will he drop the night feeds or will I have to make him?

[dycey]

DS is 8 months (just) and still hungry at night. He is BF and wants a feed at 4 hourly intervals. This is fine while I am on maternity leave but I dream of a good night's sleep... and am going back to work soon.

Question is - will he ever decide he isn't hungry when his tummy empties of milk - or will I have to do something (crying, water, reducing minutes feeding, spacing feeds with crying... such methods). I would prefer not to force him as I hate to see him distressed.

All the babies I know - his peers - either slept through by 6 months of their own accord or were forced to drop feeds. Others I know carried on wanting milk well until they toddled..... tired at the thought.

[dycey]

So I would love to hear any happy stories of older babies deciding they were no longer hungry - give me hope! Or experiences of encouraging baby to drop feed nice and easily. Thank you!

[IsItMeOr]

(Comes to stand behind dycey hopefully - with 7 and a bit month old who has forgotten how to go longer than 3 hours between feeds at night, and has never "slept through")

[iwantitnow]

My DS is nearly 7 months has only had two long stretches of sleep twice in his life (my toddler woke me up on one of those nights). Planning to stretch out feeds, will be sending DH in to hear the screaming I will retreat to the loft . Gradual retreat worked really well with DD at the same age but she BF to sleep, DS can settle himself and I thought he would sleep through as a result once on solids - but no its got worse, he is cutting his two front teeth though.

[ches]

If you want to night wean, do it before your baby can ask with a word. Crying is one thing, crying interspersed with "milk please mommy" is quite another. DS started asking +/- 13 months. He uses his own word.

[IsItMeOr]

Ooh, we tried stretching out feeds a few weeks ago, and the gaps got smaller . DS also got worse when we started on solids. He is also cutting his two bottom front teeth. We are sincerely hoping it is one or both of these things which means he isn't sleeping better yet, as he can grow out of them.

[AnjD]

Glad we're not alone!
DS is now 13months old. After 4 nights of full sleep in May (8 months-I remember them fondly) he started with first teeth and since then probably only 3or4 quiet nights. He eats well at nursery but battles with us in the evening and at weekends, has 9 OZ follow-on milk before bed but won't settle during the night without another FULL bottle! It is always ~half strength but he won't touch plain water.

He is still sprouting teeth and has just started walking - wondering if this could be causing the need for extra volume in the night, also thinking about asking nursery to increase his portions during the day?

(NB: all maternity friends' babies are eating well and have been sleeping easily for ages so feel a bit left out)
Any ideas?

[dycey]

So no hopeful stories yet - but nice to know am not alone. If I give him formula he normally goes a bit longer but now has his first tooth coming and won't touch solids at all - milk is his great love and he wanted milk all night.

At least milk at night does settle babies quickly - to look on the bright side.