Dream Feed not really working

[ladymugg]

Hi there

A few days ago we started a dream feed on our 9 week old son.  Although I had looked into whether or not starting a DF this young was a good idea, I hadn't planned on starting it until closer to 12 weeks.  Son usually slept from 6.30/7pm til around 3/3.30am without one.  A few nights ago, he has these episodes of wind around his bedtime bottle and fell asleep without his bottle, so we initially woke him to feed around 8pm for the first night, then decided since he took the bottle fine we may as well see how the DF went, and started a feed around 10/10.30pm.

He didn't wake for that feed... although tonight he woke before it, hungry (but didn't drink a lot).

He continued to wake for all the nights he has been DF around 2/3am.  Which tells me that although the DF is working in that he will take the bottle while sleepy (far less volume than other bottles he takes - 100ml compared to around 150-200ml during the day and previously 150-200ml without a DF for the one night waking), maybe he doesn't need it yet?  He would take around 150-200ml for that 2/3am feed but now is taking around 100ml then too... so all it has done is split what was one feed into two, from a volume perspective. 

Would you continue with the DF if this was your baby? I don't want the DF to become a habit 3-4 days in when he still is waking at around 2/3am... or would you wait a few more days to see what happens?

Apologies if this post is in the wrong section.

I wonder if we have just started too early and whether or not we wind back and start trying the DF in a few weeks... or should we persist now we have started?  Should I be resettling him when he wakes in the early hours so that we end up getting that 8/9hour benefit from the DF?

Thanks in advance

[ginger428]

Hi Ladmugg,
Congratulations on having your DS! (Since we last spoke you had a baby!  )
I bet he's just precious.

I am moving your post to breastfeeding to get eyes and experience there. Hope it helps!

[becj86]

With the DF, it has to happen about 3hr after they go to sleep so it doesn't interrupt the sleep and change the cycle. It might be a matter of timing. If he's only taking half a feed though... and you're having to give the other half at the same time as you previously were, it sounds like its not worth it (to me at least). I personally never found the DF helped, not least because I was staying up to give it and then OT when I went to bed myself and didn't sleep well and it didn't shift DS' NW either.

At this age, you can try to resettle but I wouldn't be forcing it - its perfectly reasonable for a baby this age to be feeding twice in a night and he could well be genuinely hungry. You may just have introduced the extra feed at the beginning of a GS and compensated for his additional requirement that way.

I wonder if we have just started too early and whether or not we wind back and start trying the DF in a few weeks...

I think this would be my approach - that 8-9hr stretch is pretty impressive and I'd want to preserve it where possible.

[ladymugg]

Thanks ginger.

Just an FYI I don't breastfeed, so not sure if the BF forum will help? 

Bec: what is a DS?

I think I might give it another go to see how it works tonight, there might be a couple of other things I can tweak that might be causing the issue.  I know what you're saying about feeding twice a night but he hasn't done that for probably about 4 weeks.  Previously it was a decent sized bottle so its a little frustrating to see a split feed, one smaller DF and then still waking up for a smaller feed at the same time?!  DF seemed to help my now 2 year old, but she still woke for a habit feed for a few weeks at 2/3am, I had to do PU/PD to get rid of that for a good 10 days or so, wanting to avoid that with this baby if I can!  DF was introduced at maybe 12-14 weeks with her, so was concerned that the early age of introducing this DF might be an issue.  (I haven't been able to get anyone to tell me why 12 weeks seems to be the magic age for starting a DF, whether its to do with their ability to drink while very sleepy or whether its to do with their general newborn sleep/feed characteristics before that age).

Thanks to you both for your help

[becj86]

DS = dear son

whether its to do with their general newborn sleep/feed characteristics before that age

Probably this ^

[ladymugg]

I'm an idiot... sorry meant to ask what is a GS? 

[becj86]

Growth spurt

[ladymugg]

Of course, doh! 

I might just play this one by ear.  But thanks for your ideas, very very helpful.

I need to read some forum questions from others and return the favours you ladies have given me x

[ginger428]

Hi and so sorry about the mix up. You were clear about that and I just goofed! You're in the right place now and I hope it works out and the DF ends up working well for you. Best wishes!