Night weaning 7 month old - wasting time?

[gluttom]

Dd wakes to feed around 1 and then 4. Trying to get her to sttn by rocking and cuddling rather than feeding but it takes ages - longer than feeding but I am so torn. I need to go back to work in July 2 days a week and she will have formula then so was thinking of winding down the breast feeding anyway so I won't have that to offer in a few months anyway. So sick of fighting a determined baby. Will persistence work?

At 7mo unlikely if she's persisting! It does depend how well she feeds during the day, and in my (entirely anecdotal) experience BLWing doesn't significantly increase food intake so if you are doing that then it doesn't follow that solids = better sleep and less need for milk.

On a slightly separate note why will you need to stop BF (and give formula only) when you return to work? It's 2 days, she'll be well established on solids, she may be able to last and even if she can't your supply will be fine to continue morning and evening when working and FT when not. I don't mean to pressure you btw - just pointing out that returning to work does have to mean the end of BFing unless you want it to.

Really - I can feed in the day on the days I don't work and she can have formula and solids on the days I do?

I am going to work 12 -8pm or 730-330 so will miss early morning feeds or bedtime feed on those 2 days so DH will give her formula?

I think you will be able to just carry on as Frak said. At the age she will be in july your supply will be easily robust enough to miss a feed two days a week. You might find she drops at least one of the night feeds by then anyway so I would relax about it all now and just go with the flow.

Just imagine the cuddly feeds you can have after you get home from your 7.30-3.30 shift - end of a long day at work and that to look forward to Heaven!

Yes - when I went to work three days when DS was 12 months and I fed more on the days I was at home and only mornings/evenings and at night when I was at work. I expressed for other feeds at first but soon stopped and just BF.

You can

Since around 9mo I've not expressed at work but fed FT at weekends, at 11mo he was fine if we occasionally skipped the midday feed (usually home for lunch) and at 12mo if I've been out DS has had a cows milk evening bottle without any noticeable impact on my supply :) so it really is doable if you want to continue (and the snuggles are lovely).

i got my baby to stop night feeds between 5 / 6 months ish....

she was waking LOADS and i was like a walking zombie... up to 8 boobs of milk a night (+ solids (3 meals) + 6 breastfeeds in the day time)

I did it by offering water... with a small amount of apple juice in (started at 8oz water 1 oz juice, and she would drink 3 - 4oz of it) and I reduced the amount of juice very quickly so it was just water.... then she stopped waking for it, and apart from when bothered by teeth has slept 12 hours a night since.

I went back to work FT when DD was 7mo. She had two bottles during the day at nursery, while I bf her at breakfast and during the night. (She did have night feeds at 7mo, but it was at most once between dream feed and breakfast. So I didn't see a need to stopping it. It felt easier to just feed and go back to sleep). She's also bf on demand in the weekend. I did pump at midday initially, but stopped around 8mo. I just felt full and leaky on Mondays. She dropped her day time bottles (and weekend day feeds) at around 9mo. She's BLW.

So it's entirely possible to continue bf even if you return to work at 7mo.

You see she doesn't have dream feed - feeds at 7pm and wake at - maybe should feed her at 10/11?

She has 4/5 feeds a day and 1/2 a night (depend on what time is day i say 6) so would probably be 2 bottles at nursery to start with

Meant wake at 1am

Maybe you can try dream feeding. Because if she wakes at 1am, it's already 6 or so hours since the last feed. If you give a feed at 9.30 or 10, then you can be more sure she's not actually hungry. In that case you can give a bit of water a 1am and hopefully she will get the clue and stop waking up at that time? I find it much easier to cope if I'm not disturbed with a good stretch of sleep between 11ish to 5am.

But we do have some really horrid nights with colds and teething. Sleep is never the same as pre-baby.

BTW you can bf the dream feed. Somehow my DD can latch on without waking if I hold her in cradle hold with her mouth near my breasts. Don't ask me how she does it!

Does your DD appear to feed voraciously, or do you think it's comfort feeding? My DS feeds at night but I'm convinced he's not actually hungry as it's so half hearted... This has given me the confidence to try night weaning this weekend as I am so utterly exhausted!

I think she is having a lot especially at 1am as my breasts are sore and ready to feed and she swallows and gulps for ages. Her nappy is soaked in the morning.

I am still really struggling. Despite dh rocking her she is adamant that she is having boob. After she has it she resettles but I really want to stop night feedings especially as she is a big girl and has a lot of day feeds too - any more advice?

We went cold turkey on the night feeds with DS when he was 8 months. I was expecting a few nights of hell but he adjusted really quickly (wailed for half hour first wake up and then in decreasing amounts over two nights) He suddenly turned into a good sleeper. I was sorry I didn't do it earlier.