6 month old is dependent on the Boob and won't sleep through the night

Trista - posted on 08/26/2009

Per my pediatrician guidelines and the information in my nursing books, babies do not need to be fed in the middle of the night after they reach twelve pounds - I did not say you should feed them cereal then. Also, per my pediatrician and nursing books, it is ok to start feeding your child single grain rice cereal at about four months of age. I chose to start earlier, but am not telling anyone else to do so. As far as rice cereal in bottles, that is a personal choice I made that should not greatly affect swallowing - for patients who have trouble swallowing in hospitals, their liquids are thickened and this causes no choking hazard there. You can also feed your child rice cereal mixed with breastmilk with a spoon. A bottle is not necessary.

Jenifer - posted on 08/26/2009

Trista, if you are a healthcare professional, you should know that some of the information you've given out is completely contrary to the position of the AAP and other health organizations. According to the AAP, babies shouldn't be getting anything but milk or formula for the first 4-6 months, not 12 pounds. I know my son was 12 pounds before he was 2 months. Doesn't mean he was ready to sleep through and get baby food in the evening instead. Also, rice cereal in bottles in a recognized choking hazard, and I have to say I'm surprised to see you recommend it.

Trista - posted on 08/26/2009

Actually, as a nurse and healthcare professional, I can say that once a baby reaches 12 pounds, they are physically capable of sleeping through the night without a feeding. Just because your baby cries does not mean you should be giving in to whatever he or she wants as the above poster suggested. Babies cry for multiple reasons, and just because you let your child cry does not make you a bad parent. I breastfed my daughter until she quit herself at about three months. After this, I pumped until she was six months. I gave her six ounces at night with four to six tablespoons of rice cereal in the mix (out of a bottle with a rice cereal nipple). We still bonded and cuddled until she fell asleep, but she started sleeping through the night when she was about four months old. Babies need extra calories at night, this is true, but those calories should come before bed in the form of rice cereal or baby food, then breastfeeding or a bottle. While I am not telling you to quit completely nursing at night, I am saying it is time to limit the night feedings because not only you, but your child needs the extra sleep at night. Also, cosleeping is NOT a good idea. I have heard of multiple times when parents accidentally roll on and kill children who are up to a year old. Although many people do not harm their infants, it is NOT worth the risk of hurting your because it is convenient. It is an irresponsible and dangerous practice that kills and debilitates many children. Hope this helps. Best of luck to you

Tamara - posted on 08/25/2009

Quoting Laura:

i too breasfeed, my son is now 14 months -trying to figure out how to wean completely.
at 6months - I was also feeding through the night, but by the time we moved from a small unit to a larger place when he was 8 months, we let him cry when he woke wanting a feed. It was really hard.
2mins cry, go in pat him, then leave,
4 mins cry,go in pat him, then leave.picked him up if he wouldnt settle, then put him back down. leave. Its just a tantrum that they are crying & not getting their way.
we kept going, took up to 1.5hrs.and took 3 nights
You & your husband have to have made a decision to do it together - be strong.
Start on a thursday night, only 1 day of work. then friday & sat night. no weekend plans.
Wear ear plugs,listen to ipod. shut doors.
i wish i had of tried this at 6 months, because then i would have been getting a whole night sleep sooner, they don't need the milk, they're just used to the routine.

Honestly, would you be happy if someone only came in intermittantly to comfort you when you're crying and NEEDING to be comforted?  I can pretty much answer that for you, that answer is "NO!!!!!"  So why in the hell are you thinking its ok to do to a baby who's ONLY method of telling you something is WRONG is to cry?!  This is seriously cruel.  I feel so sorry for your children.

