Author Topic: Still dreamfeeding at 8 months -want to stop!  (Read 1412 times)

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Offline anna and adam

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Still dreamfeeding at 8 months -want to stop!
« on: December 05, 2005, 13:25:43 pm »
Adam wakes up ideally around seven, often 6:30. He has a huge bf on waking followed by breakfast around 8. He will eat dried apricot pure (for the iron) with yoghurt and porridge. Then play until around 9 when he has a nap, usually for about 1-1.5 hr.
He dropped the 11 bf a few weeks ago and is now much more interested in his solids at 12-yesterday he had spaghetti bolognaise with a cheese sauce, sweet potato pure followed by grated apple and yoghurt followed by a banana...
Nap again around one for about 1-1.5 hr. Bf at 3, how much depends on how much solids he had for lunch. Dinner at 5.30. Bath at 6.15, 6.45 baby einstein dvd! Then bf at 7:15 and bed at 7.30
My problem is that I am still doing the dreamfeed at 10. I tried to stop it a few weeks ago but he woke up hungry around 2 in the morning, and I eventually gave in and fed him. The baby whisperer book gives detailed advice for the bottle feeder how to add so many ounces of formula to each bottle during the day but leaves the breastfeeder with the simple instruction to 'cluster feed'. Any ideas?

Offline Windsurfer's mum

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dream feeding
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2005, 14:07:48 pm »
I am starting to wonder how the df will end. it is one of the best bfs my 7 month old has in the day!! He gets distracted in the day easily. I may follow an idea i read on this site which is to put the df forward by 10 mins  every few nights until it is the same time as the last bf
Any other ideas?
clare
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Offline beccarman

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Still dreamfeeding at 8 months -want to stop!
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2005, 14:48:35 pm »
also bfing a 7mth old and want to cut out the dream feed...any ideas would be fab!!
thanks!


Offline GraceKellysmom

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Still dreamfeeding at 8 months -want to stop!
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2005, 02:03:23 am »
For the OP, 3 bfs a day for an 8 month old is not enough, imho. 4 is ideal. If you need to decrease the solids to get him to eat at the 11, that is my first suggestion. If that doesn't work after a few days, my second suggestion is to make the dinner larger and push back the bf to after bath time.

The calories intake will definately play into nightwakings at this point, but so will teething and developmental milestones.
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Still dreamfeeding at 8 months -want to stop!
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2005, 13:34:54 pm »
Is it more important to up the milk in the day with the view to dropping the df or to keep on with the bottle at 3pm which he does not like so only has about 3oz ?  prehaps I should use the bottle at the df and have one ready for the morning?   :?:
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Offline GraceKellysmom

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Still dreamfeeding at 8 months -want to stop!
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2005, 20:30:14 pm »
This is probably going to be a matter of your preference. I think it is normal for a baby to wake once to feed, even up to 9 months old. If you like the dreamfeed, he likes the dreamfeed, and he sleeps well after the dreamfeed, then stick with it. If you prefer to let him sleep (skip df) and just see if he wakes up later, than try it. It can take a week or so to adjust after making a change like dropping the df, so if you do it, give him some time to get used to it.
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Offline Windsurfer's mum

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Still dreamfeeding at 8 months -want to stop!
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2005, 12:25:25 pm »
:D  :D thanks I shall still df I like the closness
clare
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Offline anna and adam

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Still dreamfeeding at 8 months -want to stop!
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2005, 11:34:19 am »
Thanks for ides re stopping the dream feed both in the easy forum and BF forum. I have been thinking about it over the last week and decided that 'if it aint broke why fix it' just for now. I agree that I should have kept insisting on the 11 o'clock daytime feed but now that he no longer asks for it and has progressed so well with his solids I don't want to go back so I have decided to just keep doing the dreamfeed for another month or so, and try to gradually make it shorter as his solids intake increases. I have also read the interview with Tracy, on the website, about sleep and she has some advice there involving breastfeeding 8 month olds at all times of the day! Not quite sure about that...must have misread! I would like to add that I absolutely belive in EASY, I knew nothing about babies and was waking up at all hours of the night to feed until I started reading the book and within days we were all sleeping through.

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Still dreamfeeding at 8 months -want to stop!
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2005, 11:40:00 am »
i know my story is not about a BF baby but i just wanted to second what Stacy said.  we tried to drop the Df at 8 mo (we kept waiting for her to increase daytime feeds but it was not happening)  As we started to wean off of it (bottle fed) it was going fine but when we got down to 4oz at 9:00 we got stuck as she was till not taking more in the morning and started waking earlier - we struggled through for 1 1/2 weeks of early wakings (keeping the Df at 9-9:30pm) before i broke down in an exhausted state and returned to it (still only 4 oz though, but at 10pm) and we got our later wake time back 6:30-7am) now another 1-2 weeks later (9 mo) we decided to drop it cold turkey and after 2 days of her waking between 10-11pm but resettling we have not looked back and are fine form bedtime to morning.  some babies i think do need that little extra after 7-7:30pm.  olivia has always preferred to eat more after midday or so and stocks up at bedtime feed...

this is where i think you have to work with what is best for you and your lo.
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Offline anna and adam

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Decided to be happy with the dreamfeed for now
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2005, 12:06:48 pm »
Thanks for ideas re stopping the dream feed both in the easy forum and BF forum. I have been thinking about it over the last week and decided that 'if it aint broke why fix it' just for now. I agree that I should have kept insisting on the 11 o'clock daytime feed but now that he no longer asks for it and has progressed so well with his solids I don't want to go back so I have decided to just keep doing the dreamfeed for another month or so, and try to gradually make it shorter as his solids intake increases. I have also read the interview with Tracy, on the website, about sleep and she has some advice there involving breastfeeding 8 month olds at all times of the day! Not quite sure about that...must have misread! I would like to add that I absolutely belive in EASY, I knew nothing about babies and was waking up at all hours of the night to feed until I started reading the book and within days we were all sleeping through.