Dropping the Dreamfeed, when and how?

[charlibabes]

It's taken me a couple of months to get DD on a solid routine where she naps at regular times, sleeps from 7.30 to 5-6.30 and goes to sleep by herself.  She is 7 months now.

Initially the Dreamfeed wasn't working as she had colicy wind and it would just cause her to wake a couple of hours later, now however we seem to have it sussed, but I want to know how and when to drop it.

I tried cold turkey last night and decided to give her sugared water if she woke... I usually do the feed around 10-10.30, but she woke at 11.15 would not go back to sleep and refused the water (she hates bottles anyway) I fed her and I am thinking she must have needed it as she woke this morning an hour later than normal (6.45 instead of 5.45).. and of course 11.15 was feeding her an hour later than normal too.

What diod others do and when?

[Harvey and Theos Mam]

I was just reading about this as i like to plan ahead. lol

One thread says to start whittling it down at around 7 months and to do it 15 mins earlier every 3days. So from 11pm to 10:45pm for 3 days and then !0:30pm the next 3 days and so on.
It did say that we have start the cluster feeds again though and i am not sure i like this idea, but will have to give it a go i guess.

I think we totally cut out the d/f at around 9pm.

Would like to see how you go as it will help me when my time comes. Theo isn't on solids yet but sleeps through til between  5-7am.

[RachelC]

Here's the link:

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=61217.msg447453#msg447453

I did not start cluster feeding again when we phased out the df, just moved it earlier and earlier.

~Rachel

[charlibabes]

im not sure that sugared water deal is a good idea, or necessary... why sugared water?

It is an old midwive trick apparantly, it was only if she woke looking for food, I wouldn't wake her to df it instead of milk.

[Samuel's mum]

I have to say I would agree with Stacy about the sugared water. If she has teeth it could be potentially very damaging (much more so than breastmilk which contains antibody inhibitors that prevent the development of the bacteria that causes dental decay). Even if she doesn't have teeth the same 'strep mutans' bacteria in her mouth will thrive on the sugar. There are also issues about introducing sugar into the gut and potentially imbalancing the growth of yeast.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/tooth-decay.html

I would suggest just plain water. I think old wives/midwives/fish wives occasionally suggest some stuff that we can perhaps live without!

[charlibabes]

I thought it a bit odd, it was only a small amount of sugar, less than in juice I would imagine,  and she wouldn't drink it anyway.

She is feeding for a good 10 mins, so how can I lessen that to get the calories in in the day?  even if I back the df up 15 mins each 3 nighths as suggested she will still be taking the calories... by backing it up do we assume she takes less each time as she gets closer to the bedtime feed?

[daisymelan]

Eventually that feed and the last of the evening feeds will be at the same time.  Therefore, your lo is expecting it at that time and so is your supply.

[Marci]

I was doing the DF at 10:00 until DS was about 7months.  i was too nervous to go cold turkey.  He was sleeping so good that I didn't want him to wake up hungry.  I followed fairly closely to what the book said.  I changed the DF to 9:30 for 3 days than to 9:00 for 3 days.... etc.  until his last feed was at 7:30.  I was really nervous that it would mess up his sleeping schedule, but it worked like a charm.  If you try it in the 30 minute increments and DD is waking, then I would try 15 min increments.  Good Luck!!  I also started in on a weekend so that if DS did wake up it wasn't a work day.