7 month old still eating at night

Christine - posted on 01/17/2010

Madi(6Mon) is nursing ALL night long this past week...her first tooth has surfaced. I am lucky if I get 4 hours of solid sleep in a night! The choice to nurse exclusively is challenging!

April - posted on 01/17/2010

13 month old still night nurses...every 2 hours like clockwork! :)

Amanda - posted on 01/12/2010

Well, my son is currently 21 months and still nursing. At that age (actually until he was over 1 year old) he would still wake at night and want to nurse and I would let him. We chose to attachment parent and cosleep though. My pediatrician said that after 6 months he shouldn't need to be fed during the night, so I shouldn't nurse him, (he also said that he only needed to nurse for 5 minutes to get all the nutrition he needed since the time he was born) but I just ignored my pediatrician, since he is not necessarily of the attachment-parenting mindset. I think if you are not having a problem nursing him in the middle of the night go ahead and nurse him. I know I wake up hungry in the morning after sleeping all night, and babies are much smaller and their tummies hold so little, I can't imagine a little one not needing to eat in the middle of the night! And by the way, the night waking and nursing does stop on it's own... My son stopped waking and wanting to nurse after he turned one. He still wakes up, but now it's just that his suckie has fallen out of his mouth, or he's wiggled out from under the blankie and wants to be re-covered, and once you fix those problems he goes right back to sleep on his own. Hope this helps!

Carrie - posted on 01/09/2010

My daughter will be 1 in less than a week. She wakes to nurse on average 5 times each night- sometimes as many as 8 times, but never less than 4. Bedsharing saved my life!
Glad to hear you are ignoring the pedi's advice. He is wrong. Sadly most pedi's know more about formula feeding than breastfeeding and give advice that can, and does, sabotage mom's supply and the breastfeeding relationship.
Keep following your instincts Mama and tending to your little man whether it's 2pm or 2am.

Anna - posted on 01/09/2010

My 16 month old daughter still wakes up at least once during the night to nurse

Jennifer - posted on 01/09/2010

unless it is really bothering you...nurse him...my 16m old is still nursed to sleep & still wakes up 2-4 times a night & I do the same...I can let him cry it out & do but usually I go in there for him. & it takes less time!!! in there & out in less than 10m so why not!? We will have to stop soon enough... :( sniff sniff :D good luck!

Liz - posted on 01/09/2010

My son is 15 months old and wakes once a night to be changed and nursed. At this point it takes less than a half hour and I've decided that I'd rather take the half hour to be with him and nurse him, rather than listen to him cry. I figure when he's older I'll miss those quiet moments, so why not. Do whatever you feel comfortable with, mom knows best :)

Adriane - posted on 01/09/2010

I am so glad to find that this is a normal habit! I had to stop reading the posts becasue there were so many. My son is 8 months and wakes up every night at 2 am for a feeding. I bring him into bed with me and usually around 5 or 6 I put him back in his bed where he sleeps until 7/8. I have tried to wait it out but he cries and cries and pulls himself up. I am not just going to torture him! I am glad I am not the only one.

Naomi - posted on 01/09/2010

obviously you must do what you are comfortable with. I don't disagree with your doctor, but I think it depends... Both my girls became very demanding night feeders at 7 months, because they were too interested in the world to bother feeding during the day, and were not keen on being weaned. I took the mean mummy approach and it had very positive effects on their weaning and their night feeding after only a couple of days. The added bonus was that I was able to think straight again during the day as I was not so sleep deprived.
My eldest is now nearly 5 and sleeps like an angel and eats brilliantly. My 2nd is the cheekiest monkey alive and constantly tests the limits on eating and sleeping but is very lovable and affectionate. I hope my little man takes after his big sister...

Julie - posted on 01/09/2010

Quoting Kymmi:

My doctor told me something simliar. However, he said not to feed him right away (as opposed to not at all). His point was so my son wouldn't become accostomed to being fed the moment he wakes up. He suggested that if Justice wakes in the middle of the night, change him if need be, then to give him his binky and see if he falls back asleep on his own (which Justice has done at times). If he spits out his binky or refuses to fall back asleep after about 15 minutes with the binky, then he is in fact hungry (and not just looking for comfort) and should be nursed.