Melisa - posted on 08/25/2009

Lisa, thank you for you view. I didn't realize it was appropriate to contradict someone's views with such anger. I'm sorry that's the kind of person you are. I was simply trying to help another new mom and offering advice on a subject that my family has found peace about. She asked for it, so I gave it. She wanted the public to offer suggestions. My son sleeps through the night, there's nothing wrong about that. He's healthy, he gains weight, he wets his diapers, we have a tight bond, he isn't afraid of his crib, he doesn't feel neglected. Every morning I go in his room at 9am (he used to wake up and call for me so I knew that's when he woke up by himself) and now he just plays and talks to himself until I get him out. He's a peaceful baby and my family as a whole is peaceful because we all sleep. Babies do need to be trained. Humans need to be trained. Babies will learn whatever we teach them. Whether it's the need to nurse to sleep or not. The only concern about NOT nursing in the middle of the night is if baby is not gaining weight and wetting diapers during the day. Then, there's a red flag that baby is not being nourished and well fed. Otherwise Michelle, nursing at night is harder for mommy to give up than baby. He will not be scarred for life. He will love you and trust you, and he may not say so in so many words, but he will thank you for training him to sleep by being rested and have energy throughout the day. I'll say it again, doing what's BEST for your baby is never unloving or wrong. Doing what's best for your baby is the best thing you can do for him/her. You also will be able to meet or baby's needs more efficiently if you are well rested. You won't be in zombie mode like the other mom's that wake up 3-4 times a night every night for two years.

Jenifer - posted on 08/25/2009

As a lot of the other ladies have mentioned, it is totally normal for a baby to still need to breastfeed at night. My son is nearly a year, and right now he sleeps pretty soundly from about 10pm to 5am most nights. This happened within the last two months. At 6 months, I think he was still waking once or twice a night. We co-sleep though, so I can tell you that even now, some nights he needs to feed at night (like when he's sick) or sometimes he just wants to comfort nurse. Every baby is different, and growth spurts and other factors can mean your baby may sleep through one night and not the next. As long as its working, I'd suggest following baby's cues and not worrying too much about sleep training.

Minnie - posted on 08/25/2009

Quoting Melisa:

Hey Michelle, don't feel bad if you need to train your baby to sleep through the night. You're giving him the GIFT OF SLEEP. Babies need extended periods of undisturbed sleep just like adults. But don't believe the talk of "you're baby will sleep when he's ready" Babies need to be trained and that's ok, that's our job as parents to give our children what they need and what is best for them. My son is now 7 1/2 months old and he's been sleeping through the night since 10 weeks, on and off depending on growth spurts, teething, etc. On a regular basis he sleeps from 10pm to 9am. That is ok and very healthy. A great resource is "On Becoming Babywise" (can be found at any bookstore). Training your child is the best and most loving thing you can do. You will have a healthy and happy baby. And don't beat yourself up, you're learing too!!

No, babies DON'T need to be trained to sleep.  And babies do NOT have adult sleep patterns.  They are not designed to sleep for long periods of time (and it seems so biologically that as a species, humans are not designed to sleep for long periods at all, hence the 'siesta' that many cultures take).  Long, deep periods of sleep actually increase the risk of SIDS.

No one needs to be trained into a biological function. It happens naturally.

Amity - posted on 08/25/2009

I had the same problem but it lasted for longer than 6 months. My girl was premie and small so I didn't wnat to deprive her of food and it was so much easier to feed her in bed and just feed her to put her back to sleep. I ended up having to work out with Hubby a time (his holidays) when he could help me get DD2 to sleep through. It involved a little over a week of getting up and patting her to sleep and persisting and not giving her the boob. She wasn't hungry she was just needing a suck and got into the habit of waking. If she got really distraught we would pick her up but we wouldn't take her out of her room. Eventually she learnt but it was a hard few weeks and it was really hard to not give in because we were so tired but we thought it best in the long run and it was. She now takes herself to sleep when she is tired but she is two now.

