A Journey Towards Growth:
Giving birth is a life-changing experience that transforms your life in so many ways, and lets you embark on a journey filled with excitement and joy!
When you have this dream, it means that you are ready to make significant changes in your life.
Through this dream, your subconscious mind sends a message that you are prepared to end an old chapter and begin a new one in your life.
For instance, this dream indicates that its time for you to leave your old tedious job and start a new one related to your passion and interests.
There is no need to worry about the consequences, as everything will be fine. Alternatively, this dream also represents the beginning of a new phase, relationship, or career in your life.
A dream about giving birth also symbolises the transformation of your outlook towards life. It means that you will adopt a new perspective for looking into different matters of your life.
This dream can also mean that you are going through a spiritual awakening period, wherein you have found a new path for yourself, walking on which you will find satisfaction and joy in life.
At What Age Should I Stop Dream Feeding
When it comes to duration as regards sleeping, feeding and Dream Feeding in babies, there is no one cap fits all. This is majorly because all babies are not the same and basically do not function in the same way.
You should stop Dream feeding your baby when you notice that they are able to go through consecutive nights without waking up.
Begin by stopping the second Dream Feeding, and then once in a while, stop the Dream feeding altogether.
When you notice that the bay can carry on their own all through the night without calling out for food, then you know that your baby is old enough to ditch Dream Feeding for good.
Bravo! Your baby is becoming a young adult !
The Feather Boob Technique
The most difficult method to dream feeding a breastfed baby, is simply nursing her.
Take your baby out of her crib, just as you would for a regular feeding, and try to rouse her just enough to latch, but not enough to fully wake. I call this the Feather Boob Technique, because essentially youll tickle her cheek or lips with your nipple.
The goal is to stimulate her rooting reflex.
I found it easier to sandwich my breast with one hand and either tickle my daughters cheek with a nipple or a wet washcloth.
If your baby absolutely will not wake enough to latch, try to time the dream feed to that natural point where his sleep cycle shifts.
Once your baby latches, his suckling instinct will take over and hell be able to feed himself in his sleep.
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Why Oh Why Do A Dream Feed
I read around and then tried to implement it with my baby girl. It took a while, but eventually we got the hang of it and Oh My Goodness game changer.
Now, as a certified baby and toddler sleep consultant its a go to sleep and feed strategy.
If you dont currently do the dream feed then this post will help you for a few reasons.
And if youre serious about making a few nightly changes, I suggest using a baby log to help clear our head and get it on paper.
When Will My Baby Stop Needing Night Feeds
In the early days your newborn needs nutritional support at night. She needs to feed almost as often at night as during the day. By six weeks old, most babies have dropped the evening feed and sleep for a good six hour stretch so you can expect your 6 week old to wake for her early morning feed, just after 12. By four months old most babies are waking between 3 to 6 am for a feed only. Much to your horror, after four months old your baby may start to wake a little more frequently as a demand for nutrition increases. Shortly after six months old when your baby is on full solids you can expect a full night sleep again 10 straight hours. Older babies and toddlers should not need any feeds in bed as this will disrupt their day appetite for real food and may damage their teeth. If your older baby or toddler wakes at night, you can offer them water but avoid offering milk.
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How To Dream Feed Babies
With dream feeding, you dont have to fully wake up your baby. A little rousing will do to feed her one more time for the day before turning her in for the night.
Wondering when to start dream feeding baby?
Several studies show the best time to sneak in one more feeding is between 10 in the evening and midnight. To dream feed babies during this two-hour period can effectively reduce the nocturnal wakings for your baby due to a rumbling tummy.
With a full tummy, she wont wake up hungry at night, helping her get extended stretches of sleep.
Would you like to try it with your little one?
Why Would You Do A Dream Feed Should I Do A Dream Feed
Dream feeds are a 50:50 in my opinion and experience, you would do a dream feed with the intention that your baby would quickly learn or be taught to consolidate the rest of their night sleep, and you are going to bed after the dream feed and not waking again before morning. .
In a way you are teaching your baby to have their one feed before midnight instead of after midnight, so we adults can get our decent chunk of sleep in one hit.
This has the added benefit of your baby waking hungry at 7am, not full from their 3am feed, and allows you to start your routine off on the right foot.
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What Does It Generally Mean To Give Birth In Your Dream
Dreaming about giving birth can be very strange and frightening, but it is also something wonderful. Giving birth is an important and transformative element of our lives and makes us enter a new phase in our life.
When you see this kind of a dream, it indicates that you are ready for a change in your life. It can be a physical, spiritual, or emotional change.
Mostly when women give birth, they go through an insufferable pain to bring a baby into this world. So, when you see a dream related to giving birth, it reflects your strong and bold personality.
At the same time, this dream indicates that you will overcome all the fears and obstacles of your life.
Moreover, the dream of giving birth signifies great luck. You will receive some good news both in your personal and professional life.
Lastly, this dream symbolises a creative process. There is a developed idea in your mind that is waiting for a green signal to turn your plans into reality.
For your benefit, we have discussed each of these general meanings in detail below, so that you can understand your dream in a much better way.
Why Do A Dreamfeed
The benefit of doing a dream feed is that you go to bed knowing your baby has a full tummy, and therefore doesnt need any feeds during the night.
So if she wakes during the night, you settle her using another technique other than feeding. for more information on teaching your baby to self settle during the night.
A dreamfeed can be an excellent way to help a baby:
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who is waking from hunger at about 5am last until morning.
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stop needing a feed during the night, eg at 3am.
