You know when you really want to write a post saying just how well something is going but you’re worried that if you do, it will all go wrong? Well, this is one of those posts. After reading some of my ‘woe-is-me’ posts about how Beanie Boy still isn’t sleeping through at eight months, Pampers took pity on me and offered me help in the form of Wendy Dean, their resident sleep expert. It took me all of a nano-second to bite their arm off and accept the offer.
So a couple of weeks ago, I received a call from Wendy, and we discussed Beanie Boy’s usual sleep and feeding routine, which went something like this:
6.15 am – 7.30 am – Wake up anywhere between these times and have a milk feed
8.30 am – Bowl of porridge
9.30 am – 11.30 am – Morning nap and then milk feed
12.30 pm – Lunch & playtime
2.00 pm – 4.00 pm – Afternoon nap and then milk feed
5.30 pm – Dinner
7.00 pm – Bath, massage, story, milk feed and then bed
11.30 pm – Dream feed
2.00 am – 4.00 am – Could wake anywhere between these times for one or two milk feeds
The first thing Wendy asked me was whether or not Beanie Boy was actually waking for his dream feed at 11.30 pm, to which I said he wasn’t; we just thought that by giving him a feed at this time, he shouldn’t be waking at the night because he’s hungry. Wendy recommended that we stop the dream feed immediately and, where possible, try not to feed him before 1.00 am if he wakes for it. If he does wake, we are to try to settle him without removing him from the cot; just keep laying him down and leave the room as many times as it takes to settle himself to sleep.
Then, between 1.00 am and 6.00 am, he should only need one milk feed, if at all. If he does wake for a milk feed, then we should offer him 5oz water with four scoops of milk for 3 nights and then reduce this every three nights, 4oz water with three scoops, 3oz water with 2 scoops, 2oz water with 1 scoop, 1 oz water with 1/2 scoop and then finally just 2oz water with no formula. The idea is that the baby will stop waking up for feeding altogether.
That night, we did as instructed and didn’t offer a dream feed. He didn’t wake until 5.00 am when we gave him a 5oz bottle with four scoops of formula. It was the same the next night, and on the 3rd night, he slept through until 7.15 am!!!! Since then, he has slept through most nights until anywhere between 7.00 am and 7.30 am with the odd wake-up here and there, but each time he has woken in the night, we have reduced his feed as Wendy suggested. I’m really hoping that things will continue to get better in this manner because I love sleep!!
Since speaking to a few friends about Beanie Boy’s progress they have said that their babies had also started to sleep through since they had stopped the dream feed, so perhaps that is the key – maybe we were disturbing our babies’ natural sleep patterns? But whatever the reason, we’re all very happy that they sleeping more.
Wendy is a genius as far as I’m concerned. She helped with my 2nd baby (now 2.5) as I knew we needed it sorted quick smart with having two. I then went on to become part of her online dream team and loved it! Stick with it and there’s no reason it won’t be sorted for good. And just so as you know, my 2.5 year old LOVES her sleep, she sorts herself out and I have no doubt that’s entirely due to what we did with Wendy’s guidance.
Yay! Sleep is THE best! xx
Its nice to hear someone else who has had a success story with Wendy, she was lovely to speak to. Sadly I think I may have jinxed myself as last night was the worst ever – he woke at 11.30pm and didn’t go back to sleep until 4.30am!!!! But he is teething so I’m hoping for better tonight 😉