Wean your baby off night feeding. Night feeding of the baby

To the question “how often and how many times should you feed a newborn?” There is no exact answer, the fact is that these numbers depend on the age of the baby and his individual parameters. The younger the baby, the more often he needs attachments. Usually per night this figure fluctuates from 2 to 6 times than older child, the less often he wakes up to feed. By the age of six months, children can go longer without food, but by morning their sucking need awakens. Night feeding continues in this mode until breastfeeding ends.

Sometimes a baby needs to be put to the breast not only for saturation, the fact is that he associates the mother’s breast with a feeling of security and peace, and during various experiences or pain, for example, colic, he needs to be put to calm. As pediatricians assure, a newborn has no visual memory, so when crying and demanding the breast, the child simply wants to make sure that his mother is nearby. It is for this reason that pediatricians recommend latching a newborn at the first squeak, even if it is needed every hour.

Until what age should I continue night feedings?

Pediatricians assure that before the age of six months, it is impossible to deprive the baby of night feedings. According to statistics, night snacks will be necessary for children up to a year old, or even longer. At this age, daytime feeding will occur at intervals of 3-4 hours, and at night, rest from feeding can be a maximum of 6 hours and no more, since the baby will be hungry.

After a year, with the introduction of complementary foods, the situation changes somewhat and night feedings become practically unnecessary, but the child still requires the breast. This does not happen because he is hungry, but rather out of habit, in order to feel the closeness of his mother and calm down. You should not deny your baby this until the moment when he stops demanding the breast.

To make night feedings easier, mom needs to make them as comfortable as possible:

• Ensure that you sleep together so that you don’t have to get up again;
• A special nursing shirt will greatly simplify this process;
• Always keep a fresh diaper and wet wipes nearby for emergencies;
• Buy a night light; it’s better not to turn on the main light.

Sometimes, in the summer, the baby is thirsty and does not need the breast because he is hungry, so you need to keep a bottle of water near the crib.

To the question, “until what age should you feed your baby at night?” There are no strict recommendations; it is better to focus on the child’s desires and needs, as well as your own feelings. Only one thing can be said for sure: up to 6 months, night feedings are mandatory, and after this age, only if the child needs it, if he sleeps peacefully, night feedings can be stopped.

How to wean your baby off night feedings?

First of all, every mother should understand that this process can take quite a long time and it will be necessary to overcome some difficulties associated with this, such as lack of sleep and nervous stress. It will be especially difficult to stop feeding after six months of age, after a year this process is much easier.

As mentioned above, breastfeeding satisfies not only the baby’s physiological needs, but also psychological ones, therefore, when the baby is sick or teething, he will demand her attention at night. The main guarantee of night rest is the child’s complete psychological comfort throughout the day, and only under this condition can one begin to wean him from night vigils.

There are several proven methods to wean your baby from asking for the breast at night:

1. Gradually replace milk or formula with plain water , if the baby refuses to drink it, then you can add a little water there, gradually bringing it to complete replacement milk water.
2. Reduce feeding time– make it clear to the child that night is not the time to eat;
3. Increase the periods between feedings the most different ways: sing songs, rock, stroke, etc.
4. The last meal should be as nutritious as possible so that the baby does not want to eat at night.
5. Place your baby on the breast as often as possible throughout the day., so the need for feeding will be fully satisfied during the daytime.
6. Change your bedtime routine, for example, ask dad to put the baby down, or rock him to sleep without falling asleep at the chest.
7. A regular nightgown will limit your baby's access to the breast when sleeping together.. When the baby does not feel his mother’s body, it will become easier for him to forget about the breast.
8. Separate cot- promotes rapid weaning from breastfeeding and night feedings.
9. You can try to explain to children older than one year that they should not eat at night.

To be sure that weaning off night feedings is going well, you should monitor your child; if during the day he is restless, nervous, or begins to sleep poorly, it means that the time for weaning has not yet come, and it is better to abandon this idea for a while.

Once complementary feeding begins, that is, at the age of 4-6 months, most children feed well enough during the day that night feedings are no longer required for their development.