Melisa - posted on 08/25/2009

Hey Michelle, don't feel bad if you need to train your baby to sleep through the night. You're giving him the GIFT OF SLEEP. Babies need extended periods of undisturbed sleep just like adults. But don't believe the talk of "you're baby will sleep when he's ready" Babies need to be trained and that's ok, that's our job as parents to give our children what they need and what is best for them. My son is now 7 1/2 months old and he's been sleeping through the night since 10 weeks, on and off depending on growth spurts, teething, etc. On a regular basis he sleeps from 10pm to 9am. That is ok and very healthy. A great resource is "On Becoming Babywise" (can be found at any bookstore). Training your child is the best and most loving thing you can do. You will have a healthy and happy baby. And don't beat yourself up, you're learing too!!

Laura - posted on 08/22/2009

totally agree with you, you said you feed til your son was 16months, how did he wean himself? Because i feel like my son, whose 14 mths will never get sick of my milk. And it has really started to effect my weight, i am skinner than i have ever been.

Laura - posted on 08/22/2009

i too breasfeed, my son is now 14 months -trying to figure out how to wean completely.
at 6months - I was also feeding through the night, but by the time we moved from a small unit to a larger place when he was 8 months, we let him cry when he woke wanting a feed. It was really hard.
2mins cry, go in pat him, then leave,
4 mins cry,go in pat him, then leave.picked him up if he wouldnt settle, then put him back down. leave. Its just a tantrum that they are crying & not getting their way.
we kept going, took up to 1.5hrs.and took 3 nights
You & your husband have to have made a decision to do it together - be strong.
Start on a thursday night, only 1 day of work. then friday & sat night. no weekend plans.
Wear ear plugs,listen to ipod. shut doors.
i wish i had of tried this at 6 months, because then i would have been getting a whole night sleep sooner, they don't need the milk, they're just used to the routine.

Connie - posted on 08/16/2009

Hi Michelle, I have 4 children, 3 of whom are young adults now. I nursed them all, and the last 2 for 19 months. My youngest would nurse a couple times at night in bed with me and then when he fell asleep I'd put him back in his crib which was in my room. I wouldn't rush him. Just let him take his time and he will begin to sleep through the night before long. He will probably sleep once you start feeding baby food. I'm not sure what the doctors recommend these days (my youngest is 14), but I was feeding mine a little cereal in the evenings from the time they were 2 or 3 months old and that seemed to help them to sleep better since they had something on their stomach that would last longer.

Lauren - posted on 08/16/2009

Our pediatrician said that at about 6 months most infants don't need a night feeding, that they should be able to go 10-12 hours without food. He also added that feeding in the night encourages bowel acitivity and urination, both of which can disturb baby's sleep. I thought this was bizarre but my son was able to go without night feedings at about 7 months. He was breastfed only for 5 months and then we started cereal. We learned that he wanted comfort, not food, at night wakings. So we comforted him and helped him learn to fall asleep without us. It isn't easy and he doesn't sleep through every night, but learning to fall asleep idependently is a skill that must be learned by your son and can't be taught by parents. I really learned a lot about sleep training in this book "The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night." PS-Hang in there, as he gets older and more active, he'll sleep better. And daytime naps = a good night's sleep.

Natalie - posted on 08/15/2009

Hi Michelle



My youngest daughter is 6months and still has a feed at the end of the night before bed and wakes once or twice during the night,so your not alone!If its bothering you still getting up to him,I would keep trying the baby cereal.

My oldest is 18months and has only in the last month started sleeping throughout the night!

I know some mums who just keep putting their babies back in bed to get them to sleep during the night(they had to be very consistent and their babies were probably more around 8months),but if your little one is still solely breastfed,hes probably waking because hes hungy-breastmilk doesnt stay in their system for as long as formula for some reason.

Only thing I can recommend is to keep trying the baby cereal!



