Please talk to me about NIGHT FEEDS, DREAM FEEDS, and WHEN TO DROP!

[Kimberlina]

Hey mamas!

Even though this is DS2, this my first time being so successful with breastfeeding (8 months!!!) and I'm in uncharted territory.

We are in a crazy APOP / AP cycle and I stick my boob in his mouth for literally any occasion. Wind direction changes, stock market fall, heat wave, early waking, you name it, I nurse because of it!

We are starting to sleep train THIS WEEK and cut all of that out... but please tell me: when can I start discouraging night feeds? When do we stop dream feeding?


I read back over when my DS1 (on formula) had no night feeds, and no dream feeds, and it seems that by 8 months (DS2's age) we had passed all of that...

Impart your EBF BW wisdom! (Ps, he is a WHIZZ at solids.)

[jessmum46]

Never did a dream feed with either of mine, but both stopped night feeds at 7/8 months (both reasonably well-established on solids by then).  It isn't unusual for a breastfed baby to keep a night feed slightly longer though, perhaps you could keep the dream feed for now and try to resettle all other wakings without?  Or at least until a time you deem reasonable.  I know some mums here have kept a 5am-ish feed to buy some extra zzzz in the morning, though that could be a tad confusing if sleep training.

[*Ali*]

You  may find that if you teach him to sleep independently in the day the night feeds reduce by themselves.nthis is what happened with all of mine and then we weaned the last NF/EW feed after 1yo.

Many EBF babies need night feeds until much later. The official advice from WHO and LLL is to feed as often as baby wants day and night until 1yo.

[Kimberlina]

Thanks girls - I'm hoping that you're right, Ali, and with some ST things will calm down a bit...

Here is a horrible question... how do I tell if he's hungry at night?! Just rooting or something?! I literally never know if he's hungry because... see original post.

[*Ali*]

Is he having a full feed with active swallowing or just sucking for a few moments to get back to sleep?

I'd probably assume hunger until you sort out the independent sleep in the day.

[michaeljacknnugg]

I know this is a bit late to the party, but my DS started to drop night feeds as the distance between the day feeds got longer. I think he just got used to taking more at a time, yk? Working on the day first also means you are (hopefully!) a bit more awake and able to think things through.

[Kimberlina]

Hey stopping in to say, THANKS GIRLS!! We are now sleep trained (well... is one ever FULLY sleep trained?! DH included!) and mostly following his lead on night feeds. He seems to do fine without a dreamfeed, and can often make it until 5am for a feed (which is exactly when I'm about to burst!)

Thank you! xx

[michaeljacknnugg]

Yay! Good for you!!