How to Dream Feed Baby
THE DREAM FEED
One of my top solutions for many issues that plague babies at night, the dream feed can be a wonderful way to guarantee that baby is NOT hungry when he or she wakes in the night…think of it like an insurance plan for food. If your doctor has cleared your baby to drop all night feeds, the dream feed can be a wonderful thing to introduce to help baby night wean, still feel close and connected to Mom, and you’ll still get to visit your sweet babe at night (or have Dad go in with a bottle!!).
What is a dream feed?
Dream feeding is when you rouse your baby at night—without fully waking—to feed them once they are completely asleep, before you go to bed yourself. The dream feed guarantees that your baby receives some additional (possibly vital) calories that may have been missed throughout the day (super common for the 4M Regression, Moms that are weaning, and daycare babies), which can cause night wakings if not addressed. Babies who go to sleep between 6-7pm every night often wake out of hunger in the middle of the night, or in the early hours of the morning before 5am. Before you think about dream feeding your baby, you’ll want to record the number of ounces or feeds that baby is receiving per day, and talk with your doctor to see if this is a good decision for your family to start getting more sleep. I like to dream feed baby starting around 3.5 months old, when the biggest sleep regression hits.
Is the dream feed safe?
Dream feeding is considered to be a safe practice as long as you take your baby out of the crib, wake them up enough to eat and avoid feeding flat on their back, especially if you're giving him/her a bottle. It's best to dream feed your baby in a semi-upright position, with their cradled into the crook of your arm.
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How to dream feed baby:
Step 1:
Choose a consistent time to wake up baby (I like 2 hours after falling asleep at bedtime, or around 3:30am for the babies that like to wake up every morning around 4-5am)
Step 2:
Pick up baby while they are completely asleep
Step 3:
Gently wake baby up when you pick them up out of the crib or bassinet and latch them onto the breast/bottle
Step 4:
Keep any lights dim and interaction with baby at a low
Step 5:
Expect this feed to be about half as long, or baby to drink only ½ as much as usual
How long do I keep the dream feed for my baby?
I recommend to dream feed baby until at least 5 months old, and possibly all the way up to 12 months old depending on your child’s growth and development. In fact, we use the dream feed as a way to help baby SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT in our 5-18 month baby sleep training class, where we also address night weaning, and have printables to track your child’s daily caloric intake. Our methods are never cry-it-out and completely modern, science-backed, and work backwards from nights to naps so that baby AND Mom don’t become overwhelmed (or overtired!) in the process. Results can be seen as early as three nights, and typically most issues are solved within 2-3 weeks! Check it out here.
Can you burp a baby after a dream feed?
Yep! You can try burping baby more than once during this feed, too. Even if your baby falls asleep, try burping them for a few minutes before placing them back down to sleep. Otherwise, it’s possible that they make wake up in pain with trapped gas within the hour. Two common ways to burp your baby are over your shoulder, or leaning baby forward in your lap, resting their chin in the palm of your hand, and tapping their backs from top to bottom 5-10 times. However, not all babies burp after every feed, though, no matter if it's on their own or with your help.
“I want to drop the dream feed — help!”
If you’re looking to completely night wean, and your doctor has given you the go-ahead to do so, visit this blog post here to get started.
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