how often should 7mo olds need to nurse at night?

Jessica - posted on 11/09/2010

ph and formula is just as healthy for babies as breastmilk... just because you chose to bf does not make bottle feeding bad! Why do ppl on here constantly feel the need to attack others parenting choices???

Jessica - posted on 11/09/2010

studies show that formula fed babies wake up just as often as breast fed babies, so a baby who still gets up at night to eat is more than likely doing so out of habit. Also, letting babies cry it out teaches them at an early age to self soothe, which carries into child and even adulthood!

Jennifer - posted on 11/08/2010

You're definitley not alone - my little guy is like a clock - down for the night at 8, and up to nurse at midnight, 3, and 6... even with the time change I can still tell time by him.... I don't get any help at night either, my DH works midnights so he's never home at night and he's sleeping during the day, I also can't cry it out b/c I have a 2 1/2 year old. My doctor was really supportive and said that even without any help kids will eventually sleep through the night.... I'm just as frazzled as you are though, I haven't slept a whole night since I was 6 months pregnant and I'm so exhausted...

Jessica - posted on 11/05/2010

Have you tried a nuk? We just got to a point where every time our son woke up, we would rock him back to sleep and if that alone didn't work, then we would use the nuk. He was teething, so it helped wonders!

Letting him cry it out is tough at first, especially when they cry so much, but if you are persistent, it will work and then he will start getting the message that he really doesn't need to eat at night and will start to wake less and less at night, realizing it was a habit and not out of necessity.

Good luck!

Liz - posted on 10/26/2010

my son was sleeping through the night at 2 weeks. he started teething at 6 weeks, but it didn't get bad until 4 months. so in july (4 months) he started waking up every 2 hours and was crying like he was starving. but it was just cause his teeth were bothering him so badly. once he got to 5 months though i started giving him rice cereal and that gave me 3 hours of sleep at a time. but it didn't help as much as i had hoped so it turned out that it was just his teeth bothering him really bad. i give him gripe water right before bed and that helps, every once and awhile i luck out and he sleeps 6 hours at a time but he's still up every 2-4 hours most nights.
the thing that helps me the most is he sleeps till 10 am every morning and when he wakes up he only feeds for about 10 minutes and then goes back to sleep so it's not too bad. also my boyfriend on weekends wakes up earlier than me so he'll wake up with him and i can sleep a little longer.
my cousin let her son cry it out which she said after leaving him all night for 2 or 3 nights works. after those first couple of days he then knows that he's not getting fed at night and he'll sleep (its just habit for them to think they should get fed at night). i know other people that have done this too and they swear by it. i just can't do it. i hear him cry and i'm there

Darby - posted on 10/21/2010

I'm going to start my almost 7 month old on a new routine next week but for now she goes to bed around 11/11:30 and doesn't wake until 8/9 am.

Amber - posted on 10/21/2010

Not all babies "should" sleep through the night just because they hit a certain age. Waking up once to nurse I'd say isn't a bad thing, he's probably hungry! I know he's waking up more but don't give him formula, that's a stupid idea. He's doing well nursing and you'll screw that all up if you follow that advice.

If you can't gently cut down to maybe just once a night feeding, co-sleep. You can whip out a boob without even opening your eyes, or just roll over.

April - posted on 10/21/2010

He should be able to sleep through the night. Although he shouldn't need to eat at night, that is what he (and your breasts) are used to. I would suggest you wean him off his night feedings gradually. Maybe cut a night feeding every 2-3 days.

