When do you wean your baby from the middle of the night feeding?

Question

I have read where its 12 pounds or 3-4 months. If you continue to feed them past this does it cause bad sleep habits.

Answer 1

don't listen to most people about sleep habits and babies. they have very strange ideas. like this strange idea that you wean a baby from night feeding. when a baby is hungry, you feed her.

nurse your baby, let her sleep at your side, and she will nurse whenever she needs to and you'll get all the sleep you need. when babies nurse on demand, the content of the milk is regulated to always give her what she needs.

when your baby has growth spurts, both physical and cognitive, she will eat massive amounts at night.

babies need their mommies with them 24/7 for years. don't try to detach from her already. it really messes them up when we try to get them to suit our wants rather than us meeting their needs.

Answer 2

hey there!!

First off let me say...all babies are different. Now let me get off my soap box.

Most say that babies will stop waking for mid night feedings at about 4 - 5 months. 3 months is still a little early.

But. As I have learned. Dont get TOO comfortable with this. My little one has just started crawling/climbing and is back up to eat at night because she is burning so mnay more calories during the day. She goes to bed at around 7 - 8 and then is back up aroun 1030 to eat and then down for the night.

From what I understand and have experienced letting them eat in the middle of the night is not creating bad habits until they are older. Say around a year. If a baby is hungry they have to eat. If you let them cry out due to hunger it could cause more damage (later) then you think. And do you really want your little one to cry due to hunger?!? But I would try to exhaust all other options before feeding at night though. They may just need a diaper change, binky, some cuddle time....Babies will figure out a routine. If she wakes and doesnt take a full bottle...then she probably wasnt hungry and still is in need of something else.

I would (personally) be more concerned with bad sleep habits of those of another nature. Having my little one depend on me or another adult to fall asleep. (by rocking, or bottle feeding, or tapping on the bottom...whatever) These seem to be much harder to break then the middle of the night feedings. Those will stop in time. ; )

Congrats and good luck!

Answer 3

Generally babies will keep waking up in the middle of the night if they are hungry or need comforting. At that age I would mix a small amount of cereal in my sons formula or give him cereal mixed with fruit about an hour before bedtime, followed by a bath.

Answer 4

My daughter, 16 1/2 weeks old, started sleeping through the night @ 6 weeks. But if she does wake up in the middle of the night, we put her pacificer in, reswaddle if needed. hopefully it will work. It does for us.

Answer 5

I've always just responded to my child's needs. They know best when they need to eat, not some book or a doctor who doesn't even live in the house with them. If they needed to nurse at night, we nursed. Just like if *I* woke up hungry, I'd do something about it.