Author Topic: Dreamfeed Trend  (Read 2842 times)

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Offline melbrad

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Dreamfeed Trend
« on: March 29, 2006, 15:18:33 pm »
I'm not sure what's going on, but I wanted someone's opinion.  Usually I give a DF at 10-1030 and my dd wakes up at 1230 (?).  Last night I decidied to give DF at 11 and she woke at 1:00.  It seems that no matter what time I give the DF, she is waking up 2 hrs after it.  Any thoughts?  She's not hungry, I give the paci and soothe and she goes back down.  Should I eliminate the DF?  Is it a digestive issue?  She is a gassy girl at times

Offline teezee

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2006, 16:38:17 pm »
how old is your lo btw?? it may be time to eliminate it as at a point it starts causing more wakings rather than helping.
Tawnya
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June 11, 2005




Offline melbrad

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2006, 02:49:11 am »
Shes 11 weeks old.  I'm thinking of not doing a DF and just feeding her when she wakes.  Prior to starting the DF, I would put her down and she would wake at 1230 to feed.  It's like her body is stuck at this time.  One thought was that if shes waking at this time and I wait to feed her then, maybe it would extend us into the morning.  With the DF at 10 we make it till 330 or 4.  Any thoughts?  Also, I've noticed that with my last feeding at 7, my dd seems hungry as I'm putting her down.  I feed her at 7 and we will have bath around 730 and I try to put her down.  Tonight she was crying like she was hungry, so I nursed her.  She only nursed about 5 minutes and was falling asleep.  I know this is a big no no.  Do I just try to pacify her with a paci or is it considered as a prop?

Offline teezee

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2006, 04:02:24 am »
you could opt to just feed when she wakes at 1230. it wouldn't hurt if you don't mind waking up and feeding.  it is totally your call - the df is suggested so that you can kind of control the times your lo wakes (supposed to be more convenient for you) but if it's not working than try another way...you may find something. i do have to say at 11 weeks i was feeding 2-3 times a night (my dd was preterm and very small...) i do have to question why she is waking so soon after a feeding though...could it be pain? discomfort? is it gas? is she bf? if so, have u tried eliminating anything from your diet?
Tawnya
Mommy to Alecksandria
June 11, 2005




Offline BabyBsMommy

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2006, 01:21:35 am »
Hi melbrad -
Two things that helped us with our lo over the past few weeks who had the same problem (he is now almost 16 weeks old) were:
1. Changed his last feed to after his bath before bed.  In her book, Tracy says this is the one time it is ok to feed before sleep as long as it's the only time.  I just make sure he doesn't go down to bed already asleep.  When he dozes off, I burp him which sometimes wakes him but then I walk over to the change table and swaddle him there which brings him to a more awake state.  Then I walk back to the rocking chair and sit still with him a few more minutes before I put him down.  Again, I make sure he is still a little awake when I put him down and by the time I do these few steps, I have separated the feed from sleep by about 10 min.
2.  My lo was waking 2-3 hours after the df and I knew he wasn't hungry so at first we were able to settle him with pat/ssh in 5-15 min.  Then we had 2 nights where it took over an hour so we decided to try wake to sleep (didn't want to because it hadn't worked for his naps).  We did it last night and it worked!  I went in at 12:30, rubbed his tummy a bit until he sighed and turned his head and he slept another 2.5 hours past the time he usually wakes up.

Maybe these tips will help!
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Offline courtneyandmiles

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2006, 13:44:45 pm »
I would continue w/ the dream feed b/c she needs it for 6-8 mos.  If she always wakes 2 hrs. after the df, you could try wake-to-sleep (in Tracy's book) and wake her an hr. before she usually wakes.  If she takes her paci, that's helpful - at least you don't have to feed her again.  Wake-to-sleep should help.  I"m afraid if you stop the df's, Baby will wake at 4 or 5 instead of 7 a.m.
-court

Offline Elphyrafire

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2006, 19:15:04 pm »
Hi there- I agree with the last poster.
We had the same problem. If I DF at 10 then DS was up at 12:30. If DF at 11 then up at 1:30. We tried wake to sleep and it squashed the 1:30 (we still have trouble with 4:00am wake) but it's worth trying!
So DF at 10:30  and then if lo usually wakes at 12:30 then go in at 11:30 and poke him just enough to make him stir. It takes a bit of practise and they MUST be in a deep sleep for it to work- like"flat out."
HTH
Mom to "Textbook" Jack born Dec 3, 2005
and (?) Rya- Feb 13, 2008

Vancouver, Canada

Offline BabyBsMommy

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2006, 19:36:44 pm »
I stopped the df 3 nights ago on a fluke because I wasn't able to pump enough that day to make it worthwhile and he was very restless and half awake from 9:30-11:30 that night.  He had been taking it for a week before that and waking 1-2 (w2s worked once) and then 3-4 to eat and then 6-7 but was still sleepy.  That night he slept through until 2:45 when he ate and then woke up at 7:15am.  Last night was even better, slept through until 3:45 and then slept until almost 7.  I don't think I'm going to go back to it!
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Offline Kimberly®

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2006, 22:45:09 pm »
A dreamfeed is only good if its working. If your finding that its not then I too would recomend you try another way. Do what works for your LO. We did a dreamfeed till our DD was 5.5 months when we found we had to drop it because it was making her wake due to being wet not hungry. I know many who do fine without it.

