Still breastfeeding at night at 8 and half months

[MummyOnTour]

My girl is 8 and a half months old and the only way I can get her to sleep at night is by breastfeeding her till she falls to sleep. Also if she wakes up in the night I breastfeed her till she falls back to sleep. If I try giving her a bottle then she cries and cries till I give in. Anyone have the same thing at this stage, anyone have any advice?

No advice, but just wanted you to know it's very normal.

My youngest DS breast fed at least once in the night til he was about 14mths. I knew when he woke it would settle him, and knew it wouldn't last forever (though it felt like it).

He was a real shock to me though, the other two slept through from 8-10 weeks. I thought I had the whole baby/sleep/feed thing cracked.

It's more common that you think, them still waking for a feed at this age.

I am not really the right person for advice as I fed both mine to sleep until they were 12m and still fed them in the night.

Anyway I would say if I went back in time, this is what I would do differently. I would not feed to sleep - I would try and get them to sleep by any alternative method (although not a bottle either because that's still associating feeding with sleeping). My DD slept for a brief period after I stopped breastfeeding at 12m and I do think it was because she was losing the feeding and sleeping association

It is normal. I still bf my ds and he is 22 months. He only stopped waking at night a month ago!
Agree with crokky - i stopped feeding him at bed time about 4 months ago, and eventually he stopped waking at night too - i dont know if that had anything to do with it or not,or if he was just ready.
It was soooo exhausting - i feel for you, remember it wont be forever

I stopped feeding my son in the night as I was told by the HV he shouldn't need milk at night. It took 3 nights and he was off the breast.

You could try the pick up/put down routine but only as long as you really are ready to stop the night feeds. And want to stop them.

Thanks everyone, think I will carry on bf'ing to sleep in the eve but see if my partner can have a go at giving the odd bottle at night to give me a rest!

I BFed DD to sleep until she was 15 months (when I weaned her) and it saved a lot of time/stress, although I continually wondered at the time whether I was doing the right thing. She would also only BF back to sleep when she woke in the night (usually only once) but it didn't take too long.

Since 15 months she's slept through, and at 2 years is still a very good sleeper.

where does your dd sleep?

I didn't manage to stop bf dd at night til she was in a big cot in her own room around 3 months old. She now usually sleeps through from 9 til 6/7/8. Putting her in a proper cot with a good mattress in her own room really seemed to suit her. I've also tried to have a few consistent bedtime routines, quietening her down, lights off, quite talking putting the same lullaby on etc etc. Also up til this week we've been putting her in one of those brilliant sleep bag things.
I totally salute routine, it has really suited dd. I was much less organised, consistent etc with ds and can't help feeling that's why he was still getting in bed with us at night for so long!
But if dd ever does wake up at night then I feed her off again and try to put her back in her cot.
But they are all different! Good luck!

It's the exception rather than the norm that BF babies sleep through the night, so it all sounds normal. no concolation if you need your sleep though. My 7mo old Ds was waking four to six times a night for a feed until last week and has settled down to once a night again.

FBG.....how old was your DS when the HV gave you that advice? Breastfeeding hormones are more productive at night and babies are programmed to feed more at this time, especially around the typical growth spurt times.

My first two dropped their night feeds by three months, so this time round has been a real eye opener for me (literally!!), but from what I've read it's all normal and good. No consolation when I'm on my knees with fatigue, but DS2 is thriving!!

ds2 did it until he was weaned at age two!

I think it's quite normal for them to still need some milk in the night at that age. However it could well be the association - or both! We had the same problem, but I did not want to try and stop it in case she really did need the milk.
Now she's 13 months and she is still feeding twice in the night, I plan to try this nightweaning plan:
www.drjaygordon.com/development/ap/sleep.asp

Hi, I have a 9 mth old dd who still likes to feed at night. Think it's quite normal. Even my ds who was/is a great little sleeper still had one bf at night until he was 12 mths. My dd however wakes more frequently and I get quite tired. HV suggested cutting out night feeds which I tried but it's not as easy as it sounds, she improved but I still end up feeding her at about 4/5 am which I don't mind really. Now she is teething again so I have caved in because I think she needs the comfort! The funny thing is, I can put her down awake after a bf at bedtime and she goes to sleep, which is what makes me think she needs it when she wakes at 4/5 am.