Parenting & Family

Night Feeding - Did you night wean?

  • Last Updated:
  • Feb 7th, 2018 10:14 pm
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Poll: Did you night wean?

  • Total votes: 24. You have voted on this poll.
Yes - before 6 months
 
5
21%
Yes - after 6 months but before 11 months
 
4
17%
Yes - after 11 months
 
7
29%
No - never
 
8
33%
Banned
Jan 3, 2018
321 posts
61 upvotes

Night Feeding - Did you night wean?

Just wondering if parents here ever night weaned intentionally? I was told by our doctor that the baby can stop eating overnight at 6 months. I didn't ask how many hours overnight was but just wondering if anyone here night weaned, and if you did, how you did it? I have heard stories like cold turkey, water, reducing time feeding etc.

Thanks.
22 replies
Deal Guru
User avatar
Mar 31, 2008
13011 posts
3095 upvotes
Toronto
As babies get older, heavier, more balanced, they should naturally sleep through the night longer. Once you start giving solids, that'll help them sleep longer through the night too.
Sr. Member
May 12, 2014
997 posts
822 upvotes
Markham, ON
We introduced solids at 4 months and followed this site. The recommendation lined up with what our pediatrician was advising.
http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/ ... hZqHn-k5K8

With night weaning, the first kid we started at 6 months, second kid, 4 months. Essentially just kept stretching it out. Not easy at first, pays off in the long run.
Sr. Member
User avatar
Apr 10, 2011
875 posts
809 upvotes
My son is almost 20 months old and still wakes up several times at night. I co-sleep with him though, so that’s part of the reason why. Anyways, I “breastfeed” him when he wakes up, but he does it for comfort, not because he’s hungry. I will let him wean himself when he’s ready.
Deal Addict
Mar 24, 2015
1404 posts
739 upvotes
Ottawa, ON
I never night weaned. I breastfed on demand. They just gradually started to sleep for longer periods at around 9 months.
Jr. Member
Jan 2, 2012
117 posts
35 upvotes
LO was waking up twice a night to feed. I weaned her from one of the feeds at around 5 months when I sleep trained her. It only took two nights and all I did was reduce the amount per feed and then she just stopped waking for it. I tried to do the same with the other feed but I can't seem to get her off the feed at around 3/4am, but she only drinks half of what she normally takes and goes straight back to sleep. She sleeps at 8pm, so 8 hours until a bit of eating seems reasonable to me. She is 7 months now.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Jan 9, 2011
19736 posts
28626 upvotes
Vancouver
Baby co-slept with us. My wife just breasfed on demand during the night while lying on her side. Often my wife wouldn't even wake up during a feed at all. Why wait to be woken up by crying and then have to get out of bed for a feeding? We found co-sleeping to be the best way for all of us to get the most sleep.
Deal Addict
Sep 3, 2013
1066 posts
394 upvotes
Toronto
My ped said my baby should be sleeping through the night by 6 months. Experienced moms told me it’s nkrmal for babies to feed up to twice a night until 9months. I tuned into what my baby wanted. Every time he woke at night, he would take less and less feed. Twice went down to one at 6-7mos. Then the random times he’d wake, he wouldn’t feed at all.
Banned
Jan 3, 2018
321 posts
61 upvotes
Thanks everyone, our baby is in the top 80th percentile so shouldn't have to eat, but gets up at least twice to eat and seems really hungry. Co-sleeping is out of the question, my wife doesn't even know how to BF lying down, and add to that, I think we wouldn't feel safe co-sleeping.
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May 8, 2009
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Going to the Moon
STTN at 6 months. Never make up a sleeping baby (unless they're newborn, where they need eight feeds per day for their first two months).
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Banned
Jan 3, 2018
321 posts
61 upvotes
We tried to night wean the last week and baby is just getting stressed and seems to hate to go to sleep - whether nap or BT. We have tried adjusting wake times, being softer, being stricter, spending more time with her, playing more games, giving more activities, winding down more carefully, everything we can think of. I think we will have to give up trying as the last thing I need is sleep aversion - which it seems he is getting :( Parenting is so much work!
Sr. Member
User avatar
May 12, 2009
814 posts
380 upvotes
Jakinthe wrote: my wife doesn't even know how to BF lying down
Honestly, if she knows how to lie down, and she knows how to BF, she will be able to BF lying down. It's just that easy. Also, go poke around Kellymom
Sr. Member
User avatar
May 10, 2006
596 posts
274 upvotes
YYC
Son is 9 months old and we did not intentionally wean him off but he started sleeping longer through the night on his own around 6 months. That all went away once he started teething, our son has been teething non-stop since he was 7 months and is on his 7th and 8th tooth now. He wakes up from the teething and needs to be comforted and milk is a good way to comfort him instead of Tylenol.
Deal Addict
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Jul 25, 2008
1609 posts
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Richmond Hill
My son slept through the night by 3 months if he wasn’t sick or teething. I made sure he had a large feeding right before bed and he usually dosed off on my breast. By 3 months he was already in the 90th percentile and by 6 months, he was 25lbs and off the charts in weight and height. He wasn’t born big at 7lbs 11oz, I’m only 5’1 115lbs prebaby weight and my husband is 5’10 and 150lbs so I have no idea how he got so big...

