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Let’s be honest, taking care of newborns can be exhausting. Babies often wake up to feed several times at night in the early months which means that mom and dad have to take turns giving them a bottle or breastfeeding them, burp the baby and then rock them to sleep. The sleepless months can leave you in a daze and you might not even realize that your baby has stopped waking up often as the months go by. But, as babies grow, so do their stomachs, which means that they can drink more at each feed and don’t need to wake up all that often during the night. And eventually, these extended periods of sleep will turn into sleeping the entire night without waking up to feed. This is a developmental milestone, leading up to the weaning process for babies. So, if you’re wondering if your baby is ready for this next step and how to approach weaning them off of night feeds, this is the article for you. Keep on reading!
Is Your Baby Ready For Night Weaning?
Nursing your baby through the night is normal in their initial weeks. In fact, it is a necessity for both the child and the mother. Newborns feed every few hours for the first few weeks for their healthy growth which means that breastfeeding moms either have to pump for the night or breastfeed on demand. This in turn ensures that the mother establishes a steady milk supply that can last for a longer period of time. In the early months the baby has frequent but short sleep periods spread throughout night and day. Their sleep periods at night gradually start to become longer as they continue to grow. After about 10 months, their sleep gradually shifts towards night time and their feeding patterns change with it. They need to feed less at night as feed more in the day. Here are some signs that your baby is ready to start night weaning:
- They establish shorter feeding sessions
- They suck only for comfort and not to extract milk during the night
- They show reduced interest in feeding at night
Tips For Gentle Night Weaning
1. Increase Day Time Feedings
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One way to ensure that your baby isn’t hungry at night is to slowly start to encourage more daytime eating. If you’re a nursing mother you can always give them a dream feed prior to going to bed. This way your baby will go to sleep with a full belly that won’t need any more milk until the next morning, which means you can get a couple of hours of undisturbed sleep. Yay!
2. Slowly Decrease Night Feeding
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Even if your baby is exhibiting signs that indicate that they are done with night feeds, you can’t stop them all at once. Start the process gently by reducing the time of each individual feeding session. And then you can work your way to eliminating a feeding session or two from your usual night routine. You will find that your baby may no longer wake up as often as they did and will naturally skip a few nursing sessions. And the same rules apply for bottle feeding. You can start slowly by reducing the amount of breastmilk or formula you give them in the night and then eliminate the bottle sessions. But remember that each baby is different. Some may wean faster than others. Some may go back to their regular nursing routine before they stop needing night feeds once and for all. Go with the flow and do what’s best for your baby.
3. Aim For Comfort
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Transitioning from night time feeds can be quite challenging for babies. So make sure that they are comfortable and relaxed. Do away with any other factors that may hinder your weaning strategy. You can do this by making sure the temperature in the nursery is comfortable. Make sure that the room is dark and away from any loud noises or disturbances. Ensure that your baby’s refusal to feed during the night has nothing to do with them experiencing pain due to an illness or teething.
4. Involve Your Partner
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During the course of the night weaning process, your baby still might wake up. Ask your partner to help you in calming the baby down and rocking them back to sleep. At this stage, that’s all your baby really needs.
Weaning your baby off of night feeds doesn’t have to be a complicated process. All it takes is some patience and observation to note down when your baby needs to nurse and when they just want to hang out. Eventually, your little one will learn to sleep through the night and you can go back to getting a blissful full night’s sleep as well!
