The infamous dream feed can be an incredibly useful tool if it works for you and your family. But like all good things, dream feeds must come to an end. Let’s talk about when and how to stop.
Typically, stopping a dream feed usually occurs around 6-9 months OR if it is disrupting your child’s night sleep more than it is helping it. You have a gradual option to decrease the number of minutes breastfeeding OR number of ounces in a bottle with the dream feed. Another option includes cutting it cold turkey.
Let’s go over the basics of dream feeds and talk about options on how to stop a dream feed.
What is a dream feed?
A dream feed is a feed that is given to your baby when they are still ‘sleeping’. You take baby out of bassinet, continue with low stimulation and feed your baby. The idea is that this feeding will “top off the tank” and allow a longer stretch of sleep.
This feed is usually offered between 10:00pm-12:00am. Many times, parents line this dream feed up with their bedtime. *Note to remember*, this does not elongate your baby’s sleep cycles, rather it just shifts sleep. Although, it’s a great way to get your partner involved with nighttime duties/feeds. And if you are breastfeeding, it can definitely help maintain your supply or help you grow a breastmilk stash.
When do you introduce a dream feed?
You can start introducing a dream feed around 6 weeks. Give it about 5-7 days to see if it is truly useful. You might be surprised to find out that this is not as effective as you would imagine. I mean, the idea sounds amazing. But, if it does more to interrupt your night then help, you might be better off skipping the dream feed.
If you are feeling bummed that you are not successfully executing a dream feed, check out this poll. Out of 155 moms, 106 voted for NO to dream feed. This means, it only worked about 30% of the time. Your baby’s most restorative sleep cycles are in the beginning of the night, so a dream feed might be doing more disrupting anyhow.
Do you change a diaper or burp after the feed?
Ideally, you are not going to change your baby’s diaper during a dream feed. Diaper changes tend to cause a little too much stimulation and make your baby more alert to the world around them. Once alert, they may have a harder time falling back asleep. Of course if they have had a bowel movement, definitely change it. Diaper rash prevention, all DAY.
Piggy backing on the diaper change, if your baby does better being swaddled, feel free to leave them swaddled. Swaddling prevents the moro reflex from waking up your baby, but sometimes babies love exploring the world with their hands. It’s such a double edged sword because on one end, you want the environment with the least stimulation as possible and the other, you want them to explore the world.
In terms of burping, I would suggest burping your baby. Babies love pats, so this should be soothing. Plus, trapped air can build up and cause gas pains. However, if burping wakes your baby up and completely resets what you just accomplished, maybe not.
When do you stop a dream feed?
Stopping a dream feed can occur anywhere around 6-9 months. However, I have seen many times babies sleep through the night entirely who have dropped their dream feed. If your baby is sleeping through the night (and they don’t need extra calories), you can simply stop offering the feed.
If you are waking your baby to feed and they end up overstimulated, that’s a sign it’s probably time to stop. Remember, this feed was designed to help you sleep longer.
If you are breastfeeding and need to maintain supply or are building a freezer stash, you may still need to pump overnight.
How do you stop a dream feed?
When stopping a dream feed, you have a few options.
My favorite option is cutting it cold turkey. Even though you’re cutting it out, you are going to want to shift the calories that you cut out though. You can shift your feeding schedule during the day to factor in the previous ‘dream feed’ bottle by increasing each bottle you give during the day. It would be as if you took the previous ‘dream feed’ bottle and poured a little into all the daytime bottles, if that makes sense. If you are breastfeeding, you can add an additional feed during the day.
Another option on how to stop a dream feed includes a gradual decrease. You can offer less ounces in the bottle when you dream feed OR decrease the amount of minutes you breastfeed during the dream feed. I would make a change for 3 days and keep decreasing until you are done!
Final thoughts
So you’ve dropped he dream feed, but your baby is waking! What do you do? You have the option to continue to feed. However, if they are already 6 months and a healthy weight, I would suggest some form of sleep training. You can teach your baby the skills to fall back asleep on their own. It’s a great opportunity to see what the are made of! They just might surprise you.
If you are looking for a plan on how to teach your child the art of falling back asleep in between sleep cycles, I got you. Schedule a free 15 minute discovery call or email me at clementineparent2020@gmail.com and I would be happy to help.
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