I want to thank you for posting this by the way. My son was sleeping through the night (7-9 hours) as soon as he was 10 weeks old, and now at 4 months he has begun waking every 3-4 hours again to nurse. I was concerned that he wasn't nursing enough but it seems it's in fact normal for him to wake this much while being exclusively breastfed. Thanks!

My eldest was similar - he slept through from 11 weeks and then suddenly stopped at 4 months. I think it was worse because I'd gotten used to him sleeping and it was like starting again. I resisted at first and tried sleep training (I did a method called pick up put down because it didnt involve leaving him to cry - I picked him up when he cried and put him back down as soon as he stopped without feeding him) but all it did was change him from a baby who was easily calmed with a cuddle to a baby who would keep screaming in my arms afraid I would put him down. I came across a Dr Sears book when he was 9 months old and it was very pro bf and co-sleeping and helped me look at our situation differently. It helped me see that contrary to popular belief night waking is normal -at least half of all 12 month olds wake through the night (and the other half were probably sleep trained lol). From that point we co-slept every night and he nursed through the night till he was 2 and a half. He now sleeps in his own rooom in his own bed although he does occasionally come in for a cuddle. My 17 month old has co-slept from birth and still wakes through the night but I have to say overall hes a much better sleeper then his brother was and is much better at settling himself despite never having slept alone in his life (except for naps).

You can see for yourself what Dr Sears has to say at www.askdrsears.com its really worth a look and has been an invaluble resource for  me over the years.

Beck - posted on 01/09/2010

I want to add something slightly different. Due to my sons terrible sleep habits I set him on a set routine which included 4 daily breast feeds and one dream feed at 10pm. This ment by bub went from 3-6 feeds a night to none...In one night... now I NEVER thought this would happen, I was CERTAIN he was hungry when he woke at night... I soon realised when we could settle him (or even better him self settle) WITH NO CRYING - WE DID NO CRY TECNIQUES! that it was habit, especially for me, it was so much easier just to go in (or roll over when he was in our bed) and feed him quickly to get him back to sleep. I did realise though that this was not good for his sleep habits. So my bub went to no night feeds at 6mths...yep I missed him during the night...BUT ahhh the sleep is so good - we were all becoming a bit of a mess! So I agree with everyone - you need to do what works for you but for us, the dummy, a re tuck with his teddy and ocassionally a sip of water from his sipper cup at about 5am at times is all he needs.He now sleeps 7pm - 6.30am with a bfeed at 7am, 9.30am, 2.30pm and 6.30pm Good luck

Julia - posted on 01/08/2010

My son is 14 months and I nurse him quite a few times during the night. I don't know how many since I hardly wake up when doing so, he's in bed with us and it is the most wonderful thing. Those little guys are going through so many things, growth spurts, teething, etc. and they just need their mommy (and her breasts) available at any times, they are not able to regulate themselves on their own yet. Nothing is more important then being there and show love when it is needed! It is a shame that doctors are recommending to torture babies! So I'm just saying do not expect your son to be able to manage without night time feedings from a certain age. He will when he is ready and until then everything is possible, and nothing stays the same ;-) Just enjoy the closeness with your baby you will never ever have again!

Erynne - posted on 01/07/2010

Your doctor is giving you poor advice. Every baby is different. My 9-month-old still nurses 2-3x a night, more often if he's feeling poorly.

If you need something to back up your feelings that nursing your infant is a good idea... think of the fact that the first teeth they get are called 'milk teeth,' and those teeth don't fall out until they're 5yrs old. Evolutionarily speaking, nursing until babies are 5yrs old is not wrong.

And as far as nursing on demand, there's absolutely nothing wrong with allowing you child to have their needs met. People say, "Don't let them have their way or they'll get spoiled." What's so wrong with getting your way when what you're asking for is nutrition and comfort? Is it terrible to allow another human being to voice their need to you (in the only way he can at such a young age) and to fulfill that need?

I think perhaps you should look into a new pediatrician, one who is more comfortable with biologically appropriate feeding for your infant.

- E

Juliana - posted on 01/07/2010

i still feed my 7 month old...i did cut down from 2x to only 1x...although he's teething now and doesn't eat as much so i have had to go back to 2x per night.



i have heard to cut the amount of time they are on each breast by a minute each night until you don't feed anymore. I'm not sure when I'll try this...i am hoping he'll just naturally stop waking.

