habitual night feed

[chloejoy]

how can i stop my little boy waking for a night feed? he’s 5 months old but i’m getting the impression his night feed waking is habit not hunger he wakes at the same time every night, hardly takes the feed will take like 3/4oz (normal feed for him is 6/7oz). It’s also affecting his first feed of the day he hardly takes any of that i think because he’s having unnecessary feed in the night but not sure how to break the habit as he won’t settle without it i’ve tried rocking him instead but he just wriggles and squirms on me until he cries because he wants the feed but then hardly takes anything before he’s back asleep

How much is he getting during the day? And what time is his last feed at night before he goes down?

When my kids were 5 months, they were taking about 28-30oz between about 6am and 9.30pm. (Then they’d sleep 10-6).

If your LO is going down early, you could try a “dream feed” about 10pm.

Does he take a dummy? Maybe that might help settle him in the middle of the night.

not sure how to break the habit as he won’t settle without it i’ve tried rocking him instead but he just wriggles and squirms on me until he cries because he wants the feed but then hardly takes anything before he’s back asleep

If it's giving him comfort and he's upset without it I'd just give it to him

Dream feed around 10.30/11.00pm? I was lucky & mine slept well but I think once a night wouldn't be unusual for some babies.

At 5 months it won’t be habitual he’ll still be needing it.

@Lizzieregina he gets about 28oz during the day so i think it’s like a top up that he’s having in the night or also for comfort not 100% sure! His last feed is 7pm just before bed, not sure about a dream feed as i feel like he would just wake up fully? idk maybe i’ll give it a try! and he doesn’t have a dummy we never introduced one x

@scrantonelectriccity yeah i’m not opposed to it the only thing is it’s interfering then with daytime feeds as he will hardly take his first feed of the day i have to wait until basically before his first nap before he will take it which sets all the other feeds back etc ideally he would wake up hungry ready for a feed but he doesn’t because of the night feed

@converseandjeans yeah never tried a dream feed not really sure how you’d do it i feel like he would just wake up if i picked him up since he sleeps on his front idk maybe i’ll try it!

@Cupcakegirl13 yeah not sure like i said before i have absolutely no issue feeding him if he actually needs it it just seems like maybe he doesn’t since it’s affecting daytime feeds, he hardly takes any of the feed and wakes at the exact same time which would make me think he isn’t waking out of hunger it’s habit but idk

I'd try a dream feed just before you go to bed and see if that helps. I have a 6mo who's last feed is 7pm so I give her a dream feed around 11 and that usually keeps her going until around 6am. It's still totally normal for them to be waking in the night for milk though at this age.
Also if it isn't that he is hungry could he be cold? I always find the temp drops around 2/3am in our house. My eldest often used to wake at that time if she was a bit cold.

I night weaned when it was interrupting the first feed - I just reduced the bottle by an oz every other night and then offered water. It worked.

@eewan yesh sounds like maybe i should give a dream feed a go!! and not sure reference temp it is cold in our house but then he won’t settle without the feed whereas if he wakes after the feed at all he can be resettled easily in his crib so not sure!

@tensmumsnot ah interesting! how did you offer water like how much? and did you do cooled boiled water? i’ve heard of doing that wasn’t sure from what age it was suitable!

Honestly, I don't remember. It was probably after solids were introduced though as I don't think the advice was to offer water if they're only on formula, iirc.

I do remember that once I'd night weaned, they both didn't wake up any more for that feed. It was very easy.