When to stop dreamfeeding?
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Topic: When to stop dreamfeeding?
Posted By: wellygirl
Subject: When to stop dreamfeeding?
Date Posted: 23 January 2010 at 8:33am
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Hi,
We've been dreamfeeding my 7mo DD for several months - used to be at 10.30 but then we shifted to 9.30 because she kept waking earlier. She generally goes to bed at about 6.30 or 7, and started sleeping right through the night about a month ago (before that things were all over the show). My question is, how to you know when to stop the df, and do you wean them off gradually by offering less, or keep bringing the time forward? She is ff. Thanks in advance for any advice. |
Replies:
Posted By: Mrs_B
Date Posted: 23 January 2010 at 9:25am
I think it is just a matter of giving it a go if she starts waking during the night I guess that means she still needs it. The family centre suggest reducing the volume by 30mls every couple of nights eg if normally has 200mls make it 170mls tonight, 140mls Monday night and so on and when you get to 30mls do that for a couple of nights then stop it completely. Good luck 
I'm no expert by the way! My boy is still feeding once or twice overnight at 8.5mths old but he is BF so is a bit hard to do the reducing thing! I gave up on the dreamfeeds though as he wasn't sleeping through the night anyway. -------------  
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 23 January 2010 at 12:16pm
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Generally the dreamfeed is in place until solids are established, which they should by now. I'm probably going to get shot down for this, but she probably doesn't actually need to be fed overnight if she's getting solids and milk during the day.
As for weaning, just reduce the quantity every night until you get to 50ml, then offer water. That's what we did anyway. If they wake in the night, try offering warm water instead of milk. They soon learn that waking up isn't worth it 
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Posted By: jano1
Date Posted: 23 January 2010 at 1:40pm
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We stopped the df by bringing the time forward 15mins every 2 days until it was at 9pm (she was bf). That seemed to work, and she hasn't been fed in the night since- hasn't woken hungry at all. Some people go cold turkey but I was worried she would start waking. The other thing I found was she didn't feed for very long with the df so figured she was weaning herself off it. ------------- http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=UBB&utm_campaign=tickers"> |
Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 24 January 2010 at 11:58pm
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I'm with emz (so may get shot down too), but I think once solids are established it is time to drop the dreamfeed. We dropped Jakes at 6 months. I would have done the slowly reducing the amount thing, but he started waking sick (sore tum) just before then so we actually let him have one bottle later in the night the first two nights then went cold turkey after that. After two more nights he never woke for it again.
I'd say just move it forward then reduce the amount they try to miss it and see what happens. ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: wellygirl
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 12:00pm
| Thanks guys. I think we might try moving it forward a bit to 9pm, then reducing the amount from there if needed. |