Good luck :)

TABATHA - posted on 08/15/2009

GIVE IT A FEW MORE MONTHS....ABOUT A MONTH AGO...I STOPPED GIVING MY DAUGHTER BOTTLES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT...SHE'LL BE 11 MOS ON THE 24TH OF THIS MONTH..SHE WAKES UP AT NITE & I LAY HER ON MY CHEST & GENTLY TALK TO HER & TELL HER TO GO BACK TO SLEEP...IF SHE DOESNT LIKE THAT I LAY HER NEXT TO ME & CRADLE HER UNTIL SHE GOES BACK TO SLEEP....SHE CRIES AND IS FUSSY AT TIMES BUT THAT IS THE PROCESS...IT'S A HARD BUT WORTH IT PROCESS...THINK ABOUT IT...IT IS MUCH EASIER TO POP THE BOTTLE IN THE MOUTH...BUT WITH THAT ROUTINE THE OLDER THEY GET THE MORE IS IS DEMANDED.....AFTER ALL THATS WHAT U HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THEM SINCE THEY WERE BORN...SO THEY ARE GONNA EXPECT IT.. YOU DONT WANT HIM DOING WHAT WOULD SEEM LIKE 4 EVER DO U???? I SAY DEFINITELY..AS A MOTHER OF 3 MYSELF.....GIVE IT TILL 10 MOS OF AGE BEFORE U TAKE THE NITE TIME BOOBY AWAY.....HE IS STILL A BABY BABY. HE NEEDS THE COMFORT THING....DEFINITELY WAIT TILL 10 MOS!!!! I KNO U WOULD ENJOY A GOOD NITES REST!!!!! ALL OF US MOTHERS NEED IT... HOPE THIS WAS HELPFUL!!!!

DoRena - posted on 08/15/2009

As several people have mentioned, it is normal for a 6 mo to still NEED to nurse every night. It would be a good idea to get your baby used to falling asleep without nursing though, so that if he wakes up and doesn't have to eat then he can put himself back to sleep without your help -- and without crying!

There are lots of mixed schools of thought on the "crying it out" method. I personally think that it is dangerous (prolonged crying can cut off the flow of oxygen to the brain) and risks breaking the bond of trust that you have with your little one, leaving him terrified of his crib and needy during the day.

Still, I have been tempted to do it myself. Frequent night wakings are tough on the whole family! About a month ago I started following the advice in Elizabeth Pantley's book "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" and I have had GREAT success with my 5 mo daughter. She was waking every 1-2 hours to nurse and staying up until 11 or 12 at night. She now sleeps from 7 to 7, waking around 10 and 5 to nurse. I don't agree with all of Pantley's ideas, but I this book has been a real lifesaver for me!

Minnie - posted on 08/14/2009

I'd have to disagree with those saying an infant older than five months does not NEED to nurse. That advice came from the pediatricians- but believe it or not, pediatricians are not well-versed in infant nutrition. They get most of it from formula companies.



Breastfed infants are expected to receive at least 25% of their nutrition during the night for at least the first 12 months.



Consider the fact that prolactin levels (and therefore milk production) are higher at night than during the day.



Breastfeeding is not all about nutrition- it is also a very important source of immunities and comfort. It stabilizes the infant's metabolism, breathing patterns, heartrate, and core temperature. It's important to not consider breastfeeding in terms of nutrition only. These other factors are just as necessary and important to the well-being of the child and shouldn't be written-off as unecessary and unimportant.

Amy - posted on 08/14/2009

Just a word from another point of view... I breast fed my son for 16 months. He weaned himself. However, I did let him cry it out at 5 months. After consulting with the pediatrician and reading many books, I felt confident that children that age do not 'need' to eat at night. In fact, they are perfectly fine going 12 hours at night without nursing (assuming they are normal weight and in good health). The gift of sleep is priceless. I sleep 8-9 hours every night. My son has NEVER woken in the middle of the night since we did the cry it out method and he is now over 2 years old. He is happy, well behaved, very bonded to me and my husband, and very well rested. Eating and comfort are important, but I think we forget how vital uninterrupted sleep can be as well.

