Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Night shifts & breastfeeding

17 replies

weebairn · 13/07/2015 19:44

Any advice? Baby will be 10 months when I do my first set of night shifts in a few weeks time. I don't only work night shifts, mostly days, but every few weeks I do 1,2 or 3 nights.

She currently feeds 3 times a night (sometimes 2 or 4) and she doesn't take a bottle! She'll have a few sips from an open cup. I've been away for a few days and she's been fine with food, but not a night yet.

I did night shifts before with DD1 and it worked out somehow (there were a few tears), but she was a bit older (12 months) and she didn't feed much at night anyway. DD2 seems hungry in the night!

Arrgh! Nervous, but not as nervous as my boyfriend is!

OP posts:
princessvikki · 13/07/2015 20:11

I would stop the night feeds alltoghter she doesn't need them at 10months. I would guess She's using it as a comfort to help her settle. Try giving water or a dummy. Or just go cold turkey and settle her without using food. She should be getting all she needs in the day. Babies can actually go all night from about 6-8 weeks without food. It really is only the early weeks where they need regular feeds through the night because their tummys are so small.

Original poster
weebairn · 14/07/2015 06:44

I really disagree with you. I think 10 months is young to night wean, and it is completely natural for a baby to feed at night. I hope to continue breastfeeding for some time yet.

However I do have to work, so we'll have to find a way for some nights. She's not very good with milk or water from a cup yet, has never had a bottle, and has no interest at all in dummies. I don't know if it would just frustrate her more.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience or tips. (Or reassurance...) my boyfriend is just envisioning hours of screaming ... But hopefully if I'm not there she'll adapt?

OP posts:
Superworm · 14/07/2015 07:39

I did nights when DS still night fed. It was fine actually. I expressed at work and he took a bottle of expressed milk or was settled back to sleep. They co-slept if needed and I would feed him at nursery in my way home.

Milkyway1304 · 15/07/2015 00:14

I went back when my DD was 10.5months- managed to avoid nights until she was just shy of 12months (just the luck of the rota!). She also refused bottles/cups of milk, but did take water. She wasn't great with solids at that point either. She was generally feeding once a night at that point, sometimes more. I do 4 nights one week, 3 the next. My husband and baby managed fine- some tears the first night - he eventually got up and made her toast. Every other night they managed ok, she would wake at some point and they co-sleep from then. I was really really worried, but they coped much better than I expected.

I don't sleep much in the day, so generally snooze from 10-230, collect baby from nursery and have a few hours together, where she feeds loads!

I pumped for comfort during my first set of nights. Did the first half of my second set last week (baby 14months) and I didn't pump. Was very sore and engorged first two nights but managed with hand expression. Have three nights this weekend and am hoping it goes as well as last week.

To be honest I find a long on-call til 10pm day harder going than the nights, as I just don't see her awake when I have 2-3 of these in a row.

Best of luck with it, I'm sure it will be better than you think.

Original poster
weebairn · 15/07/2015 13:57

Thanks, really good to hear others' experiences.

I'd like to reduce the night feeds over the next month (she currently has 3) but it's tough…. I have a toddler as well who mostly sleeps through, but there are some nights with wet beds or monsters or nightmares and my boyfriend deals with that, so he isn't always able to help me with the baby. And when I'm on night shifts, him cosleeping with baby does seem the best idea, but not so much if the toddler comes charging in to wake them up at 5am as she often does, arrrgh.

But we'll manage.

I'd like to try and drop one of the feeds though. Will work on that in the next few weeks. She does seem very genuinely hungry at night, and doesn't feed much in the day, and is an ok eater, but not brilliant. She won't accept spoon-feeding either so I can't just fill her up with porridge or whatever! It's all finger food.

I am also dreading the long days, but I can dream feed her when I come home (10pm ish).

I keep trying to remind myself it's just a short short phase, and before I know it she'll be independent and weaned and sniff my little baby will be gone, and that all this is worth it (the breastfeeding I mean).

And the job is worth it too. I'm lucky to have it, etc.

It's all just so bloody hard. I feel like everyone else manages so much better than me!