If he was sleeping that well and growing well too, I would not bother feeding him...sleep for the mother is very important for milk yield too!
Sr. Member
May 12, 2014
997 posts
822 upvotes
Markham, ON
Jakinthe wrote: We tried to night wean the last week and baby is just getting stressed and seems to hate to go to sleep - whether nap or BT. We have tried adjusting wake times, being softer, being stricter, spending more time with her, playing more games, giving more activities, winding down more carefully, everything we can think of. I think we will have to give up trying as the last thing I need is sleep aversion - which it seems he is getting :( Parenting is so much work!
Wow, you're doing too many things in too short amount of time. Read a few book or sites with different methods and follow the one that makes sense to you and then make sure everyone who's around the baby follows the method. Generally it takes two weeks for the baby to adjust as the baby needs to learn what you're doing. If it's something drastically different, there will be a lot of crying, but you all have tough it out. If something is tried for a week, another thing the next and another the next, everybody is confused and everyone involved will be unhappy.

Remember that there are no right or wrong methods, the baby will adjust, what matters is what the parents are comfortable with and what they're trying to achieve.

i.e. Off topic. To make sure my kid didn't leave the room at night when we switched to a bed, I stayed outside the room till the kid slept. Had to do this for 2 months for the first kids because after we close the door, kid would get up and try to come out. Eventually I just kept the monitor with me and when the kid would get up, I'd go in the room and put em down. That was at 2 years old. I've always done the same thing, now at 5 the kid know that I'd just put them back to bed if they got out.

With the second kid, kid never left the room or ever tried to get out of bed. So you can get lucky, but if you're not, just follow whatever routine you decide on and stick to it.
Deal Addict
Mar 24, 2015
1404 posts
739 upvotes
Ottawa, ON
Bobberts wrote: i.e. Off topic. To make sure my kid didn't leave the room at night when we switched to a bed, I stayed outside the room till the kid slept. Had to do this for 2 months for the first kids because after we close the door, kid would get up and try to come out. Eventually I just kept the monitor with me and when the kid would get up, I'd go in the room and put em down. That was at 2 years old. I've always done the same thing, now at 5 the kid know that I'd just put them back to bed if they got out.

With the second kid, kid never left the room or ever tried to get out of bed. So you can get lucky, but if you're not, just follow whatever routine you decide on and stick to it.
Reminds me of my first after he moved to his own bedroom. I was standing next to his bed until he fell asleep. Did that for 2-3 nights. Then I moved further back a little, for another 2-3 nights. Until I was right at the door after about 2 weeks. Then I started telling I'm going to the bathroom and will be back. Next thing I know he fell asleep while before I came back! He still sneaks into our bed in the middle of the night but my husband takes him into his bed right away.
Second kids is a good sleeper. Likes his own bed and says when he's tired and wants to go to bed.