Jayne - posted on 10/21/2010

breastfed babies don't tend to wake up more frequent what aload of crap. my son has slept through the night for 4 months. if you are breastfeeding do not speak to or listen to bottle feeding mums or ones who supplement. it's so wrong

Jayne - posted on 10/21/2010

oh btw i have breastfeed my son nearly 8 months now and formula milk is supplementing i strongly advise you not to make up a bottle. formla milk is junk food

Jayne - posted on 10/21/2010

have you tried giving him a dummy as a soother my boy didnt want a dummy for while but one day he just took to it...try keepin him up as much during the day and maybe giving him more solids so he has more to digest

Tania - posted on 10/21/2010

Breastfed babies do tend to wake more frequently at night, try give him a bottle of formula at night to stretch him - NOVOLAC SD - is spesifically made for hungrier babies, mine used to only go 4 hours at night, but with the first bottle formula he goes 6hours and then has a feed and goes for another 3 before waking again in die morning. Also try and up his food intake during the day so that he is less hungry at night. My little boy is now 7 and half months and eats a big bowl of porridge in the morning, tea at 9am nap, yogurt at 11am, veggies and fruit at 12h30, cheese and a bottle at 4pm and protein and veg at 5h30pm and then goes to bed at 7pm with bottle. during his night feed he only has about 100ml.

Melissa - posted on 10/21/2010

Hi Karen.. you must be sooo tired! my 7month old LG slept from 7 to 7 at 12 weeks ... AND THEN we moved ... ooops!
for the first 4 weeks it was horrible, getting back into jumping up 5 times through the night, we've settled again now . I agree, your baba is used to his sleep routine at the moment. do you believe in/ make use of a pacifier? my LG 'comfort sucks' :-) i also kept (and still keep) a bottle of water next to her cot and gave that to her if she didnt settle with her dummy. my opinion, i dont think your baba is hungry, esp when on solids. best of luck, co-sleeping is a FAB idea!

Carlie - posted on 10/20/2010

Poor you!! If you don't sort this out you will get run down and sick!!! I would try him down for the night around 6:30pm then do a 'dream' feed at 10:30pm. My wee boy would always wake at the same time each night 2am and 4am and I just thought, no - it's a habit you don't NEED it so would turn the monitor down or off.. He shares a room so I thought if he was crying loud enough he would wake my daughter up. It only took a couple of nights and now he skips those feeds and sleeps till 6:30am... If you can't bear for him to cry (different as mine is my fourth) try the 'controlled' crying method which is when they start crying to wait 10 minutes before going in to 'ssssshhhhhh' him - try not to pick him up to calm him, you could just pat his chest. Definately DON''T feed though. Once has calmed slightly, leave the room (even if he starts up again) and go back to your bed, waiting for 12mins this time - continue this adding 2 minutes each time. I PROMISE that this will work, just be consistent and don't give in for a feed. The only problem here is that you will most definately have 3 days where you get no sleep at all.. I did this on my 1st two children (they were older thoug - 11months). Also you need to look at what he is eating during the day as he could be hungry, once 9 months he should be having 3 meals a day which becomes more important than the milk. Therefore you could try the controlled crying now or wait a few months if you think he is too young..

Amber - posted on 10/18/2010

I don't think you need to resort to cry-it-out. Just my opinion, but it's mean if you can find another way of soothing your little one. My baby is 7 months and was waking up 2x a night to nurse, but we have cut it back down to 1. I didn't make her cry, I just gently popped her binky back in her mouth and patted her gently until she went back to sleep. She soon learned that she didn't truly need that feeding and now she doesn't wake up until 530 am to nurse, then back down for a few hours.

You can also try "The No Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. I hate cry it out, just because it's night time doesn't mean they stop having needs. If I was all alone and crying and screaming I would want to be soothed, my baby is the same. I also wouldn't try giving formula just to make her sleep longer. She probably won't even like it since she is used to the sweet taste of breastmilk. However, if she is on solids you may want to give her her dinner right before bathtime, then after bathtime top off her tank with some nursing, then put her to bed.

Angeline - posted on 10/18/2010

my daughter has slept through the night from 3 weeks old. she is now 6.5months old, goes to bed at 8.30pm and wakes at 8am. She is on three solid meals a day and is breastfed as well. I think that the daytime naps are vital as she is not overtired when going to bed. First nap is 10.30 to 11.30; next one 2 to 3.30, next one 6 to 7.00. She goes to bed very full and sleeps in a nice warm room (heater in her room kept on 24/7) and she wakes in a very happy mood. We put her down to sleep 'awake' most nights and knows how to self settle. In those first few weeks we had to teach her how to go off to sleep by herself in her cot and also teach her to self settle. We did not use a pacifier at all.

