14 month old should be sleeping through?

[CandyApple1995]

Hello everyone. My 14 month old is still breastfed, and feeds more through the night now than when she was born. Not kidding. How do I encourage her to sleep for longer? I'm sure she's just sucking for comfort and is not actually hungry. She feeds to sleep at about 7.30pm, then I wake her for a dream feed at around 10 when I go to bed, and then she wakes up around 12 to be fed and is in my bed for the rest of the night, pretty much feeding the whole time until morning. Am I right in thinking she should be sleeping longer or should I just suck it up for now? She only has one nap during the day, which is for around 1hr30. I have 3 older children who were all sleeping through by 10 months so this is new to me, any advice welcome!

I was in a similar situation. A couple of weeks ago, my 14 month old was feeding every 2 hours all night and I was knackered. Two weekends ago, I decided enough was enough and refused to feed her between the feed when I go to bed and the morning. I continued to co-sleep and soothed her back to sleep in other ways.

First night she angrily howled for an hour every 2 hours. Second night she angrily howled for an hour, once. Third night, she complained a bit every so often, but accepted she wasn't getting a feed. Then she spent a week waking up a couple of times but being soothed easily back to sleep (now she is teething, so it's all buggered, but still...)

Well, you can night wean, but there's no guarantee you'll see an improvement if you do. Has her feeding at night recently changed or has she always been like that? Mine ups hers before illness hits.

Thanks for your reply. Looks like I may just have to suck it up and stop the feeds.I just worry she will wake all the older children up if she starts crying so I always give in! X

She's been like that since she started walking at 9 months, I thought she must have just needed the extra calories due to being mobile but it hasn't ceased since.

It's just a phase and will pass. Tend to your child's needs. If she's feeding for comfort or hunger, either way why would you deny her that?

What helps me is lying on my back not on my side while feeding in bed. Don't put your arm under her either. It makes for a less comfortable feed for them and generally, once she's done, my DD rolls away. If I'm on my side and she has easy access she'll happily feed all night (which I can't tolerate because I can't sleep when she's feeding).

I nightweaned and it didn't make any difference to how much he woke up. It also then meant instead of him just feeding back to sleep in five minutes.... He would be awake for hours so I wish I hadn't bothered.

I started waking her at 10 because she kept waking up not long after I had gone to bed, and I found after her dream feed it meant I could get a good couple of solid hours sleep.