Elizabeth - posted on 08/14/2009

Ok, I am going to go totally against the grain here and say that at six months your baby does not NEED to have a night time feeding. Though, for those who want to keep that feeding, it is totally up to them. My daughter is 5 1/2 months old and has been sleeping through the night since 3 months. I feed her 4 times a day, when she wakes in the morning, after the first nap, the second nap and right before bed. When she was around two months I started shifting my nursing time to when she woke up so she wouldn't rely on breastfeeding to get to sleep. So, I guess what I am trying to say is that if it works for you to drop the night feeding and your baby is growing and developing fine then everything is ok.

Amy - posted on 08/14/2009

There is nothing wrong with a 6 month old needing to be feed in the middle of the night.

I think my little one did not start sleeping though the night until he was eating solids more regularly.

Michelle - posted on 08/14/2009

That was so helpful! Thanks so much :)

Michelle - posted on 08/14/2009

Thanks for all of the advice everyone! I wasn't saying that I don't want to nurse him and bond with him anymore. I am totally enjoying it now more than ever and cherish every moment. I am only wondering if I should listen to the pediatricians when they say at 6 months he should not be feeding through the night.

Monique - posted on 08/14/2009

You're not alone!! My 7month old little girl is exactly the same. I give her a full feed before bed and she will still wake 3-4 times during the night. I put off feeding her and put her back to bed, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. It's hard hearing other babies around this age sleep through but I know it's not the end of the world if mine doesn't I just keep telling myself it's not going to last forever!!! He'll sleep through in his own time I guess. good luck

Belinda - posted on 08/14/2009

Hey Michelle

Im in the same boat as you only mine is 7mths. Its normal as far as I know, my daughter was still getting up for feeds at this age too, yet people I know have babies that sleep all night from the start. Just go with it they like to do things in their own time.

Lucy - posted on 08/14/2009

My 6 month old still wakes up a couple times each night to nurse. He has a soother that he likes, but when it's the middle of the night, it's some milk he's looking for. We're co-sleeping, so it's really not that difficult for me to side feed him, and try not to wake myself up too much.
I've recently been worrying if he should be sleeping through the night yet, but reading the posts above, I'm going to chill out, and just enjoy my little guy.

Michelle - posted on 08/14/2009

My 9 month old just started sleeping through the night! I strictly breastfed for 8 months and have slowly weened to only once a day, I really had to Im pregnant my milk is drying up but anyways I started giving her a bottle then nursing her and she sleeps all night, I almost think that my milk wasnt enough for her, she was waking every 2 hours to nurse and thats just ridiculous at her age

Sara - posted on 08/14/2009

GROWTH SPURT. Its that time as a 6 month old. Continue to nurse on demand and your supply will increase to meet his needs. He may nurse longer at a time and less often. Good luck.

Jenny - posted on 08/14/2009

My 11 month old finally started sleeping through the night about a month ago and it is only from 9:30pm to 6am. My pediatrician recommended to me to feed her an "extra" dinner before bed (another jar of babyfood) and it really seems to help. Before I started doing that I was battling with her at 4 in the morning when she would wake up. My other daughter who will be 3 in October (I breastfed her for 16 months without supplementing) slept through the night at about 5 months she would sleep from 9pm to 7am. I would suggest talking to your pediatrician and lactation consultant to see what is best for you and your baby. You may also want to do a feed and weigh to be sure your baby is receiving an adequate supply of milk. Just hang in there it will get better!! Lactation consultants are the best for support!!

Halie - posted on 08/14/2009

Hello.... I have been struggling with the above issues since day one! At over one year my son, who never slept through the night (not even close!) began waking up every two hours. We let this go for sometime, thinking maybe it was a phase. So, we decided, after many tears from me, that we would have to do the cry-it-out method. We did this for sometime and then he only woke up one to two times at night. I still nursed at night and for a while this pattern was just fine with us both. My son is now 20 months old and the past week he has been waking up at least three times and demanding to be nursed. After being nursed, rocked, backed rubbed for a LONG TIME, he will stand up and cry and scream. I am not sure if this is a terrible phase as we move closer to age two or it's a sign for me to cut him off cold turkey. I don't want to but I guess it's time.... I also have felt like they are only young once and how amazing to continue this genuine bonding experience.