Celina - posted on 10/18/2010

I am going through the exact thing right now. My 7 month old son wakes 3-4 times as well I am to the point where I am almost in tears every morning and all I can think about is when his nap time and bed time is so I can have some rest. Which is obviously not how I want to spend my day. A friend gave me a book called Baby Sleep Solutions. So it suggests that if you know when he wakes up set the alarm about a 1/2 to an hour before and you go in and feed him that way he is not really getting up right out of his sleep. Now it also says that you slowy start weaning by taking the amount of time you feed him and decreasing it by 2 min every feed, every night! So for example the 1st night I went in at 10:30 fed for 4 min, 1:00 fed 6 min, 3:30 fed 4, min 2nd night 10:30 fed 2 min, 1:00 fed 4 min 3:30 fed 2 min and you continue until you wean out the feeds completely. Now it says if you still think they need a feeding you can do one but still setting your alarm and going in. Now if they wake up between these times you have to do your "check ins" if he cries wait 5 min go half way into his room and say calming things, then you wait ten min and do the same and then 15 min and you continue at 15 min until they fall asleep! It seems to be working! I will let you know when I am through the process. It says can take 5-7 days so you have to stick to your guns and it's hard at times and it also sounds like a lot of work I know, but at this point if I am up through out the night any way I might as well give it a shot. I am willing to try anything at this point. Hope this helps and good luck. Let me know if I haven't explain it explained this completely.

Robin - posted on 10/18/2010

Which research has proven that crying it out is not good for babies? There is an expert and a theory on every sleep thechique and they all seem to disagree with one another to some extent. Every mom is different and so is every baby - I don't think it does anyone any good to criticize each other's parenting techniques.

Kimberly - posted on 10/18/2010

I don't know why everyone is so quick to let their babies cry it out? Research has proven it's not good for the babies! Anyway breastmilk digests very quickly, and their bellies are only as big as their tiny fists..it could be that your baby is actually HUNGRY...I know lately I have been hungry all the time..to the point where I wake up at 4 am to feed ME! Cosleeping has been working for us, but if that doesn't work for you then maybe put a mattress in the nursery and room in until it passes WHICH IT WILL...so many things disrupt sleep..and they are only little so long..take it from a momma who has been through this twice...also I have found lately he sleeps longer if he is on his belly and then I pat his butt till he falls asleep. I'm here if you need help!

Fiona - posted on 10/15/2010

well my daughter is nearly 7 months old and she has been sleeping from bout 9-10pm till around 8:30am the only time she will wake through the night is if she loses her dummy but once she gets it back then she is straight back to sleep...she use to wake several times a night for feeding but i then put her onto bottles and she then started to sleep better and all night except she is one of these kids that will only sleep about 20 mins in total through the day.....

Gabriela - posted on 10/15/2010

Your son is waking in between sleep cycles because he doesn't know how to self settle. He is quite capable of sleeping 12 hours straight at this point. I suggest you get him into a routine like the "Save Our Sleep" routine by Tizzie Hall. You will hardly sleep for 2-3 nights, but afterwards you'll have uninterrupted sleep. My 5 1/2 month old sleeps from 7 pm to 7 am, with 1 feed at 10:30 pm for which she doesn't even wake up and which we'll give up soon.
Good luck!

Jill - posted on 10/14/2010

My son is almost 7 months old. I know from the doctor he can sleep all night (10 to12) without feeding and he did for a while. I think he's going thru a growth spurt, so he is waking once after 7 hours for a feeding. It is a matter of if he wakes before that letting him cry it out. He usually cries 5 to 15 minutes (but sometimes it will take longer). If you give him a "snack" when he wakes at night...he will continue waking. He does not need anymore than one feeding at night at this point, and in truth he doesn't "need" that. Ultimately crying it out or any other method will not work unless you are committed to it. Call your pediatrician, they are there for you! It is important to take care of yourself! You need sleep.

