Cluster & Dream Feeding Support/Chat

[* Paula *]

When we did the cluster feeding we would make up a normal size bottle - at that stage we were on 4 oz bottles too, and DD would take 4 oz at each feed  - We did not do the DF as she would never take it, so it worked quite well for us.

[Peanut24]

Hi, I am new to this forum and looking for advice on dreamfeeding.  I have been following the BW routine (3-3.5 hours) without doing the dreamfeed.  My 11 week old (weighs 16 pounds) would have his last feed at 8:30pm and then wake up at 2 and 5am.

Now that we have started doing the dreamfeed at around 10:30pm with a last feed at 7:30pm, he now wakes up anywere between 1:30-3am to feed (6 oz bottle), quick wake up at 5am (no feed) and then awake again at 6:30am to start his day.  It has been a week and he still does not sleep through the night with the DF.  The other problem is that he only take 2-3 ounces during DF.

My LO will eat between 5-6.5 oz at each feed (x5). 

As per a section of the BW book, should I maybe reduce his last feed so he takes more at the dreamfeed or should I feed him at 7pm and wait until 11pm  to make sure he`s really hungry as he is a big boy...any help would be greatly appreciated.

[grahamsmama]

I think before I reduced the last feed, I would first play around with the DF time.  It might be nothing more than the point in his sleep cycle when you are feeding him.  And because I'm absolutely against staying awake any longer than I have to, I would actually move the DF up to 10 first.  See  if that makes any difference.  If not, then try moving it later.  If that doesn't work, then try moving the last feed up a bit. 
Anyway, that's the way I would do it.  There isn't a right or wrong answer, I don't think.  You just have to find what's right for your lo.  We did our last feed of the day at 6:30 and DF at 9 for a long time and it worked out well. 

[Peanut24]

  Thanks for your advice.  Recently I have done the DF at 10:45pm with a last feed at 7:30pm...he seems to sleep until 4-4:30am.  Is that good or should I still play around with the times to see if I can get him to strecth it out and take more food at the DF.

[grahamsmama]

If you're feeling good about it, I think that is a nice long stretch for an 11-12 week old.  Many babies are still having one NW to feed at this age.  If it were me, I would just leave it be (if it isn't broken, don't fix it!) and as he gets bigger he'll probably stretch that EW later.

[adinawollner]

Hi, I need some help with the cluster feeds.

I have twins and they have a dream feed no later than 11 and cluster feed either at 4 and 6 or 5 and 7. (Depends whether they woke up at 7 or 8 or in between.)
 Last night Yardena(She is an Angel baby from what I read from the textbook and she was born 6.8 lbs -last weigh in she was almost 13 lbs 4 wks ago) went to sleep at 8, stirred at 5, and fell back asleep till 7:30. I feel like raising my hands to the sky and praising the big man upstairs! However, she feel asleep from 8:30 to 9:45, we had to go out for the next nap, so she napped in the stroller from 11:15-12:00, fell asleep from 2:15 (again in the stroller I tried to make it home  ) until 3:30 did not take a cat nap (was exausted, but would not go to sleep properly in the crib) and passed out after the 6:00 cluster feed (She eats 120 ml, however this time she ate an addition 60-90 ml)
Am I not feeding her enough during the day? Am I doing the cluster feeds to early? Should I increase her formula at the dream feed? I need another night of sleep.

Now, in terms of Asher, he is another baby altogether! He is having a much harder time falling asleep in the crib. They used to sleep with us, and I do PU/PD. I find he goes to sleep better if I just put him in the crib. He doesn't cry and he could be up for at least a half hour, but then eventually falls asleep. Which is what I am aiming for right? Wait until you read his day and night last night, than you can see I am doing something wrong.

he barely takes naps and last night was a disaster (He was born 6.3.lbs and last weigh in he was 11 and half lbs he also takes 120, but takes a much longer time to finish his bottle)
He was awake by seven missed first two morning naps, slept from 2:15 to 4:05, had cluster feeds at 6, slept from 8 to 11:00 dream feed, woke up at 1:30 hysterical,tried sleeping with him in my bed, up every 20 minutes (at least i think he was, i know I was up every 20 minutes  ) until 5:30 am, fell asleep for about an hour, had a bottle 6:30, woke back up at 7:30 went to sleep at 11:15 till 1 (woke up a few times but my husband was able to shush him back to sleep. we had to go out today so he slept in the stroller) slept a few minutes anytime from 2:15 to 4, missed cat nap, but than passed out in my husband"s arms around 5:50. tried to put  him in crib, woke right back up. had full 120 ml at 6 but is up right now.
I know I am doing something wrong, but what?

Please tell me if this is affected by the cluster and dream feeds and please help me. I am severely sleep deprived, over stressed, and am becoming more and more anxious with each exausting night.
I know EASY isnt easy (personally i feel they should just get rid of the You time, it doesn't exist) but I need a breaK!
Thanks
Looking forward to your feed back.

[grahamsmama]

When I read about Asher's sleep, my first thought is OT.  Since you said he missed his first two morning naps, that sounds likely.  I would say my first priority for him would be to try to get him more daytime sleep, easier said than done, I know. 
For Yardena, your cluster feeds sound like they're at the right time.  If she'll take more during the DF, go ahead and give her a bigger feeding.  I do think she sounds a bit OT, too, maybe that's why she won't go to sleep in her crib?
I really don't think your problem is so much the timing/amount of the cluster/dream feeds, but more getting on an EASY routine. 

