nipple back in if I tried.

Maybe push back the timing of your dream feed? I only go in when she is restless but that happens to fall almost exactly at the same time every night.

Ceridwen77

smnewby said:

Ceridwen77 said:

How do you get your LOs to dream feed? If I try this she just purses her lips making it impossible for anything to enter. Not that I have any real reason to do this because she wakes fine to eat and passes out instantly after eating, but sometimes she only ears from one side so I do try to feed her from the other.

She may not be hungry if she is pursing her lips. In the middle of dream feeding if my LO is full she unlatches and there is a very firm 'no re-admittance' pursing on my babies lips. I couldn't get my nipple back in if I tried.

Maybe push back the timing of your dream feed? I only go in when she is restless but that happens to fall almost exactly at the same time every night.

Thanks that makes sense about her not being hungry. I guess I won't be dream feeding because I rely on her rooting to wake me up. At that point she's pretty lucid!

angelinthepit23

Well I tired waking up a little before 5 to feed him and as soon as he started eating he was wide awake. Then the next night I tried to dream feed him at 10:30pm and he wasn't having it. Tried again that night at 3am and he wasn't having it and low and behold he was up at 5am on the dot. Last night DH was on watch and he woke up around 4am to eat but wouldn't go back to sleep for him either. I was going in later today so I had extra time so at 5 I went in and rocked him on his side and placed him gingerly in his crib on his side and that worked until 6:30 when he got the hiccups and pooped and woke up. Small steps I guess. I shouldn't complain since he sleeps from 8pm until about 4-5am. Lol