Katie - posted on 08/14/2009

Michelle-
I had the same issue with my son, who will not take a bottle. Starting at that age, I was desperate to get more sleep. What really helped me reach was a book called "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. I chose a feeding to skip and let him cry it out. It is HARD to do, but now most nights he goes to sleep at 6:30 pm and gets up once between 2 am and 6 am for the next feeding. It took about 3-5 nights of crying it out, but he now sleeps longer and so do I. He is now 9 months, and I'm debating when start our next boob time elimination.

Good luck

Jessica - posted on 08/14/2009

My son is six months old and we get up at least twice a night. We get up more when he is cutting teeth. We have worked out laying down and nursing. That way I can still close my eyes while he's nursing. It'll be over be we know it. I don't think it's a bad thing for him to still be getting up.

Khushbu - posted on 08/14/2009

Hey,its not at all your falt and I have 15month old he still wake up one time in night for milk though we are giving him whole milk so each and every baby are different, if he is hungry than and only than he eat otherwise not and its very normall for baby that they eake up in the night for feeding. when mine was this much old he wake up 3 times in night..so dont worry.

Julianne - posted on 08/14/2009

OK, so I thought about what I wrote above and I am wrong about how I did it-had to think more! I let him cry it out AFTER I got him down to eating just once a night and he was still waking-wanting his pacifier back in. I gradually decreased the length of breastfeeding one feeding at a time until I was at 1 feeding per night. I used the Baby Sleep Solution by Suzy Giordano and tweeked it to what I needed. She says that they should not be eating at all at night but I didn't want that. I just wanted some more sleep. Hope that helps! We still deal with sleep issues!

Julianne - posted on 08/14/2009

My 7.5 month old wakes twice a night-I breastfeed him one of those times. He had been waking at least 4 times a night and I became desperate for more sleep. I vowed to myself that I would try letting him cry it out for 3 nights (though I am not a cry it out person)-I had to to be a better mom! I let him cry it out the first waking (11pm), fed him the 2nd waking (1am), and let him cry again for the 3rd and 4thn wakings. It was very hard as I am more of an attachment style parent, but I NEEDED MORE SLEEP and so did he! The third night I went to bed thinking that this was not working but it did! And we both feel better. What I'm saying is-look at why you want to break him of the feeding at night. If you are happy and healthy waking up then don't worry about his age. But if you are not happy or healthy then give it a try. I still do breastfeed on demant during the day and at night when he's teething. Best of luck!!

Johnny - posted on 08/14/2009

Just a little note on the tooth decay mention... the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has said that there is no evidence that breastfeeding causes tooth decay and has reversed it's earlier recommendations to not nurse a baby at night to avoid the risk. While they still link night-time bottles and bottle propping to infant tooth decay, apparently breastfeeding is safe for our baby's teeth.

As for the OP, enjoy the nursing while you can. My daughter has now night-weaned, and I never thought I would, but I miss it. It's over so quickly and you can not get those cuddles back. I know it seems exhausting right now, but co-sleeping could help with that.

Aimee - posted on 08/13/2009

Wow, it's so nice to read everyone's posts! My little one is also six months and still nursing several times throughout the night. She's sprouting two little teeth so I just started worrying that maybe I need to wean her to prevent tooth decay. But now you've all made me realize that's not the most important thing at this point. I really enjoy the bonding and intimacy that comes from nursing at night (when all the distractions from the world are gone), so I'll take the chances with rotten teeth!

Tamara - posted on 08/13/2009

Its totally normal. Until mine was weaned at 18 months, we nursed to sleep and through the night. Keep up the awesomeness with the nursing. They're only little like this once.

