Breastfeeding night wakings

[Modestandatinybitsexy]

According to a thread about returning to work a lot of posters were saying that an bf 6mo shouldn't be waking 4x a night for feeds.

Now my 9mo still does this! It's all very well hearing about the "shouldn't's"and "it's only for comfort" but how the fuck do I go about changing this? Preferably with the least amount of tears from both of us.

Returning to work is something I'm worried about with this amount of night wakings. I know he's capable of longer because he just stayed with the ils and slept from 7-4am. What am I doing wrong?

Following I need some help in this area!

Personally I'd give bottled milk at bedtime and baby porridge for supper so they're filled up. Do you leave them to try and settle or immediately pick them up? I'd try a dummy in case they're using you as a dummy for comfort to sleep

Do you use a baby gro bag type blanket in case it's cold that's waking them?

ethelfleda don't panic, breastfeeding is a bit odd on mumsnet! There's a bit of a competitive martyrdom element where if you aren't feeding them constantly and have no routine, no sleep and they barely touch solid food until 18 months then you aren't normal and natural
Fair enough if that's what you choose to do but I don't know anyone in real life who does.

A toddler shouldn't be waking up 4 times a night regardless of BF or not. 'Baby isn't ready to give up BF' is a poor excuse and mainly used by mothers who are desperately clinging onto BF as their babies are growing up and little less dependant on them.

A toddler needs a good night of quality sleep much more than they need BF. Toddlers don't need BF at all actually.

I don’t get why people think that it’s abnormal for a 6 month old to feed through the night. They still get most of their nutrition from milk. It’s not like they start having 3 full meals a day at 6 months is it? I see it that you have 2 choices, carry on with feeding = unsettled nights or leave them to cry with hunger= unsettled nights and emotionally damaging for both of you. Some people can’t seem to get over the days when it was normal for babies to be stuffed in to a food coma with baby rice, porridge, and formula from 4 months of age before bed times.

Should or shouldn’t; who cares?! They’re all different little people with different needs, I’d ignore what other people say about what is normal and see what works for you. My bf twins started sleeping through the night from 11 months, thankfully just before I went back to work!

We nightweaned DS at 14 months. Up until then we co slept and I’d sleep through feeds. I don’t think I’d have done it at 9 months unless they were very well established on solids.

DH nightweaned him by cosleeping with him in another room. DS never got too worked up at the lack of nighttime food and and pottered into me himself every morning at about 6ish for a feed. He never had a cot, he moved straight to a toddler bed, so he was always able to come into us himself in the mornings.

Was hoping I could look forward to it getting easier towards 6 months

Oh God it does!

At 4 months I was chained to ds3 day and night - I could leave him for a max of 2.5 hours at any time and each feed was a good half hour.

He's now 9.5 months and still bf but he loves his food and has 3 solid (huge) meals a day. He bfs every morning and night without fail...if I'm around he'll also have a 5-10 minute feed around 10am, 2pm and 5pm. If I'm not, he's largely unbothered and if he seems like he needs something, dh can give him a yoghurt or other snack.

In short I now have freedom I couldn't imagine a few months ago whilst still enjoying bf - hang in there.

Was hoping I could look forward to it getting easier towards 6 months
Totally agree with this. I found once they got established on solids things got way easier, you can leave BF with someone else and food. Even a yogurtti stave off starvation bought you time that you previously had to pump for. Plus after 6 months they literally are on the move and start coming to get their own food in the night. It is like having a teenager with a snack bar. You barely rouse at all as they latch on. I remember my Mam asking me how many times does he feed in the night and her looking bewildered when I said I don’t have a clue.

I meant to quote

Oh god it does that is actually what I agree with

A 14 week baby doesn't necessarily need milk at night. Mine (bf) slept 10-7 from 10 weeks. That all went to pot at 20 weeks (damn sleep regression) but every baby is different.

My 9 month old got in to a good routine at nursery when I went back to work and we have gradually cut back on most of the BFs. He will sometimes wake in the middle of the night for one but usually around 6am when I get up for work then he goes back to sleep with his dad.

It's daunting going back not knowing what way it will work but things

Sorry.... but things sorted themselves out naturally for us. Wee one was so tired at nursery he was sleeping more soundly!

I night weaned as none dc showed signs of sleeping through or reducing night feeds. I did last night feed then refused to feed until morning (lot of cosleeping and cuddles) took a week but then dc slept through after that. Both dc were about 9 months with established solids

My first child at 3.5 months slept 11-13 hours without a feed. Regression yes but only a night feed when growing spurt 2-3 months later

My second .... 2-3 times s night til he was well over 2!!

The babies haven't read the books. My DD1 was a sleeping angel as a baby - would go down at 7, dream feed at 10 pm, straight through till 7 am, from 10 weeks old.

DD2 - not so much. Wanted fed at 11.30 and 2.30 until a year old. You could set an alarm by her. She would guzzle both boobs in 15 minutes flat so definitely hunger.

I stopped when she started falling asleep at the let down and she night weaned really easily.

Plus after 6 months they literally are on the move and start coming to get their own food in the night

I like the sound of this! Sorry if this sounds stupid but do you co-sleep with your breasts uncovered and just let them do their thing??