OP posts:
starsinyourpies · 15/07/2015 14:01

We night weaned around this age, very gently, just doing cuddles and rocking back to sleep. Not much crying at all! After 2 nights she stopped waking for milk and took slightly more in the day. I only did this because she was having a very little at a time at night so wasn't really hungry. Good luck!

spekulatius · 15/07/2015 17:53

I wouldn't worry. I wouldn't drop any feeds on purpose either. I did nights when DD was 10 months and she was feeding every hour. She did take the bottle so my husband just gave her milk when she woke up. They coslept all night. She didn't wake up as often with him and didn't cry. They adapt. Being back at work had no effect on breastfeeding at all. And she didn't really eat proper meals until she was 18 months.

Milkyway1304 · 15/07/2015 19:46

I found it really really hard leaving my dd- she sounds very like yours- very attached to breast, not interested in solids. But she adapted, and managed. Loving the job definitely helps.

gruber · 15/07/2015 19:51

I found it very hard to night wean- sorry! In the end did night wean about 18 months. I never had to do nights but did long days (apart 8-8) and I did have to express for comfort. Fed until 2yrs so something went ok. Best tip is to get bf used to trying with expressed milk, it may well be a more attractive option when you're not there iyswim. Baby never took bottle for me but did out of necessity. Other than that no wisdom I'm afraid just huge hugs!

Original poster
weebairn · 16/07/2015 19:06

Thanks again.

I did night wean DD1 at 14 months, but she was very different - very velcro and into bf in the day, but slept a lot at night and never fed much then.

Maybe I'm being selfish in not wanting to express. I just always found it so gruelling and endless and upsetting, just highlighting the separation… Ive done every feed since she was born, no expressing at all Sad. I'd rather give her the odd cup of formula (but she's not interested). maybe it just doesn't taste as nice.

Ah we will soon see.

OP posts:
amyled99 · 24/09/2015 21:40

Hi, I'm just wondering how did this go for you? I am in exactly the same position with my son and am so worried about how my husband is going to cope when I am on nights as he refuses anything but the breast.

Original poster
weebairn · 25/09/2015 13:50

Hiya,

Well, unfortunately I never found out. DD2 was diagnosed with kidney cancer the week I started back at work. So I've been off work for the last few months.

She is doing really well though and only has 3 weeks of chemo left. So I'm going back in November and my first night shifts will be end of November. She'll be 14 months old then. So I'm hoping night weaning will be easier. (Though with chemo, surgery and general stress she is still feeding at night a lot at the moment…)

Sorry that's not a very helpful answer. Sad

OP posts:
amyled99 · 26/09/2015 11:34

I'm so sorry to hear this. What a terrible time for you. Well that certainly puts things into perspective for me. I hope the rest of the chemo goes well and she makes a good recovery. Best wishes and good luck for the night weaning in November. Xx

Original poster
weebairn · 26/09/2015 13:47

I didn't mean to make you feel bad… one of the very few positives of the situation has been that I have been able to just feed her whenever and not stress about weaning. Tiring, but a silver lining.

I will say again, I did night shifts with DD1 from 10 months and she was fine after the first night which did involve some crying and some awake periods.

One tip my boyfriend had, was, he used to put the lights on and take her all round the house to show her mummy wasn't there, hiding in another room… They can understand a lot more than you think.

He'd give her some sips of water or milk (from a cup) and then settle her in his arms. I think after 10 months babies are looking for comfort not calories, so that's what he has to try and replace in his own way.

Good luck, it really does always work itself out somehow x

OP posts:
amyled99 · 30/09/2015 21:40

Thanks for the good advice, we'll definitely try that. Hopefully the worry and anxiety about it is worse than when it actually has to happen. Xx

Original poster
weebairn · 01/10/2015 07:35

Let me know how it goes, as we'll be in the same situation again in November! (albeit with an older baby)

OP posts:
amyled99 · 01/10/2015 22:02

Yep will do. I start back in November too when he will be 12 months. Let me know how it goes for you too. Xx

New posts on this thread. Refresh page