should I still breastfeed at night?

[FraggleMum]

My DD is seven months and still doesn't sleep through the night. At around 5 months she was going to sleep at 730ish and sleeping until 3am, having a feed then waking around 6.30ish. For the last month this has gradually got worse and now she wakes around 3 times a night. The thing is I always breastfeed her back to sleep. It just seems so much easier than going in and trying to sooth her (which I have tried but the grumblings go into a full cry and then I end up just feeding her anyway). I am concerned that I've set a habit of eating at night. She has started solids but doesn't eat much...shes not much of a hungry baby and never has been. Sorry this is such a lenghy story but I wanted to see if anyone has had similar experiences and what the outcome was. I keep hoping that if I carry on she will just eventually stop wanting to feed and wake up at night but I wonder if this is too hopefull!!!

Have you got a DH/DP who could try and settle her at night as you obviously have feeding connections in your DD's mind? When I was trying to stop DD1 feeding at night this is what we did (but she was a lot later - just a warning she may not drop them herself)

Thanks so much for the advice. I've read so much stuff about forming bad habits it makes me worry about loads of things I do!!!

YOu could see if she just wants a drink ie. some water in the night??

at 7 months, when she is barely taking any solid food, breastfeeding at night is still important, she is still a wee baby! if she is hungry, which she is, if she is waking and take s a feed.. offer a feed. water will not suffice

as she increases her intake of solids and milk in the day she will drop her milk feeds when she is ready

don;t rush it, she is still little

It depends whether you are happy with this or not. If she is feeding 3 times a night, it is probably a vicious circle as she is filling herself up at night and so won't eat as much during the day.

Very, very normal for a baby of this age to still want night-feeds. Also very, very normal for a baby of this age to not be very interested in non-milk foods - my DS1 didn't start eating non-milk food until he was about nine months, because he just wasn't interested. Didn't stop him taking to it very enthusiastically when he was ready.

You could try co-sleeping - you'd get more sleep that way.

Do you want to?
Dd had nightfeeds till she was, erm, almost 4.
I don't usually tell people that but we co-sleep so it was never a big deal....

I really wouldn't worry about weaning from nightfeeds just yet. I didn't stop breastfeeding during the night until my little boy was about 18 months, and i was sure it was a habit/comfort thing with him,and not hunger (he's never been a particularly good eater) It was a lot easier to wean him by sending my husband in too, otherwise i don't think i'd have ever got him off, it's hard to refuse

To be honest I don't mind the feeds at night that much as she feeds quickly and is straight off to sleep. I suppose I just want to make sure that I'm doing the right thing and not developing a baby that thinks its fine to eat all night long.
Policywonk - I'm glad you mentioned the solids as I try 3 times a day and it's really rare for her to open her mouth for food. We sit there for quite a while and I don't think she would even notice if I didn't bother (sometimes quite tempting!!!).

Fraggle - it's very common, honest. I was worried and spoke to my GP about it, and he said 'don't worry about it at all - he'll eat solids when he's ready'.

Babies at this age still get almost all of their nutrition from milk. The idea of introducing food now is to get them used to the idea of new tastes and textures - they're not supposed to be necking roast dinners for a few months yet . I think I'm right in saying that milk is supposed to be the main form of nutrition until they're a year old.