So, in principle, you can try to wean your child off night feedings as early as 6 months. Many children by this age are not at all hungry at night, they just have formed a stable habit of waking up at night. Mom should be aware that the weaning process may take some time and in any case will be associated with some additional inconveniences that cause lack of sleep. Therefore, you first need to analyze your own readiness to wean your child from night feedings. After a year it will be much easier to do this.

But in addition to satisfying the purely physiological need for food, the child, through feeding, makes up for the lack of communication with the mother. This becomes especially noticeable when the baby is sick, or is teething, or does not see his mother during the day. In such cases, the child requires attention at night, asking for a breast or a bottle. Therefore, in the process of weaning from night feedings during the day, it is worth devoting maximum useful time to him in order to ensure psychological comfort, and the baby does not have the need to be convinced of his mother’s love in the dark.

Ways to wean your baby off night feedings

• Gradually replace feedings with water. First, offer the child just a drink of water during one night feeding. If you don’t get water right away, you can dilute the milk or mixture in a ratio of 1 to 3, increasing the amount of water in the mixture every night. Soon the child will become uninterested in waking up to drink water, and perhaps in this simple way it will be possible to reduce the number of night feedings.
• Reduce the duration of night feedings when breastfeeding. You need to teach your baby that night is a time for sleep, not for eating, and you should not use your breast as a pacifier.
• Increase the intervals between feedings, putting the child to sleep in various ways during night awakenings (songs, rocking, fairy tales, stroking).
• Feed formula or porridge at night
• Increase the number of breastfeedings throughout the day. When breastfeeding, usually night feeding remains the last feeding before final weaning, but in the case when the mother wants to maintain breastfeeding, but reduce the number of night feedings, it is worth maximizing the baby's need for breastfeeding during the day.
• Change the way you put your baby to sleep. Either put the baby to sleep without feeding or, after breastfeeding a little, transfer him to a crib. You can put the baby to sleep while walking in a stroller or give it to dad for motion sickness.
• Limit access to the breast at night. When sleeping together, having woken up and not immediately finding the nipple, the child simply nuzzles his mother’s side and falls asleep, since he is not really hungry, but simply satisfies his need for closeness to his mother.
• Sleep separately - in different beds or in different rooms. In cases when the baby wakes up, you can lie down next to him to calm him down or feed him, but then still go to his own bed.
• Explain. It is already possible to explain to children over one year old that no one eats at night, everyone sleeps, and there will be food when it becomes light. This must be constantly repeated both at night, when waking up, and during the day, during games. Moreover, it is important not to deviate from your own words, and if the child still demands to eat, distract him from it in every possible way, tell fairy tales, rock him in his arms, give a light massage. You can offer water.

If you see that the child has begun to behave very capriciously, aggressively, his daytime sleep has been disturbed, he does not let you go one step during the day, or, on the contrary, pushes you away, perhaps he is not yet mature enough to completely abandon nighttime sleep. feedings.

It is your baby's daily behavior that will tell you whether you are moving in the right direction. You should not ignore the child’s reactions; sometimes it is better to slow down the pace or abandon the idea altogether for a while, so as not to traumatize the baby by depriving him of a sense of trust in the world. After all, the period when the baby urgently needs you is, in fact, so short that later you will remember with nostalgia your night feedings, waiting for your grown-up child from the disco.

Until the age of six months, children need regular and nutritious nutrition, as insufficient intake nutrients into the body leads to the formation of developmental abnormalities. When the child turns 1 year old, parents should take care of the timely transition of the baby to daytime feeding, excluding night meals.

The tactics for canceling night feedings during artificial feeding differ from the same procedure during breastfeeding. This issue requires a competent approach, so the young mother is recommended to coordinate her actions with her doctor.

When to stop night feeding

Experts agree that you can switch to daytime feeding at the age of 12 months, when the baby stops needing night meals. For your own peace of mind, it is recommended to check the child’s weight. If the baby’s weight corresponds to the age norm, and the time intervals between feedings are at least 5 hours, then parents have nothing to worry about.

