When to stop clusterfeed / dreamfeed?

[Mia's Mommy]

Good morning and Happy New Years!  I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday season!!!

My LO is a preemie, 11 wks actual / 6 1/2 wks adjusted age.  I started Mia on EASY since she was 5 wks old (actual age).  Right now she eats 2 1/2 to 3 hrs between feedings, but some days 2 hrs (probably due to growth spurts?).  Her naps aren't very consistent, seems like she wakes up 2 to 3 times during naps, and I ssh/pat her back to sleep.  To help her to sleep longer thru the nite, I cluster feed at 6-6:30, 8-8:30, and hubby gives dreamfeed (formula) at 10-10:30, and then she wakes up anywhere between 2 am to 4 am for middle of nite feed.

I read on a different website that Tracy recommends to stop cluster feeding at 9 wks. Is that true? Should I base it off her actual or adjusted age? And why stop cluster feeding? Lastly, do you stop dream feed when you stop cluster feeding?

Thank you in advance for your help!

[newmummy82]

Hi there!

We did similar feeds(all BF) to you and stoped cluster feeds at 8 weeks ish as she was too sleepy for them and it felt mean! We did DF til 7.5 months I think. I would go with your LOs adjusted age for things like that.
Whatever works for you- and gets you all maximum sleep! SOme Mums continue cluster feeds for longer but don't DF at all. If it seems to make your LOs sleep worse then stop sooner!

Good luck!
Ruth

[Tay]

Hi there!
I would say that whatever works for you keep it up, having a baby sleep (and you as a result ) is the most important thing! But Tracy does suggest stopping CF at around 8 weeks...

It sounds pretty common to me the number of times your LO wakes up during the night, have you seen this link yet?
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=98183.0

Tracy only suggests stopping the DF at around 7 months, when the LO is well established in solids, but some mums here stick with it for a bit longer; again, because it works for them and helps their LOs sleep a bit more.

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.
xx

[Mia's Mommy]

Thank you both!

I'll keep you posted.

[~ Vik ~]

Just wanted to jump on with a different perspective - we cluster fed much longer, until over 3mo if I remember right, and Dylan was a full term BIG baby.  Especially with breastfeeding (in the evenings our supplies are generally lower) you may find that you need to feed more frequently.  If you were thinking about dropping the cluster feeding around 8w, make sure that it's adjusted age.  Up until about 1yo or so it's important to think of everything with adjusted age - Even though she's almost 3mo, remember that for one month she still should have been inside!  So her development (frequency of feeds, sleep requirements, even starting solids and the like) should be looked at with her adjusted age in mind

[hatshetsut]

My DD2 was a month early and has always lagged behind developmentally. We cluster fed until 4 months because it helped to minimize the night feeds and she never took to a DF. BF babies generally are very good about pacing themselves and if they aren't interested they don't eat. I'd keep cluster feeding until your LO becomes less interested in the feeds or refuses some entirely.

Just my two cents :-)

[Mia's Mommy]

Thanks Vikki and hatshetsut!

Mia wakes up right on the 2 hr mark in the evenings and roots, so I don't normally have to wake her for the cluster feed. Like Vikki said, w/ BFing and lower supply in the evening, I think it's natural that she is hungry more often then.

Hatshetsut, when did your preemie begin sleeping through the nite? My hubby reminds me that Mia is just so little and is catching up to full term babies, so we don't put a lot of pressure on her to sleep though the nite. I am just so exhausted, and being a new mom is overwhelming at times, that I think, "if only I can just get more sleep?"....  I have a really hard time falling asleep. Even when hubby takes over for dreamfeed and Mia goes to sleep for 4-5 hrs. It can take me an hour or more to finally doze off. I'm going to call my dr and see what she recommends. I've tried chamomile tea, and menatonin... some days it works, but mostly not...

[hatshetsut]

I'm probably not the right one to as LOL! We started getting longer stretches at night around 4-5 months. She still wakes and needs resettling regularly, if I have a night of no wake-ups that is a miracle to be honest. Mostly because she is used to AP and we have really had to crack down on the rocking/holding to sleep. We've started PU/PD last month and that has helped.

Definitely chat with your doc, you need your rest!