Tammy - posted on 08/13/2009

Said in a pleasant tone but honestly- saying a 6 month old is "addicted to the boob" is like saying "I'm addicted to oxygen". Well.... yeah! Don't be in such a big hurry to un-addict him. Trust me, you'll get over these sleepless nights but you will never regret the love and nurturing you show your baby. There is nothing wrong, bad or unreasonable about an infant wanting to nurse.

Caroline - posted on 08/13/2009

Michelle- It may seem like you are a slave to a mouth, but he is only little and he finds immeasurable comfort from you. I breast fed both my children for two years each and find now that they are both well adjusted and confident girls. Both were "addicted" to comfort. Despite criticism and harsh words, I used my boobs to feed, soothe and nurture both kids and they reap the benefits, so do I. I am a little short-fused but they forgive me my transgressions so quickly. Not that I say this is BECAUSE I breastfed- but because they know me intuitively now. Persevere with your boy is what I would say. If he is still attached to your breasts at 21, then give a louder cry for HELP!!! A day at a time. He'll let you know when it is time to have them back for yourself!

Sheridan - posted on 08/13/2009

I'm hearing you! My 6 mo is the same but she is so gorgeous (and definitely not little!) that I can't just ignore her pleas. I have tried it and she looks so sad that she needs a cuddle! I can get her to not feed with a cuddle until she is very sleepy again and then put her down just before she drops off and she is fine, for another few hours and then the same. They are only little for such a short time and the more I can spend in quiet cuddling time without any distractions (even if it is during the night) the better. I have a 14 year old who won't cuddle mum anymore because it's not cool so I treasure the times when he did the same thing at night.

Laura - posted on 08/13/2009

my daughter went throgh the same thing at 1 year old so not long ago i cut one B/f a week and replaced with formula then 2 then 3 ect..till she got used to it and she was compleatly bottle feed in the end but at the start it was hard but eventually she didn't care and just wanted to be feed good luck

Kelly - posted on 08/13/2009

I used a breast pump and gave my boy a big bottle of expressed before he settled and it helped a lot. Also I did start giving him a formula bottle around that time at night. Both helped I think the formula more so. My son is now nearly 3 and still sleeps badly most nights, we found the drink is more of a comfort thing, he'd never taken to a dummy.

Kylie - posted on 08/10/2009

aww nursling i like that Lisa
Michelle, 6 month is not the magical age babies start to sleep through the night, you have done nothing wrong its completely natural and normal for your baby to need a feed and that contact with you during the night. I have a 8 month old who still breast feeds 2-5 times a night hes a little baby too so i know he needs the extra milk. Have you tried cluster feeding before bed? Your LO will sleep through the night whens hes ready, i don think there's a way to teach him go all night without you unless you want to do the whole offer him water, let him cry thing:(

Jennifer - posted on 08/10/2009

I pumped and did not give breast milk directly from the breast. When my 6 month old was still waking up in the middle of the night to feed, I asked the pediatrician if he still needed to do so. She said that it was not necessary for him to feed at night anymore at that age. The only way to stop him is to train him. It will be the hardest thing, ever, for you to do, and that is to let him cry. Man, was it horrible! But, after 2 nights, he figured it out and slept straight through the night ever since.

Minnie - posted on 08/10/2009

I hardly think it's a strange coincidence that soporiphic hormones appeared in milk.

Nope. Nursing to sleep is the normal way of things regarding babies and boobs. It's not a habit on your son's part and it's not a mistake on your part- it's how it's supposed to be.

My own 9 1/2 month old still nurses about four times a night. I have breastfed two babies and never had a nursling NOT nurse at night. Prolactin levels are actually higher at night than during the day, which makes it reasonable that infants are actually designed to nurse throughout much of the night.

Christina - posted on 08/10/2009

it is normal for a breastfed baby to continue to wake at night to feed at this age. breastmilk is easier to digest than formula and they need to feed more often. tanking your baby up right before bed won't really help and could give him a tummy ache which will make things worse. it gets better with time. hang in there.