It is appropriate to continue night feedings at this age only when the baby is fed breast milk. As in any situation, there are exceptions in this case. If for some reason the child does not receive a sufficient amount of nutrition during the daytime, then stopping night feedings can lead to weight loss and the development of abnormalities.

No Night Feeding Plan

In order to wean a bottle-fed baby from night feedings, a young mother is advised to follow these rules:

• The first step is to assess the child’s level of readiness for such a step. The mother is advised to monitor the child throughout the day. Particular attention should be paid to the regularity of the child’s meals throughout the day. If your baby skips meals during the day, he is less likely to ask for a bottle at night.
• If the time interval between daytime feedings is more than 5 hours, then parents can safely begin to stop feeding at night.
• The next step is to increase the time intervals between feeding the baby. This stage contributes to the development of a regime.
• It is recommended to feed your baby especially carefully before bedtime, making sure that the child eats the entire portion. Malnutrition in the evening leads to night awakenings, whims and crying.

• A child's diet should be complete and contain the amount of nutrients that corresponds to the age-related needs of the child's body.
• It is recommended to stop feeding the baby on demand. The next stage is to accustom the child to the schedule. If the mother continues to feed the child according to his wishes, then he will demand a bottle at any time of the day or night.
• The baby's dinner should be more nutritious than daytime meals, as this ensures the baby is full throughout the night.
• If a child wakes up at night and begins to be capricious, then the mother is recommended to give him a bottle of baby tea or drinking water. Perhaps the baby is not hungry, but simply feels thirsty.
• To prevent the baby from waking up at night, parents must provide their child with a calm and comfortable sleep; read about how to properly organize and improve the sleep of an infant. Children's sleep can be disrupted by low or heat indoors, noise, bright light, and a full diaper. Nighttime whims are often caused by the eruption of baby teeth.

A child over 1 year old is able to analyze and understand parents’ requests. The young mother is recommended to constantly talk with the baby, explaining to him that he needs to eat only during the day and that no one does this at night.

To prevent the child from being capricious and crying, the mother can read him a fairy tale, talk to him, rock him in her arms, or put him to sleep next to her.

It is recommended to involve the child’s father in this matter. The baby's dad can take on the responsibility of putting the baby to bed. When the baby gets used to this regimen for several days, he will stop waking up at night and asking for a bottle of formula.

Common mistakes

The lack of proper knowledge pushes young mothers to make mistakes related to stopping feeding at night.

When implementing such a task, the following actions are strictly prohibited:

• It is forbidden to wean a child from night meals if his baby teeth are erupting or he is sick. For information on how to help your child cut through his first teeth, read the article at the link. Additional stress contributes to the weakening of the child’s psyche. Parents need to postpone this idea for 2-3 weeks.
• It is not recommended to leave the baby with close relatives in order to wean him off night feedings. A situation like this is stressful for a child’s body. In addition, parents may lose confidence in themselves.
• It is strictly forbidden to apply mustard or red pepper to the surface of the nipple. Such experiments lead to burns of the mucous membrane oral cavity child, as well as the formation of fear in the baby.
• When refusing night feedings, it is forbidden to raise your voice at the baby, as well as use intimidation tactics.

A newborn baby is less attached to the nipple than to the mother's breast. That is why the process of canceling night feedings with artificial feeding causes fewer problems. If a young mother experiences difficulties, she is advised to seek advice from a pediatrician or a feeding specialist.

Breastfeeding brings great benefits and pleasure to mother and baby. But night feedings are exhausting and deprive you of proper rest and strength. The luckiest mothers have babies who wake up 4-5 times a night to nurse. At some point, patience comes to an end. Mom decides it's time to end these night feedings.

How to wean your child off night feedings: where to start and what not to do. This will be discussed in this article.

WHO recommends feeding your baby only breast milk for up to 6 months. In the first six months, frequent night feedings play an important role in the development of lactation. The maximum production of prolactin occurs between three and 6 o'clock in the morning. Feeding in the early morning hours ensures sufficient milk supply for the day.

From the age of six months, the child is introduced to complementary foods. As the baby approaches one year of age, he receives most of his nutrition from the common table, and the number of breastfeedings naturally decreases. The physiological need for nutrition at night disappears by the age of one year. From this age, you can ask the question: how to wean a child from breastfeeding at night.

