Author Topic: Dropping the dream feed  (Read 2002 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline mlindsey

  • New, But Posting Steadily!
  • **
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 85
  • Location:
Dropping the dream feed
« on: November 11, 2005, 17:32:06 pm »
My daughter has just turned 9 mths old.  we are still giving her a dream feed at 11pm because she hasn't been sleeping through the night every night.  & she has a hard time finishing her bottle at her feeding during the day.  i really think that we need to stop the dream feed...especially since she will often only take 2 oz at this feeding.  But i'm not sure how to add more ounces during the day.  she has reflux & will only eat about 4 oz at a meal...& this usually takes some time for her to finish.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  i have read about how to drop the dream feed...but i don't think this will work for us.  Should we just drop it completely?  Do you think she is weaning herself?

Offline Deb_in_oz

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 615
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 16300
  • personal development blogger
  • Location: Brisbane, Australia
Dropping the dream feed
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2005, 20:09:11 pm »
well olivia will be 9 mo in a week and we tried the weaning off Df plan but she would nopt add any opz to daytime (never finishes existing bottles anyway - except bedtime bottle) and even when reducing thre DF she still did not wake hungry - does not generally eat much of anything for breakfast.

well last night Dh and i decided to go cold turkey and see how it goes over the weekend. usually sleeps til about 6:40 give or take 10-15 min.

woke at 5:45am!! and woudl not resettle so by 6:15 i got a bottle ready - and she took 170ml (6 oz) usually takes between 90-130ml so that is great!  i know we were naive to think she would sleep through til normal wake time, but now we can see if the extra eating in day will translate into a little better tonight.

will let you know how it goes
Debra - a New Yorker living in Australia married to a Brit

dd1 - Textbook/Angel, born July 2003
dd2 - Spritied through & through, born Feb 2005

Check out my website:   Home Life Simplified
Like my Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/HomeLifeSimplified

Offline mlindsey

  • New, But Posting Steadily!
  • **
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 85
  • Location:
Dropping the dream feed
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2005, 05:53:15 am »
thanks for sharing.  we also may have to drop the DF cold turkey & see what happens.  sometimes Sophia wakes early in the morning now.  we wait for awhile (she usually just whines) & then try to get her back to sleep without feeding.  but she can sometimes whine for almost 2 hours.  i'm assuming that she is hungry during this time.  but when we have caved in the past & fed her...she still wouldn't eat much.  & at breakfast she's really not that hungry.  anyway, if you have any more suggestions, please let me know.  thanks!

Offline Deb_in_oz

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 615
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 16300
  • personal development blogger
  • Location: Brisbane, Australia
Dropping the dream feed
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2005, 07:31:50 am »
i would definitely say try to get rid of the DF.  i know it is only our first day but so far it has been worth it. we tried weaning off the DF but never saw any improvement in daytime feeding to compensate for the loss of DF...

she ate more bottle than usual for first bottle - but still ate very little at breakfast solids (i don't know how she is not starving after 12+ hours since bedtime bottle  :shock: ) - 2 tiny bits of toast and some banana chunks  :roll: , and then when i tried to put her down for nap she was crying for food  :shock:  and drank an additional 130 ml (4 oz) bottle and did a great nap  :D


we will do her bedtime bottle in less than an hour and i am hoping that tonight she will sleep at least a little later - fingers crossed.  today was one of our best eating days ever - we usually have abattle at least 1 bottle of the day (and often refuses the 3-4pm bottle entirely but today fed great)  . hope i have not jinxed things (happens all the time on theis site as soon as i write about something)
Debra - a New Yorker living in Australia married to a Brit

dd1 - Textbook/Angel, born July 2003
dd2 - Spritied through & through, born Feb 2005

Check out my website:   Home Life Simplified
Like my Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/HomeLifeSimplified

Offline mlindsey

  • New, But Posting Steadily!
  • **
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 85
  • Location:
Dropping the dream feed
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2005, 13:49:22 pm »
yeah we definitely want to drop this feeding...i think she might eat better in the day.  but today she actually ate about 4oz less than usual (she often refuses the bottle).  But i will still try to feed her according to Tracy's method of weaning the DF.  & we will see.  i sort of expect her to wake early.  but she also skipped a nap today & seems really tired.  sometimes this makes it harder for her to sleep well...& sometimes it helps.  so we will see.  thanks again for the encouragement.  we will really try not to feed her at night if she does wake up.  it's funny how at night she seems like she's starving (if she wakes)...yet during the day (even at breakfast), she would rather do anything but eat.  :) 

so the plan is to feed her less at her DF...at 10:30 for 3 days...gradually decreasing ounces...even if we can't get her to eat more during the day.  Let you know how it goes.  :)

Offline Deb_in_oz

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 615
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 16300
  • personal development blogger
  • Location: Brisbane, Australia
Dropping the dream feed
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2005, 03:54:07 am »
good luck - ;ast night and today were not as good but i am trying to find the courage to stick with it and not offer Df tonight.

last night she woke 3 times but thankfully resettled herself each time in 5-15 minutes.  we dont't ever have nightwakings so not fun! then when she did wake for the day at 6:15 she only took 3 oz so not as good as the day before!
Debra - a New Yorker living in Australia married to a Brit

dd1 - Textbook/Angel, born July 2003
dd2 - Spritied through & through, born Feb 2005

Check out my website:   Home Life Simplified
Like my Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/HomeLifeSimplified