Stopping Night time Feedings

Rhiannon - posted on 03/08/2009

Can you have Daddy go in and try to comfort her so that she doesn't smell milk? 

Tamara - posted on 03/08/2009

When I was going to a ped., I did a lot of smile, nod, and do my own thing anyways when it came to advice on how to parent my little one. They're there to give medical advice, NOT parenting advice.

Katy - posted on 03/07/2009

My pediatrician was very sympathetic while we discussed night waking/feeding at his 6 month check up. I cannot let him cry it out, its my personal choice. His Dr. did not persist. However I don't jump up at every whimper. When he cries I go to his room, if cuddling doesn't soothe him, I nurse. Luckily this past month has been a bit better. I don't get up more than once a night, and I am getting a couple nights a week where he sleeps through. yay!

Good Luck!

Allison - posted on 03/07/2009

I choose to allow free-night nursing up though the second year with my kids. I forced night weaning with my daughter at 19 months and she wasn't ready, and she still woke every 2 hours and needed help going back to sleep - and I couldn't nurse her which was easier than rocking her and singing to her. Bot my kids have slept better once their 2 year molars come in. I didn't force night weaning with my second, and he stopped when he was ready at 20 months.

If think self-soothing back to sleep is much more developmentally appropriate for an older child, not a baby or toddler. If you're ok with it (for the most part) then just follow her lead.

Regarding cavities - genetics plays a much larger part in the development of cavities than anything. However, food on the teeth can indeed be a contributor to cavities. It's a good ideas to brush her teeth before bed - if the food particles are gone, the breastmilk won't have that to work with. There does seem to be some evidence that breastmilk itself doesn't cause cavities because of the stuff in it...but if food is present, then it could increase the risk factors.

My daughter nursed at night until 19 months and she did have cavities *between* her molars when she was 4. If we had been flossing, those wouldn't have been there. Had nothing specific to do with breastmilk. Bottle rot is often cause by a bottle sitting in a baby's mouth for long periods of time, with the milk pooling around the front teeth. Because nursing is completely different - milk doesn't just flow out of the breasts (babies must actively suck) you don't have the pooling effect.

Anyhow...don't listen to your ped if your heart is telling you it's better to nurse at night. I always got more sleep nursing then tending to a crying child. Peds don't have a lot of breastfeeding education, either, so they don't always give the best advice. They often know more about formula and assume the info is the same for breastmilk. It's not.

Good luck!

Manar - posted on 03/07/2009

try pumping milk, my son is 1year and 3 months and he is still on breastfeeding. when baby is  on breast feeding, he will wake up crying at  night.

try to give her formula once aday, only before she goes to bed  or solid food if she accepts, this will fill up her stomach, will help her to sleep like 4 to 5 hours continous

Carrie - posted on 03/07/2009

Isn't it frustrating to have a doctor perpetuating the unrealistic expectation that our babies should all be sleeping through the night?  Some babies wake in the night.  And I found the fastest and easiest way to get them back to sleep is to nurse. 

I will respectfully disagree with the previous post that night nursing is not shown to be a cause of dental caries.  Most dentists aren't even aware of the research, they just go on the assumption that ANY substance on the teeth is harmful.  Here's an article on the research. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/to...

And here's an article on comfort nursing. http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/...

I have also found from personal experience, that just because you wean doesn't mean your baby will sleep through the night... My son, now 22mo and fully weaned still wakes in the night.  Even though it is exhausting - I will continue to respond to his cries as long as he needs me.

Annabelle - posted on 03/06/2009

What i did with my daughter is that i came to her crib and touch and talk softly to her that she must go back to sleep because it's night time and it is no time to eat (or drink). Then i stay about 2 to 5 minutes and leave back to my own bed. The first few days i had to get up quite a few times but after that, the night feeds were over!

Maria - posted on 03/05/2009

Quoting Katryna:

Stopping Night time Feedings

My daughter is 9 months old and exclusively breastfeed other than solid foods. I had her 9 month check up the other day and her doctor told me I should let my daughter cry it out when she wakes up in the middle of the night. I don't like listening to her cry and was wondering if any one had any suggestions other than formula. Thanks

you should do what your heart tells you.we as moms knows what is better for them.

Missy - posted on 03/05/2009

My daughter woke up once a night until I weened her at 15 months.  Night time feedings were the hardest to stop, so instead of going into her room myself when she woke up, my husband went in and comforted her and she would go back to sleep.  It only took about a week of that before she realized that she wasn't going to be fed at night anymore and she started sleeping through the night.

Stephanie - posted on 03/05/2009

I just moved my baby to her own room and she's been okay during the night. We're on day 4 and she's only had to eat once at night. The rest of the time, we just get up and give her the pacifier. She's still waking up though and when paci doesn't work, I feed her.

