Dream Feeding - Is It Right for Your Baby?
Dream feeding may not be new, but it’s certainly been in the news more and more recently. Here we look at what it is, and what those for and against the technique say.
Dream feeding your baby involves giving him a nighttime feed without waking him, just before you go to sleep. Babies have small tummies so they will, depending on their stage of development, wake several times a night. The theory behind a dream feed is that if your baby’s stomach is full, this can translate to a few more hours of uninterrupted rest, for both you and your baby.
How To Dream Feed
- Gently pick up your sleeping baby. Keep the light dim and any noise to a minimum to avoid waking him.
- Place the bottle or your breast on your baby’s lower lip. He may start sucking right away, instinctively in his sleep. If not, you can encourage him by first expressing a drop of milk, and leaving it on the nipple as you place it against your baby’s mouth.
- When your baby has finished feeding sit him upright for a few minutes. This will help your sleeping baby expel any gas, although – because he is asleep and relaxed – there is generally minimal gulping during this type of feed, and therefore very little gas.
That’s it: when you lay your still-sleeping baby down, he should continue to sleep for an extra couple of hours, meaning one less nighttime feeding and a few hours more rest for you. When a dream feed works, it can work like a dream.
Some feel this feeding technique is more convenient for mom than it is for baby. It may let you sleep through the night but your baby doesn’t benefit. Others say that feeding time is bonding time, and that feeding a sleeping baby doesn’t enhance the mom/baby bond. Dream feeding enthusiasts respond that a well-rested mom is a better parent, so baby benefits as well. And that the reality is typically not a baby who sleeps through the night, but only an extra couple of hours. There are also plenty of feedings in any twenty-four hour period, depending on the age of baby, so there are still plenty of times to bond during feedings, as well as other times.
Those who follow attachment parenting methods – “on demand” feeding according to the baby’s cues – are generally uninterested in dream feeding, but to some parents, particularly those who are woken every few hours, it can be a gift.
Of course, dream feeding is not always successful. Every baby is unique, as is his response to dream feeding. The first few times your baby may not respond well, but after a couple of tries, many babies are able to feed while they sleep. For those that don’t, you may be interested in trying frequent feedings before your baby goes down at night, sometimes known as cluster feeding. In cluster feeding, you feed your baby more frequently in the hours before bedtime, instead of waiting the “normal” number of hours between feedings, which varies with your baby’s age. The theory behind cluster and dream feeding is the same – that a baby’s full belly will encourage a few more hours of uninterrupted sleep. It’s just the method that is different.
Parenting styles, and babies, differ. The more information you have, the easier it is to find tips and techniques that align with your parenting philosophy, and what is best for your family.
Is dream feeding a go, or a no? Let us know what you think.