However, children experience a psychological need to suck on their mother's breast until they are 2-3 years old. At 1-1.5 years, teeth are cut. Breastfeeding at night is often the only possible variant calm the suffering baby.

At 2-3 years old, you can already come to an agreement with your child and explain why he will now fall asleep on his own without a breast. But here you will have to fight the ingrained habit of falling asleep by sucking on the breast.

There is no right time to wean off night feedings. Every mother will understand when it’s time to stop nightly latching. According to specialists in breastfeeding and children's sleep, it is easier to get rid of the sleep-sleeping association at six months than at one and a half months.

How to tell if your baby is ready to give up night feedings

The child's readiness to wean from night feeding occurs at different times for all babies. Much depends on the emotional closeness of mother and baby, the character of the child, the mother’s mood, and the psychological and physical health of the baby.

If the mother answers yes to all the points described below, then it’s time to start weaning:

• The baby is healthy and gaining weight well.
• During the daytime, the number of applications for food intake is reduced.
• The baby receives complete complementary feeding, and at least 2 meals are replaced with regular food.
• The baby wakes up to suck at the same time at night.
• During night feedings, the baby does not swallow milk, but simply sucks on an empty breast.

Where to start weaning off night feedings

Some mothers first eliminate daytime feedings, and then move on to reducing nighttime feedings. Some do the opposite: first they stop feeding at night, and leave daytime feedings. The primary task is to teach the child to fall asleep without breastfeeding at night. And the next stage will be a gradual reduction in night applications.

Reducing night feedings should be gradual and gentle for the baby and mother.

The problem is that often after a year a child develops the habit of falling asleep only after sucking on the breast. This applies to both lying down and hanging on your chest at night. Breast comfort is a bad sleep association. Many mothers face this problem. As a result, children have to be retrained to fall asleep on their own.

The essence of weaning from night feedings is to change the association with sleep. This is where you need to start: teach your child to fall asleep without a breast, to calm down and relax in another way, but not with breasts. When the bad association goes away, then night feedings will gradually decrease.

How to stop your baby from falling asleep on your chest

Gradual weaning is not a sprint, it's a marathon. The mother's goal is to teach the child to fall asleep on his own. The baby will still fall asleep with the help of her mother, but without the breast. Mom must mentally and physically prepare herself for systematic work for several weeks. If the mother acts confidently and calmly, the baby adopts her attitude.

The first step is to break the association between sucking and sleeping. On initial stage After weaning, you do not need to remove the breast immediately. It is enough to interrupt feeding before the baby falls asleep and add a new point to the ritual. This could be reading a fairy tale, a song, a rhyme, or something else that the child likes. If after reading he still doesn’t fall asleep and asks for the breast, then don’t force things and give in. Give him the opportunity to get used to the innovation. Gradually, the baby will accept your rules of the game and will begin to fall asleep from the sound of his mother’s monotonous voice.

Children over 1.5 years old can be told in advance how the bed will now proceed. At this age they understand simple explanations. Kids feel more confident if their mother describes the sequence of actions in advance.

Throughout the day, constantly remind your child that he is already big and is learning to fall asleep without a titi. Show pictures of babies sleeping in their cribs or find a cartoon where a baby falls asleep without a breast.

You can involve dad or grandma in the styling. It has been noticed that sometimes children fall asleep easier if their mother is not nearby and there is no temptation to latch on to the breast.

The stage of learning to fall asleep independently can last from two weeks to several months. If you have recorded progress, do not force things and stay at this stage for another couple of weeks.

How to wean your baby off nighttime breastfeeding

When your baby has learned to fall asleep on his own, start reducing night feedings. Some babies wake up 4-6 times a night to breastfeed. And often this is not sucking from hunger, but simple check connection with mom. So, if the child does not swallow milk during feeding, then this attachment must be removed.