Katie - posted on 01/07/2010

my son is nearly 10 months and my health isitor advised me not to nurse him to sleep or il regret it of course i didnt listen and my son can wake up to 5 times in the night to feed! which can be stressful since i work 8:30-12:30 but like breanne sed listen to your heart ive tryed letting him fall asleep on his own but it can take time for the routine to actually work i do put him to bed without nursing him but i wait till hes really tired an i make sure hes had his feed at least half n hour before i think hes ready for bed so he falls straight to sleep sometimes crys for 5 minutes but thats all its ur choice if u want a good routine for ur child then try leavin him but only u can decide hope this helps :)

Toni - posted on 01/06/2010

Marisol wakes up 2-3 times a night to nurse and she is also 7 months old. I still nurse her. Since I am working full time, I pump milk. You may try giving a bottle of breast milk in addition to nursing before bed. Usually, your milk supply decreased throughout the day. The baby may not be getting enough milk. I have tried this this week and it seems to work. The baby only woke up once to feed last night.

Summer - posted on 01/06/2010

Do whatever feels right! Pediatricians are great for medical issues but this is really a parenting choice. What I would suggest is that you nurse him and then unlatch him after he has nursed a while and rock/sing him the rest of the way to sleep. I only suggest not nursing him to sleep because I co-sleep with my toddler and at seventeen months she is still waking up to nurse...so I kind of wish I had not always nursed her to sleep. BUT this is only my opinion, and everyones situations and children are different. He is still young and sleeping through the night at that age is pretty uncommon :) Oh, and if he only will nurse to sleep so far are you sure you have tried all of the tricks? swaying, chanting, singing, carseat on top of the washing machine, driving? Then again, I have a child latched to me as I type this, so I know your frustration. Honestly it all comes down to what keeps you sane and your son healthy :) Hopefully when he starts (or eats more) solids it'll ease up. good luck!!

Naomi - posted on 01/06/2010

I feel so much better after reading all your comments. My daughter is 10 months old and still BF's in the night only one feeding a night but it is usually a big one. I had a nurse tell me to let her cry it out and not to feed her. The nurse said she may cry for up to 2 hours!! That did not seem reasonable or nice at all!! So I feed her. I think Doctors and Nurses often give there opinion rather than medical advice and it can be confusing trying to find the right thing to do. I agree go with your instinct. 7 months old is very young. Remember; only 7 months ago your baby was with you 24 hours a day perfectly fed, always warm and well rested. It is a big adjustment to be in the world and little extra milk and comfort is totally reasonable.

Jamie - posted on 01/06/2010

I went through that with my son... It broke my heart but the doctor is right....The baby has become accustomed to waking up in the night and being fed.... It is a habit that needs to be broken.... I had my husband to get up and change him, then lay him back down.... the first 2 nights he cried for like 30 min, then it was like 5 or 10 min...... after about a week he did not wake up anymore for the night feeding.... I hope this was helpful.... Good Luck...

Nikki - posted on 01/06/2010

I let my daughter cry it out for a few days (I did this when she was almost 7 months old-she's now a year and doing great). After the first night it got a little better every night. It took 3 or 4 nights until she stopped, but now she doesn't get up during the night at all....it's SOOOOO nice to be able to sleep through the night.

Stacey - posted on 01/05/2010

hi Amber
l have the same issue my Lucius wakes 3 times for a feed during the nite and my paediatrician told me today that l need to stop as well that he will feed better in the day if he knows that he wont get it a night l feel so confused and feel l was doing the right thing for my baby as he was premmie . so conflicting the lack of information and who is right and who is wrong . maybe l might try the ladies advice from your question and feel good about the result he's happy.
thanks for asking the question
Stacey and Lucius

Stephanie - posted on 01/05/2010

I had the same thing. I actually have to refer you to the "Sleep Easy" program by the people at Sleepyplanet.com. Basically, they have you set your alarm an hour before he would normally wake up - so if he wakes up at 3am, you wake up at 2am. You gently wake him just enough to nurse - don't turn on a light or change him, he will be fine - and the first night, if you normally nurse for 10 minutes, then the first night, do ten minutes. He should fall right back asleep because he is already drowsy. The second night, again wake up an hour early and then feed for 8 minutes, third night - six minutes, fourth night - four minutes and so on. It worked like a charm for my night nosher!

