Dream feeding
This week we’ll talk all about dream feeds, the what’s, when’s, why’s and how’s of the dream feed and all you need to know.
I have gotten so many questions about this topic and wanted to go over it with you. So keep reading if you are interested in learning about the dream feed.
What is a Dream feed?
Simply put, a dream feed is a baby’s very last feeding of the day, however, the only difference is that you are feeding baby while he is still asleep (or mostly asleep). The idea is to shift baby's nighttime feeding schedule forward so that it aligns with when the parents go to sleep. In theory, this gives everyone the same long stretch of sleep. I know that might sound a bit confusing and nonsensical to you, but I will explain more in this post.
Popular questions regarding the dream feed
When do babies do a Dream feed?
Parents typically do a dream feed right before they go to sleep for the night, usually taking place at around 10-11 pm. It's usually around three hours or so after baby's bedtime feeding.
Who are dream feeds for?
Most babies do dream feeds between the ages of 6 weeks and about 4-6 months. Some parents continue with the dream feed till a much later age but it's generally done with babies up to 4-6 months.
How do you do a dream feed?
You simply pick your baby up from the crib while they are still asleep and feed them. They are mostly asleep during this feeding, so you shouldn't have any trouble putting them back down afterward. Once the feeding is done, burp your baby if necessary and put them back down in the crib.
How do I know if the dream feed is working or will work for my family?
Simple. Give it time.
You can’t expect to change your baby’s body clock overnight, so you really need to give it a good 5-7 days to see if the dream feed is really making a difference or not.
For example: If your baby usually has a night feed at 2:30 am and you want to shift that feeding to 3:30 am or later, a dream feed can help you accomplish this, but it doesn’t always work for all babies. Some babies, no matter what you do or how many nights you try will still wake the same time afterward with or without the dream feed.
So if you manage to push off your baby’s schedule at night past the 2:30 am mark or the time they usually wake, then great! Keep doing it if you like it, but if you see no change, I advise not really doing the dream feed cause there really is no point.
It’s really that simple!
Four reasons not to do the dream feed:
The dream feed often interrupts deep sleep
If waking your baby is causing your little one to come out of a very deep sleep and have a hard time settling afterward, then it’s probably hindering more than helping. We want babies to get solid sleep and if they’re not going right back to sleep or if they require loads of help getting there then I would not recommend the dream feed for your child. Your baby obviously needs that sleep more than the feeding!A baby simply won’t wake up enough to eat well.
If you attempt to do the dream feed night after night and your baby is just a zombie on the breast of bottle no matter what you do and only taking in a few sips then consider the fact that she really doesn’t need the feeding and is better off sleeping. The idea of a dream feed is to sneak in a full feeding and if they aren’t getting one anyway, then it defeats the whole purpose of waking them.The dream feed doesn’t seem to make a bit of difference.
These babies will still awaken at the same time no matter if they had the dream feed or not. If you have given the dream feed a fair chance and your baby still wakes at the same time at night regardless for their feeding, then it’s probably not conducive for your baby.Babies with reflux may or may not benefit from the dream feed.
If your baby has reflux and you don’t have the wherewithal in the middle of the night to hold him upright for 15-20 minuets after the feeding, then this might not be for you. A dream feed can actually be great for a baby with reflux (for other reasons we’ll talk about later), but you need to devote time to making sure your baby digests so they can go back to sleep comfortably.
Are you ready to drop the dream feed but just aren’t quite sure how to do it?
Don’t worry, it’s simpler than you may imagine. I have outlined how to do it below.
As your baby gets older you will notice that he/she will have a hard time sitting in the same position for too long. They get bored of looking at the same toys or scenery and they often cry as a result of that boredom. So before assuming they're tired, go ahead, give them a change of scenery, change their position or give them a new toy to look at.
As I mentioned in the post, you can drop the feeding at any time! This can happen as young as 4 months, or much later if you’ve been doing the dream feed for quite some time. Usually, though, parents opt to drop it when babies are a bit older, somewhere around the 6-8 month mark.
For bottle-fed babies, simply reduce the feeding by one ounce every night and stop offering the bottle when you’re down to nothing! I know, it seems like a tedious mission, but it works great.
And for breastfed babies, simply reduce the amount of time per feeding by one minute or so every day until you are down to nothing, and just like the bottle, stop offering it.
Done! No more dream feeds.