Set yourself a goal - not to breastfeed for comfort, for starters, until two o'clock in the morning. Calm your child in other ways: rock him in your arms, stroke his head or back, sing a lullaby. Let dad also join in on the motion sickness. After two hours, apply to the breast at the same rhythm. Soon the baby will stop waking up during this period of time. Gradually increase the interval to 4 and then 6 am. If you can’t calm your child down in any other way, give in, otherwise he will suspect something is wrong and stick to your chest even more. Remove the nipple from your baby's mouth before he falls asleep again. Give him the opportunity to fall asleep on his own.

“Stopping night feedings is not a panacea for waking up at night. The fact is that children under four years old cannot sleep continuously for more than 4-5 hours. The sleep phases of a child and an adult are different. A six-month-old child spends 50% of his night time in the shallow sleep phase. Baby 2-3 years old – 30%. This is due to the fact that brain development is most active during light sleep.”

Each couple, mother and baby, has their own time frame for weaning and learning to fall asleep independently. It is important for the mother to listen to the child and follow his rhythm confidently and without hesitation.

Breastfeeding experts make the following recommendations:

• When weaning your baby from night feedings, nourish him as much as possible with affection and tactile sensations during the day. Spend more time together, hug and show your attention to your baby in every possible way.
• Mom must clearly set the boundaries of what is permitted. Let the child feel that the mother is in charge and she knows what she is doing. Confidently and predictably guide your baby to fall asleep independently. At the same time, carefully monitor his behavior: if weaning is too difficult, with hysterics and whims, take a couple of steps back. And after a couple of days, continue to act.
• Feed your baby complete complementary foods during the day.
• In the evening, feed your baby protein foods to prevent hunger.
• When waking up at night, breastfeed only with the night light on. Thus separating feeding and sleeping.

What to avoid when weaning off night feedings:

1. The stage of reading a book in the ritual should not be a bite to the chest. This again creates the wrong association, and will not help replace one with the other.
2. Don't rush things. If the mother is in a hurry with weaning, uses methods of shouting, then the child, sensing something is wrong, will grab the chest with a death grip and will hang tightly on the chest.
3. You should not give a bottle of compote, tea, or other sweet liquids at night. This provokes the development of caries.
4. You should not give kefir, juice or other drinks or mixtures. This forms the habit of eating at night.
5. You should not smear your nipples with brilliant green or mustard. The sight of a beloved titi in a mutilated form will frighten the child and cause him psychological trauma. Mustard can burn the mucous membranes of the mouth.

Weaning, as well as the formation of lactation, is a rather difficult stage. This requires time, mental and physical strength of mother and child. But if you trust the natural course of circumstances, do not rush things and act calmly, then it is quite possible to teach your child to calm down and fall asleep without a breast. Likewise, it takes time to teach a baby to go potty and hold a spoon.

A typical situation: the baby wakes up in the middle of the night, begins to act up, and the mother rushes to feed him. Is she doing the right thing and until what age can night feedings continue?

To feed or not to feed?

Waking up at night for feedings is a completely normal occurrence for a baby, according to modern pediatricians. “If a child does not eat enough during the day and wakes up at night to eat, there is nothing wrong with that,” explains pediatrician Olga Minkina. “It's more of a problem for parents who don't want to be disturbed at night.” But the main thing is that the child develops well.

Whether or not you need to wean your baby off night feedings depends on the baby’s weight and how much food he eats during the day.
❥ If a child is underweight and does not receive the required amount of nutrition during the day, then night feedings are simply necessary for him (of course, if the baby wakes up on his own to eat).
❥ If the baby’s weight exceeds the norm, it is better to gradually refuse nighttime reinforcement.
❥ If your baby is of normal weight, you should never wake him up at night to feed him, even if he sleeps for more than 6 hours in a row. Sleep yourself and be happy!”

What to give your child at night?

Mother's milk is the optimal food for a child in the first year of life, which is best absorbed by the body. And accordingly, this is the most suitable nutrition for night feedings.

For the mother, night breastfeeding is not burdensome: she does not need to urgently run to the kitchen and fuss there, mixing the mixture; she just needs to put the baby to the breast - and he will already receive nutrition.

For the baby, mother’s breast is not only food, but also a means of calming. After spending a little time at the breast, the baby will quickly calm down and fall asleep.