Nicole - posted on 03/05/2009

Most experts consider sleeping any 1 stretch of 4-6 hours as sleeping through the night. So if your babes do this at any point in the night, technically they are sleeping through the night.

At 6mo. we started bed-sharing because I was having to wake so much in the night, every 1.5 hours, to feed and I work full time. So my OB actually suggested bed-sharing and we loved it. My son could nurse, I could sleep.

By about 15 mo. or so he was only waking 1-2 times a night, then by 18 mo. he night weaned himself, with only a little help from me... telling him we were right here, go back to sleep, hubby rubbing his head, offering water and even letting him lay between my hubby and I and cry for a few mins. We're not CIO people at all by the way. Within a few nights he was sleeping from 10-11p until 6-7a.

Now at 26.5 mo. he sleeps in his own toddler bed at the end of our bed for the same amount of time, 8-10 hours at least. At just before 2 yrs. I told my son I needed him to sleep in his bed because he was kicking me a lot in the night, in the back and tummy and I am/was pregnant. I nursed him to sleep in there and he transitioned just fine. Then a little while later it got too hard for me to get out of his bed, so we nursed in my bed, then put him into his once asleep. Well the last month or so I can only stand to nurse for 5-10 mins at a time. I am 34.5w pregnant. So I tell him, buddy, 5 mins. Then at 5 mins. I say, Ok bud, time to get your water and get in your bed. He goes in great. So transitioning to a bed wasn't too bad. Oh, we did have his bed at the end of ours for a few months prior to him actually sleeping in it. He would play in it and we'd put him in there during naps.

This is a helpful link on night weaning once 12mo. or more. Even if you don't bed shair, I think the suggestions can still be helpful:
http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/a...

Katryna - posted on 03/05/2009

I don't mind feeding her at night it was her doctor that even brought it up. I dont mind if she feeds once but anymore than that it gets a little bothersome.

She was sleeping from 730pm to 4am and then eating and going back to bed until about 630am. I was fine with that schedule but her third tooth just came in and her fourth is right behind it so I think its just for comfort right now.

When she does wake up at night I wait until she actually starts crying and not just fussing to get her because sometimes she will go back to bed. I would rather feed her a million times at night then to listen to her cry though lol.

Itsamystery - posted on 03/05/2009

I wouldn't let her cry it out... not only is cry it out horrible for you and baby, it's totally normal for a 9 month old baby to wake for feeds! A 9 month old baby may be physically mature enough to go without food for an 8 hour period, but that doesn't mean that they MUST go without food for an 8 hour period.

'Sleeping through the night' actually means sleeping for 5 hours or longer. It used to distinguish sleeping for a 'long' stretch at night as opposed to continuing the 2-3 hourly feeds around the clock.

Was the doctor suggesting that because you'd told him/her that feeding at night is a problem or is that his/her routine recommendation? Is there a reason why you must night wean or are you just thinking about it because the doctor suggested it?

Katryna - posted on 03/05/2009

Does anyone know what they eveb consider sleeping through the night? Because she has like a 6 hour stretch and she was doing longer but I thought that 6-8 hours was considered sleeping through the night... I'll have to call the pedi today and talk to a nurse and see if they can give me some tips!

Megs - posted on 03/04/2009

wow so far it doesn't seem like there is much to do, but night feed, or rather night soothe.  I have a 10.5 month old and he still wakes up a couple of times too.  I've read about cutting down the time the baby sucks for gradually.  Like, in the middle of the night, time how long he/she feeds for and then the next night cut it down by a minute or so and keep doing this until the baby doesn't need to feed anymore.  Great idea, but does it work?  And is anyone alert enough even to look a clock, nevermind to keep track of how long your baby sucks?  Has anyone tried this?

Vanina - posted on 03/04/2009

Not really. Maybe water if she takes it. My Dr, said the same thing. I didn't listen. Here we are at almost 21 months still breastfeeding on the left breast( she refused the other one? ) at nite and unless I leave the house for a week. I don't see how I'm going to wean her off. She eats and drinks everything. Good luck!

Chelsea - posted on 03/04/2009

Our pediatrician told me at my daughter's 6 month checkup a few weeks ago that she doesn't need to nurse during the night anymore... but I told it's the quickest way to stop the screaming! lol If you don't mind the night feeding then I would continue.

Katryna - posted on 03/04/2009

I let her cry for 5 mins last night and i was crying with her lol... So i cuddled with her and rubbed her stomach but ended up feeding her!

Danielle - posted on 03/04/2009

I wish I could help but my son is 11 months and still waking up at night!  if you find a way let me know, i cannot let him cry it out ive tried!