Kristen - posted on 01/05/2010

my 8 month old is still up... usually more than once every night. i just try to enjoy the mommy baby time i get to spend bonding with him during the night. after all, it won't last forever!

Ena - posted on 01/05/2010

Mine still did this till around 16 months :) they grew out of it themselves. I dont t hink its fair to expect a breastfed 7 month old to sleep through the night......Follow ur instincts and if u think its better for your son to nurse him when he wakes do it!

Michelle - posted on 01/05/2010

I wouldn't change a thing. I pump & give bottles. Torin used to sleep all night & then he decided to start getting up. He was up all night when teething & now that his teeth are in, he's up 1-2 times a night still looking to be fed. I won't deny him regardless of what a doctor says. I haven't had too much luck with doctors when they tell me what is "right" for my kids' development. I'd either look for a new doctor or do my research & present it to him at the next visit.

La'Quanda - posted on 01/05/2010

I still nurse my son on demand & he will be 1 on the 25th, if I think he wants 2 eat then Im going 2 feed him, liquids do not last as long as solids, he does eat table food 4 dinner but he still wakes up 2 nusre at night & I let him, they do not know how much or how long your child feeds plus the cannot hold as much food as we can so they eat more often, plain & simple feed your son if u think he is hungry.

Nicole - posted on 01/05/2010

Dont worry no one thinks u starve him just as though i dont starve my son it just would be nice to get them to sleep a little more than a few hours before needing the boob again

Nicole - posted on 01/05/2010

To Amber Anderson, I am going through the same thing and i mean the same thing im lost and dont know what to do, my son will be 8 months on the 13th and is a full breast feeding baby and I cant get him to sleep through the night without needing to eat maybe 3 times a night what should i do anyone?

Diane - posted on 01/05/2010

Nurse him, if he's hungry he needs to eat, not all babies follow the textbook, he'll outgrow it eventually. You might try giving him a solid food meal right before his bedtime nursing and see if that makes a difference but if he still wakes up hungry then feed him.

Heidi - posted on 01/05/2010

Why are Dr's so concerned with "sleeping through the night" it seems to be a primary focus! Who cares if the baby wants to eat in the night. My 21 month old and 4 year old still wake in the night, and I go to them. If ther're waking, they need you. I would ignore the Dr's advice and do what feels right and natural to you as a mother! Good Luck!

Jaime - posted on 01/05/2010

You need to feed him. Some children just like to eat more than others. My youngest daughter woke up in the night till she was over two to eat. No she was not still breastfeeding but she was still hungry. You have to do what you think is best not what the doctor thinks. You know your child better than anyone and if you think he is hungry feed him.

Lindsey - posted on 01/05/2010

At four months my son was waking up at 1 and 5 to nurse. He was like clockwork. When I went to his check up the doctor explained that it was more of a habit than needing to feed because physiologically he can go through the night without eating (I think 15 pounds they have enough fat stores). He was very supportive and encouraged me to keep breastfeeding exclusively. He suggested for the next two night nursing half the time I normally would and then put him back to bed. Then for the following two nights cut the time in half again. For two nights after that don't feed him but just put him back to sleep. Then after that to not go in his room and let him put himself back to sleep. Unfortunately my son is very stubborn and cried quite a bit, but after two weeks we lost the 1:00 feeding. After I started him on cereal at six month I did the same thing with the 5:00 feeding and now he is 8 months and nurses at 7:30 before he goes to bed at 8:00 and then he wakes up between 6 and 6:30. It made a huge difference for him when he slept through the night. He was so much more congenial during the day because he was getting uniterrupted sleep. I was much better too! Hope that helps.

Lyssa - posted on 01/05/2010

I do not believe in the cry it out method (although fiance does, I don't allow it to happen) My son is 5 months and gets up 1-2 times a nite. He does have a pacifier which is in his bed. When he wakes up in the middle of the nite I wait about a minute to see if it's just the comfort he wants which when it is he puts either the paci or thumb in his mouth and if not i got and nurse him. I don't agree with what your doc says at all. If my son wants to nurse i nurse him.

