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Author Topic: Cluster feeding or Dream Feed?  (Read 943 times)

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Offline nicabery

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Cluster feeding or Dream Feed?
« on: December 25, 2005, 17:15:29 pm »
My DS is 10.5 weeks and has been cluster fed since I started EASY at 4,6 and 8pm and would then have a dream feed at about 10.45pm. Two weeks ago he weaned himself off the dream feed and started sleeping from 8pm until about 4am which is great. I'm finding the evenings exhausting though and am thinking about stopping the cluster feeding, feeding him at 4.30pm and7.30pm and reintroducing the dream feed at about 10.30pm. This way he'll get the same amount of food but it should push him through until about 7.30am which is his wake up time. Can anyone give me their thoughts on this idea and whether they have tried it and it's worked.
Thanks
Nic
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Offline Erin (redstarfalling)

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Cluster feeding or Dream Feed?
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2005, 15:49:05 pm »
I never did the dreamfeed, so I have no personal advice for you!  But it sounds reasonable, so I'd be willing to give it a try...
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Erin
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Offline Mom2katiebug

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Cluster feeding or Dream Feed?
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2005, 18:23:52 pm »
We did CF and had a failed attempt at DF, but are going to give it another go for the same reasons that you cited.  Our DD naturally weaned one of her CFs about a week ago, but she needs those calories, so we're going to the DF again.  Let me know how it goes!
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Offline melbatarseh

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Cluster feeding or Dream Feed?
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2005, 20:43:22 pm »
I've never been successful with the dream feed, but I was cluster feeding like you did at 4, 6, and 8, and I too found it very exhausting.  I thought I would go insane nursing her all evening long.  The way I got relief was my husband gave her a bottle for the 6 PM feed.  At first,  I pumped while he fed her so she'd have milk for the next day.  After a month of this, I quit pumping and we gave her formula for that feed because I could never pump enough for a full meal (so she had some formula anyway), and because pumping was not really giving me a break.

Also, I just sort of got used to the cluster feeds.  I just changed my attitude about them.  I realized that sitting and nursing (while reading, talking to my husband or a friend, or watching TV) was actually more relaxing and a lot easier than chasing a 1 year old around....and all too soon I would be doing that.  My daughter is 5.5 months old now, and our routine has changed, and nights have gotten very rocky.  I miss the quiet evenings of cluster feeding and then sleeping for 6 or 7 hours.
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