Monica - posted on 10/14/2010

Same here -I have a 7month old and some nights she goes from 9PM to 6AM though so I can't complain that lately she's been waking up about twice to nurse. Sometimes though it can be 3-4 times. It's normal and will stop eventually.

Angie - posted on 10/14/2010

I am having the same problem with my son. He only sleeps for a few hours at a time and then he wants to eat. He wouldnt take a bottle if his life depended on it so my husband is unable to get up and help out in the middle of the night. I am in the same boat as you getting no sleep. I think I will try and let him start crying it out the first go around though. Hope you find something that works. It is good to know that I am not the only one :)

Kris - posted on 10/13/2010

I nurse my daughter whenever she wants at night. I don't really count how often she wakes up. I guess I want to spend as much time with her as possible, even if it means no sleep. My guilt as a working mom.

Viktorija - posted on 10/13/2010

We have a good night routine, he falls asleep almost right away, seldom makes fuss. I just don't know what to do instead of feeding because he cries in his sleep ,he never fully wakes up. he doesn't like pacifier much, and if I give him a bottle of water of , good forbid, formula (nothing against, but it would be the same) it won't do me any good.

Miranda - posted on 10/13/2010

hmmm... that's a tough question. Each baby is different but I think by 6/7 months that they should be close to sleeping 4-6 hours at a time. I would say that your son might be addicited to the boob & needs mom's help in falling asleep. I was in the same boat of whipping out the boob whenever my daughter woke up in the night and had to train myself to finding other ways of soothing her. Ariya (now 7 months old) had a similar habit when she was 3-4 months old but now, she sleeps like a champ thru the night and of course, if she DID wake up hungry, i would feed her. now it seems to be teething issues but that's another story....

My advise would be start working on a bedtime routine now & stick to it like clockwork every night. I watch to see when my daughter is getting sleepy, and at that first eye rub after dinner, we are upstairs singing our bathtime song. We take our bubble bath (Johnsons bedtime wash & lotion are KEY) - I give her the afterbath rub-down & massage and then we hit the glider for a little breastfeeding top off. by that time, she is zonked out & ready to be put down. She now sleeps from 7:30pm to 5:30 am and wakes up hungry & ready to go!

Good luck!

Viktorija - posted on 10/13/2010

my kid slept trough the night with 2 months. now he is 6,5 months and wakes up 2X for feeding. I am going bananas. and the older one is afraid of the boogy man, or just a little jealous, so he wakes up at night and comes to our bed. I don't remember when was the last time I got a good night sleep. BUT, I will do what ever it takes to stop his "night binging" :) because that's not good for the teeth. even breast milk affects teeth and spoils them.

Pascale - posted on 10/13/2010

try water, replace a feeding with water. Trust me once he realises, he won't wake up just to get water. I'm pretty sure he's not hungry , but like Melissa said just a habit. Or feed him formula before going down for the night, he'll feel more full. My little girl is sleeping 10-12 hours.

Rani - posted on 10/13/2010

By the way it is sooooo nice to hear that other mums have the same feeding problems at night. The nurse made me feel like my 7mth old was the only one still feeding like a newborn - I felt very depressed :(

Rani - posted on 10/13/2010

I am having the same problem with my 7month old daughter. She is feeding every 3 hours at night and when I consulted a local early childhood nurse she told me that it was habit and to get her out of it by doing controlled crying so basically telling me to let her cry it out like some other mums suggested. But I'm not as strong as other mums and controlled crying is something I just can't do. So I have been co-sleeping with her and comforting her with patting and humming. So far it has soothed her and she is now going every 4 hours so it's slowly stretching her feeds out longer. I know it's not a quick fix and it does take patience but if your like me and can't do the crying thing try it! As for the husband, kick him out of the room if he's not going to help out and put bub in with you!!!! Sorry hubby but a mums gotta do what a mums gotta do. Let me know if you get any other strategies that help change night feeding habits.