Hayley - posted on 01/05/2010

Same problem with my 10 month old. Think that it is still very natural that babies want their mothers during the night. Infact mothers who live in the East of the world co - sleep with their babies and my friend who is from India shares her bed with her son who is the 1 year. She laughed when i explained that he would not sleep alone and wanted a feed etc. She explained that where she is from there are no guidelines stating that you must be seperate from you child during the night and that no ther mammal on earth seperates themselves from their infants. Thus you can understand why our babies do not sleep well alone.
Knowing this i think it is important to do what feels right when you are ready and not when a book tells you. You are his mother and so know best.

Jacklynn - posted on 01/05/2010

I was consistently disappointed with my doctor's advice on breastfeeding. My son is 16 months and is still nursing before naps and bedtime. We just night-weaned about 2 months ago. I think each breastfeeding relationship is unique and you need to do what works for you. The best parenting advice I ever received was to always follow my instincts. When I had some breastfeeding issues, I stopped calling my doctor and called a La Leche League volunteer. Good luck to you! You know what's right for you and your baby.

Michelle - posted on 01/04/2010

My little man wakes up at least once a night to b/f he is 5 1/2 mths, but sleeps while he feeds and he is back in his crib witin 10-15 minutes of wakening. (I always hear people say let them cry it out, but for goodness sake you are their food supply. I could always have my hubby wake up and give him a bottle to lighten my load, since I work full time as well, but I chose to breast feed and it is my responsibility to ensure my son is comfortable.) Sorry just hate the term just let them cry it out, it drives me nuts. I am glad so many other moms feel the same way as well and I got some really good advise from this post... Thanks all..

Christine - posted on 01/04/2010

please do not let your children CIO! Thay are crying for a reason...soothe them and comfort them

Jennifer - posted on 01/04/2010

My son is 12 months and until 2 weeks ago I was getting up 2 or 3 times a night to feed him then all of a sudden he slept throught the night. I know it is not easy but i promise it will not last forever.

Brandy - posted on 01/04/2010

OMG! I can't believe your doctor said that! Most breastfed babies wake to nurse until close to a year, sometimes longer. Don't feel like you have to starve your baby. My daughter stopped night nursing at 8 1/2 months but some go alot longer than that so don't worry, your baby is doing what he should be doing.

Erin - posted on 01/04/2010

I think Dr's express their personal opinions too much! I would keep nursing him at night for as long as you want! My son nursed at night until he was ohhh.... 16 months old? The only reason he doesn't anymore is because I finally couldn't do it anymore. I figured 16months was old enough for him to nurse before bed, but not to fall asleep. Still, if he awakened crying in the middle of the night... I would go in and comfort him because I would think there's a reason he is crying for me!
I figure that with the lack of communication, crying is how they let you know they need you. And since you can't exactly ask them what they want/need, you just have to assume that, especially at 7months, they know best what their needs are.
At 7 months my son was still waking *multiple* times at night and I nursed him back to sleep each time. Totally normal. I hope ;)
I always figured even if he wasn't hungry, he may just be thirsty. I sometimes wake in the middle of the night and drink water, why wouldn't he want to do the same (except with milk!).

Ashley - posted on 01/04/2010

Nurse. I have an 8 month old that wakes up once to feed every night. I have thought about leaving her to cry it out, but it occurs to me that I no more know if she is truly hungry, thirsty, lonely, or bored than the man on the moon does. She goes down at 7:00 and sometimes her feeding is at 10:30PM and others it is 4:00AM. She feeds, and goes right back to sleep until 7:00 or 8:00 without fail. If you believe what the books say babies have no PHYSICAL need to feed during the night once they hit eleven pounds. All babies are different and only you know what works for your LO.

