how to stop dreamfeed at 7months old

[claire1711]

Hi, not sure if this is the right forum and feelfree to let me know where is best to post but I'm looking for some advice on stopping the dream feed without creating a might feed! My DS is 7 months old and has a BF at 7am, 11am, 3pm & 6.30pm plus 6oz formula at 7pm plus 3 meals,he is also taking a dream feed of approx 6-8oz formula at 10.30pm I have seen different advice on how to drop the feed either reducing the amountor bringing the feed time earlier.....any advice on which is better or easier?

Thanks so much x

[Buttonbobs]

I'm not sure if any are better or necessarily easier but I think it probably depends on the LO in question. I am currently mid DF wean with my 9 month old DD and have opted to go for reducing amounts and bringing the feed earlier. We used to give the feed at 10.30pm and it was 6oz of which she usually drank 5oz -ish. For four days we did 4oz at 10pm and we have just done four nights of 3oz and 9.30pm. It seems to be going well so far, we haven't had any NF or disturbances at about 10.30, even though she often used to wake at around that time. I wanted to reduce amounts slowly to help increasing the intake during the daytime feeds but I also wanted to bring it earlier in case DD had got stuck with slight wakening at 10.30. I also have several friends IRL who have just stopped cold turkey, but their LOs had started to self-wean I think, taking less at the DF before it was stopped.

Whatever you decide, good luck xx

[claire1711]

Thanks, will let you know how it goes! Xx

[claire1711]

Hmm not doing so well, did 3 days down to 7oz at 10pm which was fine and then 3 days at 6oz at 9.45pm which was also ok but when moved down to 5oz at 9.30pm we had a 4am wakeup, he was hungry, had a full breastfeed and wouldn't go back to sleep! Have gone back to 10pm feeding just 5oz, any advice on where to go with this?!
Thanks Xx

[Buttonbobs]

Sorry to hear you've had some night wakings with this. We have been too, all I can advise is what I did, and it worked for us. I made sure I was giving extra milk in the daytime bottles to allow E to drink more during the day & hope that she wil get enough in over the day to prevent a night waking. We've had some unsettled nights but E has had a cold & is possibly teething so I'm not sure if that's causing her wakings.

Is your LO taking more milk in now during the day?

I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but is there a reason why you brought the time of the feeds forward by 15 minutes, rather than 30?

I hope you have a better night tonight.

[scruffymax]

I personally would keep the feed time/amount at the point where he is sleeping through for at least a few days, and then try to reduce it again.

We are mid DF wean with my 6.5 month old; I'm taking it really slowly and only really started as she drastically reduced how much she was drinking at DF (from 200ml down to 120ml) so I'm now just giving her 100ml, and I'll probably drop it to 80ml next week.  It's nice not to have to pump so much EBM 

[Buttonbobs]

That sounds like a good idea scruffymax. How're you doing Claire?

[claire1711]

Hmm not so well, we were getting a full night on 5oz but now he's awake at 4am again and takong a full feed. I'm breastfeeding during the day and the DF is the only bottle feed I'm giving so impossible to know how much he is taking during the day.
Can't see an end to this till I give up BF all together
Xx

[Buttonbobs]

Sorry to hear things are not great. Is it possible the waking at 4am is habitual rather than hunger, but he is hungry enough to feed? Have you tried not feeding at that time & trying to increase daytime feeds by feeding more in the day? I'm not breastfeeding anymore so don't know how this would work in practice, perhaps someone on the BF boards would have some btdt ideas. Hugs xx

[claire1711]

Hi, I don't think its habit as he was really hungry and hasn't woken at that time for months. I've tried increasing the daytime feeds and hoping that will help. I dropped in 15min slots and not 30 mins coz I thought it would be easier, is that wrong?. No waking last night so will keep it the same for a few nights and try again!
Thanks to all u wonderful people, its great to know you are out there for support Xx

[Buttonbobs]

Hiya, I really don't think there is anything wrong with doing 15 min slots - you know your baby & this is probably the right thing for you to do

Sounds like it's going well really, there are bound to be hiccoughs on the way. My DD had been doing well since the DF disappeared just over a week ago, but having got her sleep back on track at night she's been teething. If it's not one thing it's another.

Keep going as you are, you're doing brilliantly xx