Anything method will take some time to work. Consistency is important.
Banned
Jan 3, 2018
321 posts
61 upvotes
Bobberts wrote: Wow, you're doing too many things in too short amount of time. Read a few book or sites with different methods and follow the one that makes sense to you and then make sure everyone who's around the baby follows the method. Generally it takes two weeks for the baby to adjust as the baby needs to learn what you're doing. If it's something drastically different, there will be a lot of crying, but you all have tough it out. If something is tried for a week, another thing the next and another the next, everybody is confused and everyone involved will be unhappy.

Remember that there are no right or wrong methods, the baby will adjust, what matters is what the parents are comfortable with and what they're trying to achieve.

i.e. Off topic. To make sure my kid didn't leave the room at night when we switched to a bed, I stayed outside the room till the kid slept. Had to do this for 2 months for the first kids because after we close the door, kid would get up and try to come out. Eventually I just kept the monitor with me and when the kid would get up, I'd go in the room and put em down. That was at 2 years old. I've always done the same thing, now at 5 the kid know that I'd just put them back to bed if they got out.

With the second kid, kid never left the room or ever tried to get out of bed. So you can get lucky, but if you're not, just follow whatever routine you decide on and stick to it.
Thank you - I guess we're struggling:

1. Because at times we doubt whether he is really hungry or not. At almost 7 months, I am told he doesn't need to eat, but sometimes we worry. Hence inconsistency. "OK just a little"
2. This baby is so odd - he will be tired and chortling out of exhaustion (hyper) but will not sleep. OR go down for a nap and get up almost in a panic after 30 minutes looking for us, and crying until he gets picked up. Then act all exhausted.

And

3. Yes you are right re: consistency. There is so much information sometimes we are not sure what to follow, we sometimes try to take his cues, but I'm not sure if that is a good idea anymore based on his behavior.

J/
Banned
Jan 3, 2018
321 posts
61 upvotes
ckay1980 wrote: Reminds me of my first after he moved to his own bedroom. I was standing next to his bed until he fell asleep. Did that for 2-3 nights. Then I moved further back a little, for another 2-3 nights. Until I was right at the door after about 2 weeks. Then I started telling I'm going to the bathroom and will be back. Next thing I know he fell asleep while before I came back! He still sneaks into our bed in the middle of the night but my husband takes him into his bed right away.
Second kids is a good sleeper. Likes his own bed and says when he's tired and wants to go to bed.

Anything method will take some time to work. Consistency is important.
Thanks ckay1980 - the baby will now generally sleep at night the last two days. Naps are atrocious though (see above) and the baby is extremely overtired. He will make these hyper laughing sounds and the wife is at wits end. At night, we are still unsure if he can go without food (he is 90th percentile weight but loves eating and was fed anytime in the night up to 5-6 months) - see above.

J/
Deal Addict
Nov 7, 2012
1632 posts
955 upvotes
TORONTO
My tip is .... be strong. Don't give in... it will eventually work! My now 12month has been sleep trained since 7-8months. Sleeps from 730PM-6/730AM. No bottle feeding at night and takes a couple of naps through the day. Though he's been fighting naps lately... again, the key is to not give in. They will eventually sleep.

Then the next chapter starts: Sleep Regression
Banned
Jul 12, 2016
329 posts
182 upvotes
Night weaning is not always a simple, linear process. Gradually reduce the amount of time baby gets on the breast by 1 minute every 1-2 days. For example if your baby nurses 10 minutes a side (for a total of 20 minutes), start popping him off at 9 minutes, 8 minutes, etc.
It’s really common for babies to wake up to nurse in the early morning, say 5:00 AM, and then fall back to sleep for another 1-2 hours. When starting the night weaning process I suggest that this is the LAST feeding session you tackle.

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