Baby Business: Week 19, works like a dream?

Chewed my toys. Tick

Chewed my play mat. Tick

Chewed mummy's ear. Tick!

 

I can't believe it. Am I the last mum on the planet to have heard about this? My friends knew about it and did it; my baby club mums knew and did it; family members knew and did it; and millions of mums are doing it...

After weeks of waiting for my little girl to start sleeping through the night and not waking at midnight... 1am... 2.30am... 4am... play for an hour... 6am 'rise and shine'! I may have discovered amiracle solution – dream feeding.

For the few mums out there that have not heard of this, the theory is you give your little one a feed before you go to bed, but you don't wake them. You simply pick up your dreaming baby and feed them a bottle whilst they continue to sleep. So how did I get on?

Monday: 10pm dream feed. Pick up a sleeping Little One, settle down and put the bottle gently in to her mouth. Suck, suck, suck – 1oz down. Then... SCREAM (whilst remaining asleep). Spits out bottle. I try again. SCREAM. Spits out bottle and clamps mouth shut (still asleep by the way!). Wait 5 minutes and try again. Nope, nothing is getting past those clamped lips. Sigh. Back in to cot. Midnight... "Mummy, I'm awake". 2am... "Mummy, I'm hungry"...

[NOTE: A bit sceptical about this dream feeding...]

Tuesday: 10pm dream feed. Pick up a sleeping Little One, settle down and put the bottle gently in to her mouth. Suck, suck, suck – 1oz down. Then... spits out bottle. I try again. Spits out bottle and clamps mouth shut (still asleep by the way, but at least not screaming tonight!). Wait 5 minutes and try again. Nope, still nothing is getting past those clamped lips. Sigh. Back in to cot. Midnight... "Mummy, I'm awake". 2am... "Mummy, I'm hungry"...

[NOTE: Losing faith in this already...]

Wednesday: Little One wakes at 9pm. No dream feed. Surprise surprise - midnight... "Mummy, I'm awake". 2am... "Mummy, I'm hungry"...

[NOTE: Tomorrow is the last chance...]

Thursday: 10pm dream feed. Calm baby. Suck, suck, suck, hum, hum, sing, sing – 4oz down happy in her dreams. The result? 13 hours sleep!

[NOTE: I still woke every two hours wondering why Little Onehadn't... had to keep checking on her!]

Friday: 10pm dream feed. Sings through 4oz again. Sleeps for 12 hours!

[NOTE: Loving dream feeding now!]

Saturday: 10pm dream feed. Sings through feed. Only 1oz though and... yup, wakes at 2am!

 

So the jury is still out on dream feeding, but I have faith and am hopeful that tonight will see another 12 hour sleep. Fingers crossed...