As for your nights, I would suggest you move bedtime routine to 6:30-7pm and do the feed last, try not to let your LO fall asleep but if it happend once in a while its ok. The idea is to get her filled up right before she sleeps so she sleeps longer. The odd time falling asleep while feeding is ok as long as you LO doesn't become dependent on it. I'm a big believer in earlier bedtimes. 7pm bedtime is a great starting point. That couple with the 10:30 dreamfeed should give you a few hours of solid sleep before she wakes. If you deside to stick with the dreamfeed I'd actually recomend that the first time she wakes you feed her. You'll probably find that it extends her second waking till it reaches the start of day, then you can work on eliminating the other feed. Try to drop 1 night feed at a time. The second one is usually the easiest.

HTH
Kimberly

Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2006, 17:50:35 pm »
We never did a dreamfeed as it only caused more wakings and made DS angry and being woken. Instead we did clusterfeeding before bedtime and that helped a lot, have you tried that route?
Jessica
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Offline melbrad

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2006, 12:50:29 pm »
In Tracy's book she suggest that night wakeings are usually due to a food problem.  I BF, so it's hard for me to determine how to give more during the day.  The book suggest giving an extra ounce after each feed, but I don't have any BM frozen.  If I give formula-about an ounce after each feed, will it lower my milk supply? 
I'm using the books plan to extend lo to a 4EASY routine, so I don't want to mess with that.  I guess I could cluster b/f bedtime, but when?  Will this mess up my progression to a 4EASY? We usually feed at 7, 1030, 130, 430, 730.  We don't do a DF.  She usually wakes at 1030-1100 for the first night feed.  Then she wakes at 330 for the second. 

Offline courtneyandmiles

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2006, 23:29:35 pm »
QUOTE
In Tracy's book she suggest that night wakeings are usually due to a food problem.  I BF, so it's hard for me to determine how to give more during the day.  The book suggest giving an extra ounce after each feed, but I don't have any BM frozen.  If I give formula-about an ounce after each feed, will it lower my milk supply? 

-If you bf, Tracy says to pump an hr. after every feed, then feed that milk to your lo after the next feed.  That way you don't have to worry about freezing and thawing.  If you give Baby more milk but don't pump, you WILL decrease your supply.  If you think you're supply's fine, but just want Baby to go longer at night, then just cluster and df.

QUOTE I'm using the books plan to extend lo to a 4EASY routine, so I don't want to mess with that.  I guess I could cluster b/f bedtime, but when?  Will this mess up my progression to a 4EASY? We usually feed at 7, 1030, 130, 430, 730.  We don't do a DF.  She usually wakes at 1030-1100 for the first night feed.  Then she wakes at 330 for the second.

-I'd cluster at 5:30 and 7:30, 2 hrs. apart before bed. It won't  mess you up. Also, if you don't want her to get in the habit of waking at 10:30-11, you could df and wake HER, then you could phase it out later.


Offline melbrad

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #12 on: April 26, 2006, 01:35:57 am »
Thanks! Tonight was difficult.  I fed her at 715 and we tried for bed at 730.  She started to scream after 5 minutes.  I tried the pat/shush but I just felt she was hungry so I tried to nurse again.  She fell asleep so I put her in the crib.  After 5 minutes she started to scream.  I wanted to see if it was a food issue so I fixed 4 ounces of formula.  She sucked it down as if she was starving and went to sleep.  It's been 10 minutes and she's still asleep.  I did a pre and post weight with her the other day and the 1030 feed she took in 4 ounces.  The lactation nurse said this was fine.  I will pump tomorrow.  How many days should I dothis?  i'll also start the cluster feed.  Thanks for the advice :)

Offline courtneyandmiles

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2006, 19:21:42 pm »
Tracy says for a growth spurt, to pump an hr. after each feed for 3 DAYS.  If you don't want to pump, her other option (my choice, personally) is to let baby suckle both sides TWICE, even if it seems she's not getting anything b/c it will stimulate your body to produce more milk.  My Dd is going through her 7.5 mo. spurt, and she naturally wants to suckle longer:  usually she just pulls off when she's done and feeds quicly.

I find that when I'm in the midst of a problem that I don't yet have a solution for, I write everything down.  If I can't figure it out, at least I can get it out of my mind and onto the page, and patterns will start to emerge later.  Here's a neat synchronicity:  I saw "the perfect day," a made-up routine for a baby, in a baby magazine.  I clipped and pasted it into my baby journal where I keep track of my baby's days.  Within two day, we had OUR perfect day.  But don't ask me about the day after that (growth spurt started).

-court

Offline yaya

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Re: Dreamfeed Trend
« Reply #14 on: April 30, 2006, 19:01:46 pm »
I have A Df question..we have been doign a DF for about a week now qith no diff (only that ds is at least getting the ounces in!) as he still wakes all the time!! Do u think I should try dropping it to see how things go?