is it time to set limits on night breastfeeding?

Sally - posted on 12/18/2012

Honestly, bed sharing is the healthiest thing to do if your baby need you and you need sleep. The modern western bed can be a falling and smothering hazard, but both of those are easy to fix. Nursing him can't deprive you of sleep if you don't have to wake up to do it.
Good luck

Nicola - posted on 12/12/2012

I breast fed my youngest for a year and a half. I remember when he was the same age as your bub and he also started waking up often during the night for feeds.



Im just wondering.. have you started him on solids ?

I only ask because I remember at 6 months my son started to become hungry more often.



This was the time when i was advised to introduced solids 3 times a day in between breast feeds.

Id give him a breast feed when he woke in the morning, then rice cereal half an hour later.



Id do his usual demand breast feeds during the day, but at lunch time i gave him rice cereal 20 minutes before a breast feed then put him in his cot for a sleep. He started sleeping for about 3 hours during that routine.



In the evenings I'd try to feed him up to last him through the night.



I remember giving him dinner (initially rice cereal with banana) then a breast feed right before bed time. Then I'd wake him for a dream feed (sleepy breast feed in a dark room) at about 10pm.



This seemed to work for him and he gradually started waking less and less during the night.



Have you got a baby health centre nearby ? I loved the ladies advice that these women offered.

They helped me with sleeping routines, introducing solids, what foods to start bubs on and when to introduce new foods during the day incase bub has an allergy.



I wish you all the best and you so deserve a good nights sleep x

Sarah - posted on 12/09/2012

Here is where I set the limits. If you are feeding because you are hungry I will feed you. If you are nursing for comfort and are not hungry I then hold and rock you for awhile or rub your back while you are in the crib for comfort. I think this also helps for when they get older. Comfort should not equal food. Comfort should equal comforting touches or voices.



My guess is if your son is waking 5 or 6 times during the night it is not due to hunger more so out of wanting comfort. So I would suggest teaching him how to comfort without nursing. Then this also leads into teaching them how to soothe themselves.

Maria - posted on 12/09/2012

my son is 6months old he is breastfeading on demand from since he was born.During the night he wakes up 5 or 6 times iam working and iam exhausted from this situation. he wants to be in contact with the breast all the time and if i take him to bed he wakes up. Should i set limits in night breastfeeding in order to sleep more hours during the night? Why other babies who bf sleep all night and others dont? Scientist claim that bmilk is lighter and that that learning to sleep with extended crying methods and eating with program (only every three or 4 hoyrs) is on doubt.while other mother use program or limits on bf and their babies sleep longer.What is the right thing for a mother to do when working?Are there techniques which are apropriate for this age?

Maria - posted on 12/09/2012

working breastfeeding mom