Reducing night feeds - what method did you use?

[Pickering]

DS is 6 months old and getting established on solids. He is breastfed. He goes to bed at 7pm with a feed, then wakes at about 10pm and has a bottle of formula (only formula of day - so DH can do and I can sleep!). He then wakes 1-2 times in the night and is fed. Up for day at 6.45/7am. When he wakes twice in the night he really isn't that hungry and breastfeeding has become a bit of a habit for both of us I think. He sucks half heartedly and is asleep v quickly. I know he can go for up to 6-7 hours without a feed as has done this in recent weeks.

So... I want to try gentle night weaning (linked to him getting more solids in day). I'd love to hear how you did this and am particularly interested in reducing night feeds by a minute or so every other night as a gentle way to night wean.

Please share your experiences Thanks in advance!

I would suggest as he is not that interested just cutting them out if he wakes just pick him up give a quick cuddle and put back down, continue with dream feed til solids are well established and he is sleeping from that feed til morning then reduce that feed by an oz a night.

I was doing exactly the same sa you with my DD at that age. She's 10 months now. I can't remember the exact details but I decided to give her only one bf overnight, and to settle any other wakings with handholding, dummy, and a hand on her chest/tummy, all of which usually soothed her back to sleep without much bother. (Sometimes there WAS a lot a crying, in which case I caved in and just bf her!). And after a few weeks of that I just thought 'right', and decided not to feed her between 7pm and 7am. I didn't do any cc until very recently, but it hasn't really worked, so I stick with the dummy handholding etc. She has slept through quite a few times, but it's still v unreliable. At the moment she is back to waking twice a night (12ish and 4ish), and both times I settle her without a feed. Unless she's going mad, then I say anything for a quiet life and feed her!

I've read that some babies will stop waking once they stop getting fed at night. I wish mine was one of them!