Author Topic: Dropping the dreamfeed  (Read 1236 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Olivia's Mommy

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 8
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 589
  • Location: Springfield, MO (USA)
Dropping the dreamfeed
« on: November 02, 2005, 21:17:58 pm »
When do you drop the dreamfeed, and how do you go about it? I thought I saw a post about this here once, but I can't seem to find it now that I'm looking for it. Does anyone know?
Nancy
Missouri, USA




Offline Tammy: Ethan & Kaden's Mom

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 14
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 828
  • Location:
Dropping the dreamfeed
« Reply #1 on: November 02, 2005, 22:29:21 pm »
Hi Nancy.  Tracy suggests dropping the dreamfeed when your lo has solids firmly established, usually around 7 months or so, I believe.

To drop the df, you need to decrease the amount you are giving your lo at that feed, and add it to their daytime feeds.  I'll tell you how we did it with my ds:

My ds was taking 5 six ounce bottles a day.  We gave the df at 10 pm.  Our schedule was bottles at 7, 11, 3, 7, with df at 10 (most people say they do the df at 11 pm, but I chose 10 pm as it wasn't too late!!!)

To decrease, you take one ounce away from the df bottle at a time, and add that 1 oz. to their daytime bottle.  I'll use my son's amounts as an example.

Day 1: 

Make breakfast bottle 7 ozs., decrease df bottle to 5 ozs.  Move df up by 30 minutes up 9:30 pm.  Repeat for 3 days.

Day 4:

Make breakfast bottle 7 ozs, lunchtime bottle 7 ozs, and decrease df bottle to 4 ozs.  Move df up by 30 minutes to 9 pm.  Repeat for 3 days.

Day 7:

Make breafast bottle, lunchtime bottle, and afternoon bottle 7 ozs, and decrease df bottle to 3 ozs.  Move df up by 30 minutes to 8:30 pm.  Repeat for 3 days.

Day 10:

Make all 4 daytime bottles 7 ozs (in total giving him 28 ozs a day).  Decrease df to 2 oz.  Move df up by 30 minutes to 8:00 pm.  Repeat for 3 days.

Day 13:

Drop df altogether.

Ok, so that's if everything goes as planned.  For us, I never moved his df earlier than about 8:30.  And I also gave him 3 oz, and then 2 oz bottles for longer than 3 days.  All in all, it probably took me the better part of a month to get him completely weaned.  But when I did, we haven't looked back, and he hasn't had nightwakings either.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions too.

Good luck!



Offline Olivia's Mommy

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 8
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 589
  • Location: Springfield, MO (USA)
Dropping the dreamfeed
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2005, 02:16:47 am »
Thanks! That is so helpful! My LO is only 6 months, but is doing pretty well on solids (hasn't started meats yet, but doc said we can anytime). I'm thinking about trying to drop the DF in about a month or so. It would be nice to not have to worry about it through the hoidays.

Thanks for the info. I'm sure I'll be in touch when I get started as I'll have TONS of questions, no doubt!
Nancy
Missouri, USA