Night Time Feeds

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Night Time Feeds

by Mary
(Sydney NSW Australia)

Any ideas on how to eliminate night time feeds at three months?

My daughter wakes up with a little twinge during the night. When I breast feed her, she feeds while asleep and continues to sleep when finished.

In your experience why does this happen? What advice can you give to someone to eliminate or try to eliminate night feeding this early?

By the way, she will not take a dummy.

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Night Time Feeds

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Yes To Night Time Feeds!
by: Anonymous

It is quite normal for three-month-old babies (and older!) to be waking for night time feeds. By a baby's first birthday, one third to one quarter are still waking during the night.

Babies can receive up to one third of their nutrition at nighttime feeds. This is especially important for babies of working moms who may take in less milk during the day, making up for it when their mom is at home. Nursing your baby before you go to bed is a great idea. Most babies drift peacefully back to sleep after nursing, and "topping her off" may give you a couple of extra hours of uninterrupted sleep.

There is no research to support claims that starting solid foods helps babies to sleep through the night. In fact, in some babies, especially those younger than four months of age, starting solids can cause digestive disturbances that may keep them awake.

Nighttime feeds are also beneficial to you. Your hormone levels remain at a more constant level, helping to insure a good milk supply. Exclusive breastfeeding, where your baby meets all his nutritional and sucking needs at the breast, coupled with nighttime feeds can help to delay the return of your menstrual period and fertility. The more frequently you breastfeed, and the longer the nursing sessions, the longer the period of infertility.

It sounds like you and your baby are doing wonderfully!

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Submitted by: Anonymous

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It is quite normal for three-month-old babies (and older!) to be waking for night time feeds. By a baby's first birthday, one third to one quarter are still waking during the night. Babies can receive up to one third of their nutrition at nighttime feeds. This is especially important for babies of working moms who may take in less milk during the day, making up for it when their mom is at home. Nursing your baby before you go to bed is a great idea. Most babies drift peacefully back to sleep after nursing, and "topping her off" may give you a couple of extra hours of uninterrupted sleep. There is no research to support claims that starting solid foods helps babies to sleep through the night. In fact, in some babies, especially those younger than four months of age, starting solids can cause digestive disturbances that may keep them awake. Nighttime feeds are also beneficial to you. Your hormone levels remain at a more constant level, helping to insure a good milk supply. Exclusive breastfeeding, where your baby meets all his nutritional and sucking needs at the breast, coupled with nighttime feeds can help to delay the return of your menstrual period and fertility. The more frequently you breastfeed, and the longer the nursing sessions, the longer the period of infertility. It sounds like you and your baby are doing wonderfully!

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Night Time Feeds
by: Anonymous

When she wakes for night time feeds, try giving her some boiled water instead of breast feeding her. Many babies find this is not worth waking up for and start sleeping through the night.

Night Time Feeds
by: Anonymous

I would like to share my experience regarding night time feeds. I hope this helps.

When my son was 2 months old I kept waking up every 2hrs at night to breast feed him. He would drink milk for about 10 min while closing his eyes. I then noticed that after about 10 min of drinking he would start sucking my nipple without taking the milk, till my nipple got sore. So my husband suggested I get him a pacifier.

So, when I put my son to sleep at about 8pm, after taking the milk he would sleep. But now after 2 hours he woke and again asked for milk. But this time I only gave him water and the pacifier instead. And he quickly fell asleep again.

When my son found out that I only gave him water at night, he would wake up for a while. But he soon remembered that if he asked for milk I only gave him water.

So from then on, he would not wake up just to drink water. He rather preferred sleeping instead

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Night Time Feeds

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