What is Dreamfeed?

What is dream feeding? Dream feeding is exactly as it sounds. You feed your baby while they're semi-awake, or in a dreamy state. Most of us wake to feed our babies when they give us a signal (stirring or fussing), but when you dream feed your baby, you'll be the one to rouse them from sleep and initiate a feeding.

How do you dream feed?

Tracey Hogg, who first coined the term, defines dream feeding as feeding a young infant while he or she sleeps. To accomplish this, you gently hold your sleeping baby in a feeding position, and try to stimulate the rooting reflex by stroking your baby's mouth and offering your baby a breast or bottle.

Is a dream feed a full feed?

The dreamfeed is the last feed of your baby's day. It happens approximately 2-3 hours after your baby has had their bedtime feed. This usually occurs between 10pm-11pm. As an example; your baby's last feed is at 7pm and your baby is asleep by 730pm.

When should I put dream feed?

Most parents will start using a dream feed any time between 6-8 weeks old and 4 months old, once your baby no longer needs to eat every 3 hours at night. However, it's not too late to try a dream feed even at 6 months old since many babies will increase their caloric needs around this time.

Do you burp baby after dream feed?

Yes, you should burp your baby even after a dream feed, which is a late-night feeding you wake your little one up for before you head to bed. The reason? Any feeding, including a dream feed, can create gas and/or cause your baby to spit up.

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Do you change nappy at dream feed?

Do not change his nappy before the feed. Just lift and feed. Your baby can usually sleep through from 7pm-7am around 4 months old and 15/16lbs. Then, if your baby is still sleeping until 7am you can drop the feed altogether and let your baby sleep all night!

Do you change diaper during dream feed?

Again, the idea is to stimulate your baby as little as possible. A diaper change might wake them up, so avoid it if possible. However, if your baby wakes up a hour or two later because of a wet diaper, it might be necessary to do a quick change after the dream feed before putting them back down.

What if baby wakes up during dream feed?

Some babies might fully wake up during the dream feed, which is okay! Just make sure you keep the lights dim and minimize the amount of stimulation to make sure you can get them back to sleep easily. Other babies might not stay awake enough for a full-feed, which is also okay!

What if baby doesn't burp and falls asleep?

What to do if your baby doesn't burp. If your baby is asleep, try burping them for a minute before you lay them back down. Sometimes babies don't need to burp as much at nighttime because they eat slower and don't get as much air while feeding.

How long should a dream feed last?

All babies are different, so there is no specific age recommendation for stopping a dream feed. My general rule is that you can bid adieu to the dream feed 2 to 4 weeks after your baby is sleeping well from the time of your dream feed on through to the morning.

Is a dream feed a good idea?

Largely, dream feeding is considered a good idea if your baby is having trouble sleeping because they are hungry. But it's important that you take your baby out of the crib and wake them up enough to eat (but not too), then try to avoid feeding them on their back if you're using a bottle.

How do you know when to drop the Dreamfeed?

The dream feed is the last feed that you drop. You usually drop the dream feed when baby sleeps from bedtime until their morning wake time with only the dream feed. This should be dropped by 6 months.

How long after feeding can I put my baby down to sleep?

A baby that has eaten just 2 hours before isn't going to take as big a feed as one who hasn't eaten for 3-4 hours. The same holds true for the dreamfeed. You want at least 3 hours before offering it unless you are in the process of dropping it. It's time to work on putting baby to sleep drowsy, but awake.

Is sleep feeding harmful?

Sleep feeding (also known as Dream Feeding) is not harmful when it is used as a short term feeding method for a baby who experiences pain and discomfort from eating due to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

How much should I dream feed?

How much do you feed during a dream feeding? There is no right or wrong answer to this one; you can do a small “snack” feeding of 2-3oz, you could do their normal 4-6oz, you could feed on one side if breastfeeding, or feed on both sides! Some babies will only drink a tiny amount, some will take in the full feeding.

Does spit up count as a burp?

When your baby spits up, milk usually comes up with a burp or flows gently out of their mouth. Even if your baby spits up after every feeding, it is not usually a problem. Vomiting is different. Vomiting is forceful and often shoots out of your baby's mouth.

At what age do you stop burping a baby?

Most babies will outgrow the need to be burped by 4-6 months of age. You can often tell that a baby needs to be burped if he or she is squirmy or pulling away while being fed.

How do I stop my baby's hiccups?

How do I stop the 2am feed?

Do you Unswaddle baby for night feeds?

If your baby is swaddled, keep them swaddled throughout their night feeds. Or if your baby is older, keep them in their sleeping bag. If you need to do a diaper change before or during their feed, re-swaddle them again or put them back in their sleeping bag as soon as they are changed.

Can I dream feed at 3am?

As long as your baby is healthy and has no medical issues, you should be able to drop his/her night feed (usually at 3am for most babies) from around 12 weeks or when they reach 5kg. Deciding to drop this feed means that you can expect baby to sleep through the night from 7pm-7am with a Dream Feed at 11pm.

Do you have to wipe a baby when they pee?

No. Even with a baby girl, you don't need to worry about wiping after they pee. This is because urine doesn't normally irritate the skin and most nappies easily absorb it anyway.

Can a dream feed disrupt sleep?

Dream feeding generally takes place in the first hours of a baby's sleep, which is when they sleep most soundly, so there's a risk of interrupting a deep sleep. That might be fine if your baby can fall right back asleep. But if a dream feed disrupts your baby's sleep for the rest of the night, it may not be worth it.

How many hours is considered sleeping through the night?

Experts generally consider “sleeping through the night” as sleeping 6 to 9 hours at a time for children and adults.

When should I stop changing nappies at night?

Only change if dirty so that stopped at about 4 weeks. When you stop doing night feeds nappy won't get very wet at night either.