Reducing night feeding
It’s a question that every sleep-deprived first -time mom asks – “When will my baby sleep through the night?” Of course, we’ve all heard stories of babies who sleep through from 10pm until 6am from the get-go but the reality is that most small babies simply aren’t able to go for long stretches at night without a feed.
However, by the age of six months, when she’s eating some solid food, your baby should be getting enough calories to see her through the night and you should start to see an improvement in her sleeping patterns. At least that’s the theory! In reality she has gotten used to waking at a certain time for your comfort as much as anything and even if she doesn’t really need the sustenance, she may well continue her habit of waking. Follow these tips to make her less reliant on night feeds…
- Make her final milk feed before bedtime a big one to fill her up as much as possible before you lay her in her crib.
- Gradually reduce the length of time you nurse her for at night, or, if you’re bottlefeeding, cut back on the amount of formula you give her (another good option is to water down her formula over time until it’s so watery she doesn’t bother waking up for it!).
- If she tends to wake more than once try to ease her back into sleep at least one of those times by rubbing her back or patting her shoulder. If you breastfeed it’s probably best to get your partner to do this, as your baby may get upset if she can smell your breast milk. This way you can phase out her night feeds one at a time.
- Fill her up during the day – at around seven to nine months she should ideally be having solids three times a day, along with finger food snacks and 16-20 ounces of breast or formula milk; by 12 months, she should be on four meals plus snacks and a minimum of 12 ounces of breast or formula milk.
You may be pleasantly surprised to find your baby accepts the change without too much fuss – the perfect proof that she is getting enough nourishment during the day. If she cries inconsolably to be fed it may be that she is actually hungry – it could be that her increased activity during the day (especially if she is newly mobile) means she’s not eating enough because there are too many distractions. It’s also possible something else might be bothering her – she could be teething or feeling unwell. Check that she’s uncomfortable and check her temperature if she feels at all hot.
The information in this feature is intended for
educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the
health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a
doctor or other healthcare professional.
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Last Modified: 02/08/2007
Related Chat 1
Hi all! Thank you Gurgle for this article which I wish I had read a couple of weeks ago!!
My doctor chastised me earlier this week for "allowing [my baby] to wrap [me] round his little finger". I had admitted that he was still waking in the night for a couple of feeds and that I was obliging. I explained that my baby did seem genuinely hungry as he would feed well for at least 10 minutes but the doctor seemed to think I was making "a rod for my back" - Yes that old chestnut that we mums hear all the time.
I was so unnerved by my doctor's approach and assurances that if I didn't stop these feeds before my baby was 8 months old I would be in for sleepless nights for over 2 years that I spoke to a few health visitors and mothers that I am in contact with through breastfeeding support groups. Not one of these supported my doctor's view - including those with older children who had had similar experiences to mine. Intersting this article seems to confirm that it is quite normal for a 6/7 month old breastfed baby to still get hungry between the hours of 7pm and 7am.
I quickly made the decision to continue wth "baby led weaning" and breastfeeding on demand as it was the best for my baby and wasn't causing me any problems - after all a 10-15 minute feed in the night is not exactly a massive issue as he goes straight back to sleep. Funnily enough since I made that decision 3 days ago my baby has started sleeping longer at night and only waking up for one feed at night.
I am now a firm believer in listening to your baby and your instincts - yet again this experience proves to me that babies will reach each stage of development in their own time. I hope this message is helpful to any other mothers out there who are being encouraged to ignore their instincts and force development on their baby.
Be patient and enjoy the now!!!!
AMParky
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