Night feedings have a beneficial effect on a woman's milk production. “They are very important for maintaining lactation,” explains pediatrician Natalya Kustlivaya, chief physician of the Autonomous non-profit organization “MOM + BABY”. “At night, a woman’s body produces more of the hormone prolactin and, accordingly, produces more milk.”

Even if a woman does not have enough milk and the baby is supplemented with formula milk, it is more convenient and healthier to breastfeed at night - after all, at this time of day the mother has more milk.

You can breastfeed your baby at night for as long as you like - as long as the mother has milk.

Artificial mixture used if a woman does not have her own milk. Formula feeding is somewhat more cumbersome: preparing the formula in advance is not recommended, so you have to go to the kitchen at night and make it for the baby.

Milk Should not be given to a child under 2 years of age in its pure form. This is because cow's milk proteins are difficult to digest and often cause allergies in young children. For night feedings, it is better to use formula milk instead of milk.

Kefir(preferably for children) can be given at night to a child older than 8 months (it is from this age that kefir is introduced into the baby’s menu). This will be a good alternative to formula milk. Before offering it to your baby, kefir from the refrigerator must be warmed up.

Water helps in cases where the child wakes up not because of hunger, but because of thirst. The baby can drink water and fall asleep. But if the reason for awakening was hunger, then the baby will calm down only for a while, and will soon wake up again.

How to organize night feedings

Your main task is for your baby to satisfy his hunger and fall asleep faster. You need to try to ensure that in the room where the child is located, an environment that sets the baby up for sleep is maintained, and preparing food does not take much time.

Prepare in advance for a possible night awakening of the child (this is especially necessary in the first months of the baby’s life).
❥ There should be a small night light in the room where the baby sleeps so that you can turn it on if the baby wakes up. There is no need to turn on the overhead lighting, otherwise the child may decide that it is daytime and go wild.
❥ Keep a disposable diaper ready: if necessary, you can quickly change your baby before feeding.
❥ If you are breastfeeding, then it is advisable for you to sleep in a nightgown specially designed for feeding - with slits.
❥ When feeding a baby with formula, everything necessary for its preparation must be collected in advance: a sterilized bottle, baby drinking water, formula with a measuring spoon. The water for preparing the mixture must have a certain temperature. To quickly heat water, some mothers use a microwave oven, others use a bottle warmer. Some parents fill the thermos with water at the desired temperature in the evening so as not to waste time heating it and feed the baby faster.

❥ At night, talk to your baby in a muffled voice, remind him that now he will eat a little and fall asleep again. Under no circumstances should you “walk” your child, do not start playing with him, even if he has such a desire. The baby should develop the idea that night is for sleeping, and day is for playing.
❥ If a child often has colic or regurgitation, then after night feeding (as well as after daytime feeding) it is advisable to carry the baby in an upright position for 10–15 minutes so that he burps air.

Is this normal?

The number of night feedings does not always fit into the acceptable range. If a child wakes up not 1-2 times a night, but more often, and asks for food, you need to understand the reasons for such awakenings. Your baby may have colic or lack breast milk. Frequent awakenings may also be associated with some neurological problems. In this case, it is recommended to show the child to a neurologist.

A child's sleep may be disturbed at certain age periods. “Night awakenings can have different reasons,” says psychologist Maria Klimova. – Their number may vary depending on the age of the child and what happens to him during the day. So, with the development of new skills (crawling, walking, speaking), the number of breastfeeding during the day may decrease. But this leads to a compensatory increase in the number of attachments at night. This is a temporary phenomenon that goes away on its own as the child grows up.”

Age limits

At what age is it time for a child to break the habit of eating at night? Doctors say that everything is individual and parents of a healthy and normally developing child should not worry. “In some children, night feedings continue up to two years, and all this fits within the norm,” says pediatrician Antonina Volzhina. “I observe one girl who, at the age of five, continues to drink kefir at night. There’s nothing wrong with that if she has such a need,” explains pediatrician Olga Minkina. “A healthy baby will gradually give up night feedings on his own.”

Source www.krokha.ru/detskoe-pitanie/nochnye-kormleniya-za-i-protiv