Justine - posted on 01/04/2010

Quoting Kimberly:

My daughter will be 7 months in a week. She still wakes twice during her 11 hours of sleep. Usually she goes to bed between 9-10 and wakes to eat between 12-1 and around 7. My first daughter did the same thing she nursed at 1 and 6 am. then eventually she dropped the 1 am feeding and then the 6 am feeding around 10 months but i believe that was much too late. my doctor told me if someone offered you a piece of pizza in the middle of the night im sure you would eat it and thats what we were doing with our daughter when she would cry we would feed her rather than soothe her. when we started the sleep program (basically they cry themselves to sleep until a few days later they leran to put themselves to sleep) and then she never ate at night again. I believe you could start the sleep program around 6 months

if you woke in the middle of the night and were hungry, you would go get soemthing to eat right? why are you denying something that is so needed. i dont believe in sleep programs, they are damaging, especially in infants so young. a 6 month old doesnt know why you are absndoning her to cry when her natural instinct is to cry so she wont get forgotten. 10 months is not too late to still be waking during the night, especially a breast fed baby who is used to the comfort of their mother being there. they will eventually get on to a routine themselves. this is coming from the mother of the worst sleeper, he was brutal to get to sleep and stay asleep, but at almost a year he now sleeps great, is back to napping during the day, and sleeps great at night. without crying it out.

Justine - posted on 01/04/2010

i think your doctor is wrong. with breastfed babies they digest milk faster so they get hungry more often. at that age it is perfectly normal. my son is almost a year and still does that, though it is more for comfort now. i nurse him and he goes back to sleep. i was losing more sleep when i tried to get him back to sleep without nursing because he was genuinly hungry. picking him up and nursing him is the right thing to do.

Kelly - posted on 01/04/2010

my doc tells me the same thing but i dont listen. my daughter is going tobe a yr on the 22nd of this month and still feed her at night sometimes 2 times a night but it makes her fall back asleep and im not going to leave her in her bed crying when all she wants is me to feed her

Maggie - posted on 01/04/2010

my doctor told me the same thing. i did something like that. i made sure that my daughter had a full bottle (because we bottle fed) and something to eat before bed (like pureed strawberries or something along those lines). My daughter still woke up in the middle of the night to feed but we started to give smaller amounts of milk until she slept through the night again. It worked for her maybe it could work for your little guy,. good luck!

Jessica - posted on 01/04/2010

Definately Nurse him. A really close friend of mine had a very similar problem. She read this book called "Happiest Baby on the Block" and used a technique that worked so well for her. If you baby feeds for 15 minutes, the first night feed for 15 minutes. The next two nights for 13 minutes, the next two nights for 11 minutes, etc. Continue decreasing and your baby will basically drop the feeding on their own. Good luck!

Stephanie - posted on 01/04/2010

Quoting Stephanie:

My daughter nursed through the night until about 10 months, the she just decided she didnt want to nurse any more. She was gradually loosing feedings over time two. We were down one feeding during the day and one at night.
I just let her tell me when she wanted to nurse so I think it was a natural degression.
I hate when doctors say...babies should be this, or they can make it over night. I think it is BS and other than is my baby health or not I dont really care what else they have to say..lol..may I also say that I love our peditrician!! He is great and does give all the advice and a schedule as to what age babies should be doing whatever. He goes by what my little one is doing and if she is healthy.
Best of luck to you. One day they wont need you at all so cherrish it. :O)

LOL I meant to say he doesnt give all the advice  :O)

Stephanie - posted on 01/04/2010

My daughter nursed through the night until about 10 months, the she just decided she didnt want to nurse any more. She was gradually loosing feedings over time two. We were down one feeding during the day and one at night.

I just let her tell me when she wanted to nurse so I think it was a natural degression.

I hate when doctors say...babies should be this, or they can make it over night. I think it is BS and other than is my baby health or not I dont really care what else they have to say..lol..may I also say that I love our peditrician!! He is great and does give all the advice and a schedule as to what age babies should be doing whatever. He goes by what my little one is doing and if she is healthy.

Best of luck to you. One day they wont need you at all so cherrish it. :O)

Tara - posted on 01/03/2010

It sounds like you know what you're doing and have decided to continue to nurse at night, and from what most of the other moms have said, you're not alone! I just wanted to add to that and say that my daughter is 9 months old and still wakes up a few times a night to nurse... even though sometimes it is frustrating and sometimes I wish she'd give us both a full night's sleep, most of the time I agree with Brodie that one day we'll look back and miss those middle of the night cuddles!

Kristina - posted on 01/03/2010

my seven month old is still nursing at night to some it may seem odd but breastmilk is not as heavy as formula so yes nurse as much as u like. my son comes to bed with me two to three hours before it is time to get up and i think he nurses about six times before we get up for the day. so yes your doc was wrong and silly try to find a doc that has kids and really knows what they are talking about.