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Final Words On Dream Feeding A Baby
I believe you are now more informed about Dream Feeding and all the other questions accompanying the technique.
As is always my advice, do what you feel is best for your baby.
Trust your instincts, but always make it a point of duty to consult your doctor or primary health care provider anytime a symptom persists, or you need help with a concern.
Remember, mothers and babies sleep better after a good Dream Feed.
Cons Of Dream Feeding:
While dream feeding can be very beneficial to many babies and toddlers, there are a few things to consider before you decide to do it:
Yep, Pee Pee Pants, that’s the name. They are super absorbent pajama shorts that go over your child’s diaper and under their pajamas. My son wears them at night whether I plan on doing a dream feed or not. They keep his sheets dry and make sure he doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night crying because he is wet and cold from a too-wet diaper. Plus look how adorable my son looks in them !
Peepeepants come in sizes from 12 months to 3T and they run true to size. We are using the 18-24 month size for my son who is two because he is small for his age and still wears 18 month clothes. We also got one pair in size 3T so that we can keep using Peepeepants when he starts potty training soon. You can get your toddler some peepeepants directly on their website here or on Amazon here.
At a glance, it might seem like there are more negatives than positives when it comes to dream feeding your toddler. But a lot of the negatives can be easily mitigated. Dream feeding is so worth it to us, knowing that my son is fed and satisfied and not losing weight. So think about all the pros and cons of dream feeding and talk to your child’ pediatrician to see if it is right for you.
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What Is The Dream Feed
Basically, a dream feeding is the last feeding of the day. It typically happens 2-3 hours after the bedtime feeding and right about the same time that you are going to sleep. In theory, this will shift the last planned feeding of the day and allow him to get a long stretch of sleep at about the same time you are going to sleep. Usually, this feeding happens somewhere between 9:00-10:30pm.
Dream Feed Tips: What The Experts Say
Tracy Hogg
The term ‘dream feeding’ was first coined in The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect and Communicate with Your Baby, by Melinda Blau and Tracy Hogg . Maternity nurse Tracy Hogg advocated parents’ understanding and tuning into their babies, along with sleep-friendly methods such as dream feeding. Tracy recommended the time you should dream feed is no later than 11pm. She said:
‘I recommend the dream feed to avoid the 2 or 3am feed getting established, because thats the hardest waking to stop later.’ Read more about Tracy Hogg’s Baby Whispering methods.
Gina Ford
In The New Contented Little Baby Book: The Secret to Calm and Confident Parenting by Gina Ford , a structured routine is advised. This involves waking your baby for a feed at about 10pm. Gina Ford’s ideas differ from other advocates of dream feeding, however, as she recommends allowing the baby to wake up properly so they will take a good feed.
She says:
‘Waking up just after 10pm ensures he is wide awake and able to take a full feed at 10.30pm.’
Tizzie Hall
Another champion of the dream feed is Tizzie Hall, author of Save our Sleep . She believes that by feeding at 10.30pm, you’ll avoid getting up more than once in the night:
‘With the dream feed, your baby may sleep until lets say 2am and then when back in bed he is more likely to sleep until 7am. This means you have only had to get up once in the night.’
Jo Tantum
Natalie Willes
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Weighing The Pros And Cons Of Dream Feeding: A Good Bet For Most Families Especially When Combined With Other Sleep
The fact that nobody yet has conducted a proper test of dream feeding a randomized, controlled experiment designed to isolate its effects on family sleep outcomes shouldnt deter you from trying it.
It might be helpful, and theres no reason to think it could hurt not if your baby is getting enough to eat overall, and not if you avoid waking your baby.
If you are waking your baby each night to feed, then we have to wonder: Could these parent-initiated night wakings interfere with the development of consolidated, nighttime sleep? The question hasnt been tested by rigorous experiments, so we dont yet know.
But if you administer the big feed when your infant is already awake or find that you can feed your sleeping infant without awakening him or her it seems you have nothing to lose by trying. Overall, the pros and cons look like this:
Pros
- The post-feed sleep bout may last longer than usual, giving you more opportunity to grab some of that NREM3 sleep. Even an extra half hour could have an important impact on your health and well-being.
- In combination with other tactics like protecting your baby from artificial lights at night the practice might help speed up the development of more mature nighttime sleep patterns.
Cons
- The tactic is inappropriate for babies who are underweight, or otherwise not thriving. Consult your pediatrician before attempting.
How Much Do You Feed Your Baby In A Dream Feed
It would be best if you are guided against excessive feeding with much milk or formula in a dream feed. Feeding your baby too much than necessary causes more harm than good. You may end up not getting the long stretch of sleeping hours you want to achieve with dream feed.
Hence, the amount of milk you give your baby in the night should be reduced by a certain amount than daytime feeding.
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How To Feed When Baby Is Drowsy
Those first early hours after youve put baby to bed are often babys deepest sleep. The sleep from bedtime to midnight is the deepest most restorative sleep, so babies are usually conked out at this time.
This means it can be tricky to rouse baby enough to get them to feed.
Thats okay.
We dont want to force it when it isnt working.
However, often youll be able to rouse baby enough to take a feed, even half a feed, and this can help them sleep longer at night.
For those first few weeks, theres really no need for this feed.
Dream About Giving Birth In A Hospital:
If you see a dream about giving birth in a hospital, it symbolises the support network around you.
You are an extremely lucky person who has many people in their life who care about your health and well-being. It also means that you are someone who enjoys the company of others.
The dream of giving birth signifies your inner care. Maybe you are not giving time to yourself to understand what you require or need.
You are not spending time caring for yourself, and thats making you feel stressed.
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