Let’s be honest, taking care of newborns can be exhausting. Babies often wake up to feed several times at night for the first few months

Let’s be honest, taking care of newborns can be exhausting. Babies often wake up to feed several times at night for the first few 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 that leads to weaning for every baby. 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 quite normal in the first few weeks of infancy. In fact, it is a necessity for both the baby and the nursing mother. Newborns feed every 2 to 3 hours for the first few weeks in order to support their growth and development 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. During the early infant months the baby has frequent sleep periods throughout the day and night. And as they grow their sleep periods at night start to become longer. After about 10 months, their sleep gradually shifts towards night time and their feeding patterns change with it. They will need less food as they take in more during the day. Here are some signs that your baby is ready to start night weaning:

They establish shorter feeding times
They suck just for comfort and not to extract milk during the night
They show less interest in the breast or bottle at night
Tips For Gentle Night Weaning
1. Increase Day Time Feedings

One way to ensure that your baby isn’t hungry at night is to slowly start to encourage them to eat more during the day. If you’re a nursing mother you can always add a dream feed before 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

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 shortening the length of 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 guidelines go for bottle fed babies as well. You can start slowly by decreasing the amount of breastmilk or formula you give them in the night and then eliminate bottle feeding 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

Transitioning from night time feeds can be quite challenging for babies. So make sure that they are comfortable and relaxed. Help eliminate any other factors that may hinder your weaning plan. You can do this by making sure the room 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

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!

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