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Infant feeding

Opinions on night feeds for older babies (6m+)

31 replies

IcouldstillbeJoseph · 20/10/2013 13:46

DD is 8 1/2 months, ebf and still waking twice a night for a feed bloody exhausting.
I'm sort of of the opinion that eventually it will get better and she will sleep through when she's ready
However, it seems that most of my friends and health visitors etc seem to be of the opinion that these night feeds need to be 'managed out' as they are no longer 'truly necessary' . She eats during the day. Weight gain is good.
DH is also of this opinion and thinks I should refuse to feed her overnight and that she will quickly stop waking up and I'll be less tired blah, blah.
I must say it's tempting as I'm so tired and it's hard to also look after a 2yr old but I can't bear her crying in the night when I have the 'tools' to soothe her right at hand.

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minipie · 20/10/2013 13:56

honestly I don't have an opinion, there is no right or wrong just what works best for you.

I don't think the feeds are necessary (assuming she eats well in the day) but I also don't think that means you "ought" to manage them out. It's really up to you whether the unbroken sleep in the end is worth the difficulty of getting there.

I believe there are non crying ways to drop the feeds (eg No Cry Sleep Solution) but haven't tried them myself, I gather they take a lot of time and patience. We used CC to drop night feeds at about 8 months, once dd had slept through on her own a couple of times and we were sure she wasn't hungry. it only took a couple of nights and dd didn't actually cry that much. but that may be because she already knew how to self settle - does your dd?

(of course dd is now up twice a night with teething but that's a different story!)

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IcouldstillbeJoseph · 20/10/2013 14:00

Thank you - she definitely knows how to self-settle. I can put her down in the day wide awake and she will nod off quite nicely.
I just lack resolve in the night - she goes absolutely spare if she doesn't get fed in the night and so I just end up 'caving i and feeding her for some peace and some sleep.
She has slept for long stretches before when she was around 4/5 months so I know she can do it but she just seems hungry a lot in night night now
I've tried more bf in day but it makes no difference

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IcouldstillbeJoseph · 20/10/2013 14:02

So many typos in that I don't know where to start...

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hettienne · 20/10/2013 14:04

I think it's one of those things that is totally up to you. By 9 months I was ready to sleep at night, and DS didn't physically need to feed in the night by then. Others are happy to continue feeding at night for years. I do think that the older they get the more night feeds become a psychological rather than physical need.

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AuntyEntropy · 20/10/2013 14:08

You could try cuddles and a bottle of water (possibly administered by DH) for night wakings, and see whether that has any effect - there's a decent chance that she'll drop back to sleep, eat loads the next day and simply stop the night wakings within a few days. It does sound like the night feeds are probably habit rather than need - her body has learned to be hungry at that time, but could drip the habit pretty quickly.

You don't have to do this, but since the night wakings are exhausting you and DD is gaining weight well, then that's what I'd do.

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BlackberrySeason · 20/10/2013 14:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

noblegiraffe · 20/10/2013 14:11

My DS didn't stop waking in the night when I stopped feeding him in the night, it just meant he had to be settled by other, trickier means.

If DH wants you to stop feeding in the night then he will need to do the get ups. A baby that smells milk is unlikely to settle easily for less and when you're tired it's too easy to do.

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GuernseyTeddy · 20/10/2013 14:15

DS is 10 weeks old and is now sleeping through from his late night feed (10/10.30) until about 6/7 am. We're hoping to be able to drop the late feed by the time he's four months and for him to sleep from 6 - 6 daily.

Obv up-to-you but there's no way I'd be happy with two night feeds at 8 months!

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minipie · 20/10/2013 14:18

Could you try a middle ground - not leaving her to cry but not feeding her - eg cuddle her and/or offer water (prob best if DH does this so no boobs available)? I don't know if this would actually reduce the crying any but worth a shot.

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IcouldstillbeJoseph · 20/10/2013 14:19

I think the dilemma I have is that I want to be one of those mums that is completely available for bf as long as she needs it but I'm totally fucking exhausted at the same time,

Guersney - yes, DD slept the same as your DS at that age. Things change. And I'm not happy about it, hence the post.

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IcouldstillbeJoseph · 20/10/2013 14:21

Minipie - yeah, tried it but unfortunately she goes absolutely mental if not fed overnight. Despite cuddles galore and water etc. I'm just tired. I know I need to either man up or put up with some crying I guess

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5madthings · 20/10/2013 14:22

Normal to still have night feeds, they are not just about nutrition.

And as noble has said even if you stop feeding in the night it doesn't mean baby will sleep through, just that you have to settle them some other way!


Mine all grew out of night feeds at diff ages.

Ds1 9mths.

Ds2 18mths

Ds3 15mths

Ds4 5 mths

Dd 7/8mths.

Ds4 and dd still woke in the night they just didn't want milk!

