Dreamfeeding - Really???

saraboston · January 2011

I just read about this and it sounds crazy (and a little dangerous) to feed a baby while she's sleeping. But I'd love to get a couple extra oz in DD without having to go through waking her up and getting her back to sleep. Does this actually work? Has anyone tried it?

Jaimers375 · January 2011

It worked with DS, we dreamfed him starting at 4 weeks and it got him to sleep from 8 til 7. With DD, she won't wake up enough, but she's sleeping all night most of the time anyway so it doesn't matter. It depends on the baby.

Sarahhhlynn · January 2011

What in the world ???!!!

Bredins wife · January 2011

I EBF, and I kinda dreamfeed, I wouldn't do it if I was giving her a bottle. What I do is this... Around 8-9 she is usually out for the night and in her RnP, not swaddled, but H and I go to bed around 11. So at 11 I pick her up, quietly change her diaper, slowly swaddle her, and then head to the bedroom, turn the lights out and try to get her to latch on. I open her mouth a little with my finger and she usually opens her eyes just enough to realize what is going on. Then she attacks me like a snapping turtle and nurses for about 10 minutes (eyes shut) and then she eventually starts to just comfort suck, and I pull her off, put her back down. She normally sleeps through the night till 4 or 5am.

~Flossie~ · January 2011

Bredins wife:
I EBF, and I kinda dreamfeed, I wouldn't do it if I was giving her a bottle. What I do is this... Around 8-9 she is usually out for the night and in her RnP, not swaddled, but H and I go to bed around 11. So at 11 I pick her up, quietly change her diaper, slowly swaddle her, and then head to the bedroom, turn the lights out and try to get her to latch on. I open her mouth a little with my finger and she usually opens her eyes just enough to realize what is going on. Then she attacks me like a snapping turtle and nurses for about 10 minutes (eyes shut) and then she eventually starts to just comfort suck, and I pull her off, put her back down. She normally sleeps through the night till 4 or 5am.

I've never even heard of dreamfeeding until now... how on earth do you do all that without waking up your LO?? Maybe my LO is just a really light sleeper (which wouldn't surprise me because I am too) but as soon as I touch my LO he is wide eyed and looking around. There is no way dreamfeeding would work for him.

BeachM · January 2011

LO doesn't wake up at all when we do the dreamfeed, but it doesn't seem to make him sleep any longer. We're only getting one wake up to eat between 7pm and 7am now, so we gave up on the dreamfeed.

Bredins wife · January 2011

~Flossie~:
Bredins wife:
I EBF, and I kinda dreamfeed, I wouldn't do it if I was giving her a bottle. What I do is this... Around 8-9 she is usually out for the night and in her RnP, not swaddled, but H and I go to bed around 11. So at 11 I pick her up, quietly change her diaper, slowly swaddle her, and then head to the bedroom, turn the lights out and try to get her to latch on. I open her mouth a little with my finger and she usually opens her eyes just enough to realize what is going on. Then she attacks me like a snapping turtle and nurses for about 10 minutes (eyes shut) and then she eventually starts to just comfort suck, and I pull her off, put her back down. She normally sleeps through the night till 4 or 5am.
I've never even heard of dreamfeeding until now... how on earth do you do all that without waking up your LO?? Maybe my LO is just a really light sleeper (which wouldn't surprise me because I am too) but as soon as I touch my LO he is wide eyed and looking around. There is no way dreamfeeding would work for him.

I had never heard of it either until the other day someone posted about it, but this is what we have been doing for weeks, I didn't know it had a name. She only grunts and groans when I am changing her and swaddling her and stretches a bit, but never opens her eyes. I swaddle with a swaddleme, if I had to do it with a blanket I think she would wake up for sure.

sherbetlemon · January 2011

I bedshare and we just go to sleep with LO nursing. He dreamfeeds throughout the night and I just switch sides every few hours.

DaisyCakes18 · January 2011

I tried this the other night in an attempt to see if it would make him sleep a little longer but DS just woke himself up when he spit up not much later so I haven't tried it since. lol

harleyjo · January 2011

Bredins wife:
I EBF, and I kinda dreamfeed, I wouldn't do it if I was giving her a bottle. What I do is this... Around 8-9 she is usually out for the night and in her RnP, not swaddled, but H and I go to bed around 11. So at 11 I pick her up, quietly change her diaper, slowly swaddle her, and then head to the bedroom, turn the lights out and try to get her to latch on. I open her mouth a little with my finger and she usually opens her eyes just enough to realize what is going on. Then she attacks me like a snapping turtle and nurses for about 10 minutes (eyes shut) and then she eventually starts to just comfort suck, and I pull her off, put her back down. She normally sleeps through the night till 4 or 5am.

This is pretty much us exactly! I've started getting 5 hour stretches this way.

ChelStefani · January 2011

BriannaArledge:
I bedshare and we just go to sleep with LO nursing. He dreamfeeds throughout the night and I just switch sides every few hours.

This exactly.

NSL · January 2011

My first couldn't do it without waking up, but my second will stay asleep unless I try to change his diaper before feeding him. I fail to see why it would be dangerous.

ChibiMommy · January 2011

I do this because for some strange reason DS fights and screams a lot during night feedings. He goes to sleep at 9 and around 6 he starts to grunt (not full awake just trying to wake up) so I immediately get up and nurse him. I leave him swaddled normally. In the swaddleme blanket you can undo the bottom and change them. If I wait until he is fully awake feeding is a screaming battle.

spankymclaalaa · January 2011

ChelStefani:
BriannaArledge:
I bedshare and we just go to sleep with LO nursing. He dreamfeeds throughout the night and I just switch sides every few hours.
This exactly.

Yup

LyssaPie · January 2011

ChelStefani:
BriannaArledge:
I bedshare and we just go to sleep with LO nursing. He dreamfeeds throughout the night and I just switch sides every few hours.
This exactly.

This is what I do after my son wakes up in the morning and DH has gone to work. He can sleep for HOURS like this. I didn't realize there was a term for it, either, lol.

Arielle27 · January 2011

I tried it once with DS and it didn't help at all. He still woke up two hours later to eat!

SammyJJo · January 2011

We started doing this by accident. I would pick him up the second he made a noise (not realizing that babies make a ton of noise in their sleep). Then I would put him to the breast, still swaddled, he'd eat til he was done, asleep the whole time.

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