Parenting Newborns & Infants (0-1) Support Group

Feeding your infant and ensuring they are getting enough nutrition is one of the most important aspects of parenting during that first year. This community is dedicated to those who are nurturing a baby, whether breastfed or formula-fed.

515 Members

5,050 Posts

0 Online

allie80 03/09/2011

Currently my 5mo dd goes to bed between 7:30 and 8:00. I usually go to bed between 9:30 and 10:00. Lately, about 75% of the time, she wakes up sometime between 10:30 and 11:00 hungry and wanting to nurse. She'll then typically sleep for a 4-6 hour stretch after that. So, I've usually just fallen asleep, and I get woken up to feed her. My question is, I've heard about people doing "dream feeds," or getting their child up to feed them before they go to bed, with the hope of them then sleeping for awhile. Does anybody have any thoughts about this? I'm considering doing it, but I also hate to get in the habit of feeding her when she's not really hungry, plus there's a part of me saying, "are you crazy, never wake a sleeping baby!" :) What would you do? Thanks!

deleted_user 03/09/2011

I cluster feed my first child and did a dream feed with great success and plan on doing it with this child that I just had. You may have to adjust your sleep time though. I would feed every couple hours from like 5 pm on and do our nighttime routine , bath etc at 8pm , nurse right after that and then do a dream feed at 1030 or 11pm and then I was golden till 7 am. I started this a 3 months though and mine sleep through the night once he hit 13 pds ( which is what my MD stated that 13 pds was key to sleeping through the night and that they could physically make it though without a middle of the night feed).

deleted_user 03/09/2011

I used to top up Chloe right before I went to bed, but only if she was still awake. I don't think there is anything wrong with a dream feed though, I did that when she was a newborn and the doctor told me to feed her every 2-3 hrs even if she didn't wake herself up, and a few times she fed and slept right through it.
Having said that, mine is 4 months old and has been sleeping thru the night for awhile, but she doesn't conk out until around 10-10:30. I have tried bathing her and feeding her earlier but she doesn't want to sleep yet. So, now I just do the bath, massage and feed starting at 9pm. Usually she is asleep after that by 1030..last night she fell asleep at 10 eating! Woohoo! SHe stayed asleep until 6:30 am! Good luck, I don't think this has a right or wrong answer but you should do what works for you and baby.

deleted_user 03/09/2011

Oh also if she's in your room, she may smell you and be more tempted than truly hungry? I read that around the 6 month mark they are physically fine to go 12 hrs at night without a feed? I think mine will sleep alot better once she is in her own room but I'm not going to do that until at least her 6 month mark...to each their own tho.

deleted_user 03/10/2011

lol - we did this almost every night from 4-8 mo. I would nurse around 7:70 and then lay DS down around 8pm. I would walk into his room to check on him before I would go to bed around 9:30 and as soon as he would smell me he would start rooting in his crib. I could pick him up, feed him and put him back to bed before he was ever fully awake. We still do what I consider a 'dream feed' at about 2am. I will hear DS start to squirm and he will be fed and back asleep before he ever wakes up. As a baby gets older they can become very distracted during the day and a night feeding is a great way to make sure they are getting enough and you can keep up your supply.

Join the Conversation