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rubyslippers · 20/10/2013 14:25

You don't have to man up and put up with terrible sleep deprivation

It's not all or nothing

I fed my DD until she was 3 years old but weaned her at night when she wS 6.5 months

It was very gentle and no crying involved

I was going insane through lack of sleep and was going back to work FT and DD was waking every 3 hours for a feed at night so 10, 1, 4 and then up at 7

I was broken by 6.5 months and needed to sleep for longer than 2.5 hours at a time

It is possible to gently night wean

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minipie · 20/10/2013 14:26

Guernsey yes DD slept through (bar late feed) at that sort of age too. Then she grew a bit and got ill and wanted night feeds again. Sleep isn't linear.

I know what you mean Joseph but I don't think you can have both complete on demand BF and great sleep ... I decided it was more important to be a better mum in the day, for which I needed reasonable sleep at night. DD really doesn't seem to miss night feeds so it was a question of a few days pain breaking the habit, rather than long term deprivation for her iyswim. I like to think she would agree that it's more important I have energy for fun during the day....

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IcouldstillbeJoseph · 20/10/2013 14:26

Rubyslippers - can I ask what you did please?

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Mumof3xx · 20/10/2013 14:28

My dd slept 11-12 hours from 3 to 5 months

She is now 6.5 months and wakes almost every night and finishes off a 7oz bottle so I think she is actually hungry and fobbing her off with water would not work!

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bellablot · 20/10/2013 14:35

Well my 10 month old still feeds at night, tbh, after your first , second and third you start to ignore people's opinions and just go with your child and their needs. If they are hungry, you need to feed them. Surely at 8 1/2 they aren't eating that much, they are still so tiny. Not all babies will sleep through 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

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minipie · 20/10/2013 14:39

I should probably mention that DD (11 months) has just started wanting night feeds again in the last week, after no night feeds since late June. she is going through some sort of mega growth spurt (I can almost see her getting taller) and is hungry all the time, I simply can't get enough food into her during the day. Hoping it's a short phase! but it demonstrates that these things aren't linear.

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IcouldstillbeJoseph · 20/10/2013 14:50

That's kind of the dilemma I feel - I don't want to deny her something that she needs....

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rubyslippers · 20/10/2013 15:01

abbreviated version for Icould

big feed before bed - split feed so some before a bath and big feed after bath

big dream feed at 10.00 pm ish

then, for each subsequent night feed after that it was reduced by 1 minute every other night

so if you start at 10 mins per feed it would look like:

night 1 - 10 mins
night 2 - 9 mins
night 3 - 9 mins
night 4 - 8 mins
night 5 - 8 mins
night 6 - 7 mins and so on

when i was getting to 3/2 mins (you will judge) i stopped feeding and DD slept through (it was when she was on 3 mins)

i literally had a stop watch in the room with me

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rubyslippers · 20/10/2013 15:03

after this, i kept the dream feed until she was 11 months

if she was ill after this point i did offer a night feed

i just needed that block of sleep at night

she went through stages of needing to be fed to sleep (but would then seep through the night) so it wasn't a magic bullet but she always slept at night

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jimijack · 20/10/2013 15:19

Hi Joseph
I am in the same boat & I feel the same as you with providing milk for as long as they need it. It's so quick & easy to sooth instantly by bf.

Mine is 10 months and I am hoping he will self wean. Every now & again he will sleep a 5 hour block.

I'm trying to give him a high carb supper before bath at 6.30ish. He had feed at 11.30 and didn't wake then till 5am. That's only the 2nd time ever.

Have to admit that I woke up with a soaking wet t shirt, full to bursting boobs feeling more tired than ever.

Like the idea of reducing the time by a minute each feed but as you say, mine goes mad, screaming twisting out of my arms, hysterical.

Sigh.

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IcouldstillbeJoseph · 20/10/2013 15:30

Jimijack - it's so effing hard isn't it

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sleepyhead · 20/10/2013 15:31

Ds2 slept 13hrs at night until 5 months. Now he's waking between 3 and 6 times a night (6.5 months) .

He's also been cutting 4 teeth in that period and the last one is just about to cut through the gum so I am hoping so much that this is the reason for the frequent waking. Having said that, he still naps fine during the day and calpol doesn't help much at night, so it could be developmental.

Anyway, bf when he wakes and we're both asleep within 15mins, anything else just prolongs the wakefulness by half an hour. I'm all for more sleep for me so am sticking to feeding for now. I'll probably feel differently if it continues for months though

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rundontwalk · 21/10/2013 22:22

You have just posted what I was about to OP . Hard isn't it!

My DD is 6months & awake every 2-3hrs. She sleeps well in the day & can self settle but at night? Nope. Screams & screams until I bf her. I've tried reducing her feed times but that didn't go down well. I'm thinking the 1min reduction is worth a try though.

She has cut 2teeth & Im torn between not wanting her to be in pain/hungry/scared and wondering if its a habit. I have a ds aged 4 who I don't want waking up so I think she's used to me responding quickly!

Sorry,a slight hijack but it's nice to see I'm not alone (iyswim!). I'm getting bored of being told it's because I'm bf still or that I'm spoiling her.

Here's to more sleep!

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