My Thoughts on Dream Feeds
Have you ever wondered if a dream feed is right for you? Let’s talk about it!
First, let me explain what a dream feed actually is. A dream feed is when you give your baby a full feeding while they are still asleep. So your baby is not waking up at all, they aren’t crying or acting hungry, you simply stick a bottle in their mouth or latch them onto you and give them a feed before you go to bed or in the middle of the night.
You might be wondering, why on earth would someone feed their baby if they are not awake and acting hungry? There are a few reasons I believe parents offer a feed while their baby is asleep.
They’ve been told it will help their baby sleep longer
They know their baby will wake up soon for a feed, so they offer one before that point in hopes their baby won’t wake up for that feed.
If their baby is struggling to gain weight and they have been told to do so by a medical professional.
Because I have 4 kids of my own, I decided to test it out just to see if it would make a difference and so that I could speak from experience. I offered a dream feed for my baby for a full seven days and guess what? I saw exactly zero difference in her sleep. The good news is I was not surprised by this at all, because eating and sleeping are different skills and I’ve said it a million times: feeding your baby does not make them sleep, teaching them the skill of sleep is what helps them sleep!
So, what are my thoughts on dream feeds as a baby sleep consultant? I personally do not think dream feeds are necessary, or helpful, unless you’ve been told to do it by a medical professional.
Instead of staying up late to offer the feed, focus on teaching your baby how to sleep from the beginning and you won’t have to worry about it:)