[Wei]

I have 2 twin girls, almost 7 weeks old... and I have been clusterfeeding at 6 and 8pm (right to bed after).  I've been doing the dreamfeed for a couple weeks now and it's such a struggle!  One, it's hard to get them to take the darn thing...(FF from bottle) and another... they might take 1 oz or slightly more.  There was one night where they actually took the whole thing and that was the night they only took one feed afterwards.  However, it's never happened again.  I'm rather frustrated with it... not sure what else I can do.  Usually for DF (happens around 10pm) it takes me 10 min at least with fiddling with the bottle before they finally take it... and I usually have to pop it back in there 3-4 times before I get fed up.  They tend ot squirm away...

For 8pm, I usually give them a full 3-4 ounces... and 6pm I BF, at 4pm... they get about 3 oz... oddly enough up until 6 weeks old they were ravenous but since then they have been eating less than before in total.  Not sure why, maybe metabolism has stabilized?  I just find that after the DF... all their other night feeds (2 usually at least) they do not seem as hungry and stop showing hunger interest after 2 oz (although they still manage to be coaxed to taking 3 oz).

Am I doing something wrong?  I'm just get extremely frustated with this dreamfeed.  Tempted to give it up altogether if it doesn't work in another week.  Just seems they last no longer than 2-3 hours... only once they lasted 4.5 hours (I was so elated!).

Wei

[* Paula *]

The DF does not work for every lo, and if you say that you have been trying for a couple of weeks now without sucess, I would agree with you and definitley give it up.  For an oz or two, it really is not worth it. 

Sometimes the DF can actually affect your lo's night time sleep, as they are disturbed, and are more unsettled for the rest of the night.  This sounds like what is happening with you and your twins.  Perhaps, when you are offering the DF and trying to get them to take the bottle even though they are asleep it is stimulating them too much, and this is what is causing the night wakings, not acutally out of hunger.

If your lo's are doing well with the cluster feeding, I would just consider keeping up with the clusters.  Then at least you have the evening to yourself.

Hugs, keep us posted on how things go.

[babymunkey]

Hi all

Quick question, which I think I've asked before in a post about NWs, but couldn't remeber the reply or find the post.

Wanted to ask if there is a recommended limit to the DF? Our lo will take a varying amount each night, but at 5 months, and probably about 15lbs, will sometimes take 220/230ml. Is this too much? should we restrict it or let him have what he wants?

We do sometimes get odd wakenings at about 1 am (either cries out in his sleep, sometimes we hear him parping, or a quick resttle by us) and I wondered if this could be caused by tummy trouble from his DF - am keeing a record to see if it happens on the nights he takes more, but no pattern yet. Is that too much? As he's BF at other times, I don't really have a benchmark for what is an average feed.....

His feeds on an average day go something like:

6.30/7 - BF, single side 10-15 mins
10.30/11 - BF, both sides, 10-15 mins
2/2.30 - BF, both sides
5.30 - BF, both sides
6.30/7 - bottle before bed, will take between 100 - 200 ml

We sometimes have a nightfeed between 4.30 and 5.30, at which he'll take about 100 ml

H

H

[Mogsjap]

Hi all,

Im looking for some advice with my dd, she's 6wks today and we've had a terrible time with colic..... which hopfully seams to be better now with colif and infacol. 

Im trying to get her in to a routin.... each time ive tryed we've had another bout of colic and it throws everything out the window.

She goes to bed at 8pm in the nite after a bath & bottle, up in her room, she settles her self with the dummy or some times with out.  If she had a feed at 6 i still try her with a few oz at 8pm as part of her routin...... i then try and give her a df at 10/11 ish, the first couple of times we did it she drank the whole bottle, but will now only take a oz or two. She then wakes between 2 and 3.30 for a bottle, then settles for another 3/4 hours...... if she's looking for food at 6/6.30 i feed her then but she'll be looking for more when im taking my son to school so i usualy give her a top up at 8am.

Is there any changes you could advice for me on.  Like all mothers i cant wait for her to sleep tho (my son never did till he was 18months ish).

Am i doing the df right? if not can you advices me.

What about cluster feeds? again can you advices me.

[* Paula *]

Babymonkey, I would say that if your lo is happy with that amount I would continue to give the bigger bottle.  if he did not want it all he would take less.

A lot of lo's do have wakeful periods at night  and as long as he settles quickly, I would say that it is fine.

Mogsjap, the DF does not always work for everyone.  I would suggest playing around with the DF timing a bit, perhaps try around 10:30ish, give it a week, and if you do not see any improvement, then you can consider cluster feeding.

[Wei]

About the DF... normal bottles during the day are around 4 oz.  Is it normal to be giving a DF of a bigger bottle... my LO takes 5 oz but I thought I heard that most LOs take 1 oz less than their normal daytime bottle for DF.

Wei

[babymunkey]

Same for us - I put it down to a distraction thing. How old is your lo? From about 4 1/2 months on our lo got harder to feed during the day as he was just too nosy - and he's still nigh on impossible to feed away from home....I figured that the Df is hte only time he's not nosing at other stuff - tbh even then I have to be careful - if the windows are open and the curtain flaps he's off looking at that even half asleep!

[* Paula *]

I guess it varies.  If your lo is happy taking that amount and is sleeping well I would leave it at that.