8mth old has one bf per night, hunger or habit?

[jellyrolly]

DS2 is a big fella, 85pcentile and eats very well during the day. He still has one feed a night and I wonder if it's hunger or just habit...how could I tell? Had anyone got a similar experience?

If it's habit I would like to stop it and get a good sleep but feel a bit guilty. DS1 slept through from 5mnths... not sure what to expect. Any advice?

[eddiejo]

Habit I think!

I would just make sure he is having enough food during the day and esp. the evening.
Long acting carbs are good for stopping night feeds ( pasta, rice, bananas etc)as they aren't as hungry as quickly.

You could do it two ways - don't let him have it !! (lots of crying and sleepless nights)
or gradually reduce the time he spends on the breast each night until he can be settled without!!

Mine gradually stopped this night feed himself around 9m and he was a huge babe!!!

[jellyrolly]

Thank you, I think I'll give him a bit longer to stop himself then go cold turkey!

[EffiePerine]

at 8 mo, I'd say hunger - DS was feeding a lot at night at that age.

[Babyisaac]

I would say habit. If he's eating enough during the day he shouldn't really need food during the night. I'm no expert (my LO is only 5 mo) but my SIL had the same problem with my niece of 9 months. She decided to send my brother in with a bottle of water when she woke. After a few days, my niece stopped waking up as it seemed pointless if she was only going to get water! You could also use EBM and gradually water it down each night so it is eventually just water. If it really is hunger, he will probably kick off and you will know. If he takes some water and then settles it was just habit.

We're doing this with our DS at the moment. He wakes up at 9pm every night on the dot and I used to feed him. We've started giving him water in the hope of breaking the habit and so far so good - he's drinking less each night and settling quicker each night. It obviously wasn't hunger!

Good luck!

[ANTagony]

DS1 slept through 12hours from a couple of months old DS2 fed every 1.5 hours for the first 8 months. I put him on a bottle and he still had several a night until 18months old. He's an excellent eater he go's to nursery and they have a little report sheet each day telling you about the child and they have a tick box for how much they've eaten 1/4, 1/2 or 1 meal. They've changed the form to add a 2 and a 3 times option as DS2 eats so much. I did the water thing and he'd scream for over an hour and refuse the water. With a bottle he'd down it in seconds and go out for the count so I barely needed to wake to plug it into him and as he didn't fuss going back to bed i got back to my own bed quickly. I know its not the modern advise but he is a very secure and confident child - now sleeps through (2) and I'm sure it didn't do him any harm. It really depends on how you're coping and whether its okay by you.

[jellyrolly]

Thanks for all the points of view and advice. I'm happy to keep going for a bit longer, will give myself a deadline and review...