Jaiy - posted on 10/12/2010

I'd let him cry it out. At six months, it's okay to let the baby sleep through the night, about 10 - 12 hours. As cruel as it sounds, I'd turn off the baby monitor and get your sleep. let him cry himself back to sleep when he wakes up and after a few nights, he should stop. Remind yourself that it's for his own good. My little one is a much happier baby through the whole day if she's had a full night's sleep. Once he's gotten used to it, you'll see the difference, not only in him, but in yourself when you've had a good nights sleep. Good luck!

Robin - posted on 10/11/2010

according to all the books i've read - it's normal for them to wake up 2X per night (if they have an early bedtime ie. between 5:30 and 7pm) untli they're 9 months old... The frist wake up would be between 4-6 hours after they go to bed and the second about 4 hours after that.

My son is waking more frequently then that though - and I am having a hard time letting him cry it out because my older daughter is sleeping in the next room and I don't want her to wake up too... He often ends up in bed with me and my husband. I learned from the first baby this too shall pass... my daughter turned out to be a great sleeper after all!

Karen - posted on 10/09/2010

id try that, and have gone to bed right away, but my husband will just play video games anyway, and doesnt seem to think that spending time is important. im at a loss. i love my husband, but love my baby too, and feel like im gonna BLOW UP if i dont get more help i need my sleep too

Amy - posted on 10/09/2010

Well you can do as I do and just role over and kick him and keep telling him the baby is crying until he gets up. Or you can just get up get the baby and hand tje baby to him as well as a bottle and then crawl back into your side of the bed! There is no reason that you partner doesn't help regardless if he's got to get up in the morning or not! Another suggestion is if he won't help in the middle of the night but he'll do bedtime is while he's putting the baby to bed go to sleep yourself. I know that I don't functon well if I only get 2 to 3 hours of sleep but feel like I'm on top of the world as long as I get a minimum of a 4 hour block. Maybe if you start going to bed at 8 your husband will step up and help in the middle of the night so the two of you can get some time together!

Karen - posted on 10/09/2010

did you stop breastfeeding because your little one was getting up a lot at night?

Karen - posted on 10/09/2010

however, i do suffer alone. my husband will put our son to bed, but will never get up in the night with him. which is very disappointing, its like, i am the only one he feels should. because i am the "mother". I am trying to get him on a better schedule, hoping that it will help. he's been crawling since 5mo old, and has popped out two teeth 4 wks ago over the wknd. so he has 2 bottom teeth, and the two top teeth are really trying to come through. so maybe he is teething real bad that way, but i will give him tylenol and/or night time baby orajel.

Amy - posted on 10/09/2010

My daughter who I breastfeed sometimes sleeps up to 9 hours at night wake up and go back to sleep for another 3 hours. However, there are nights like last night where she woke up at least 3 times before waking up at 7:30 in the am for the day. If your little one will just cry for 5 minutes and then just go back to sleep if you don't go in right away then I would try and let him to the first time he wakes, and then feed him the second time he wakes and try and eliminate 2 of the night feedings. Not all babies sleep through the night, if you go onto the breastfeeding forum on here you will see that there are lots of moms whose little ones don't sleep through the night.
However like Melissa said your little one could be teething which could interrupt their sleep patterns, or did he or is he about to do something new i.e. like crawling because that will disrupt sleep too!
Another suggestion I have for you is if your little one will take a bottle alternate night feedings with your husband this is what I do with my husband if my little one wakes more than once or twice a night! There should be no reason that you suffer alone, lol.

Melissa - posted on 10/09/2010

Personally I think he is waking out of habbit...I believe, it is ok to let him sleep through the night up to 10hrs...the cry it out thing should work fast or you can just co-sleep with him...I dont bf anymore so someone else should have some good advice on weaning...good luck! Oh he could be waking also due to teething!