How do I stop the night feeds?

Question

My 4 month baby is still waking 2-3 times during the night for feeding. She old takes 3-4 oz in her last feed before we put her to bed at 7.30-8.00pm. She still wakes every 3-4 hours. Any advice on how I can reduce the night feeding?

Answer 1

She's too young to reduce it. You can reduce the bother of it by letting her sleep with you, so you can just nurse her without even getting up. When I figured that out, it was heaven. And, oddly, it's what nature intended.

Answer 2

This might be a little extra inconvenience for you in the short term. When she wakes at night, change her and take care of her, but no playing or feeding. Then put her back to bed. If she is hungry she will cry again, then feed her but still no playing and put her back to bed. Only feed her every second time she wakes. This is to give her the idea that getting a feed at night is a bit more effort, and that night time is not play time.

Also try to reduce the amount of time she sleeps in the day time by giving more time over to playing with her instead of letting her sleep. I know it is tempting to let her sleep so you can get the housework done, but you need your sleep. You could make her bed time a bit later in the short term, until she is sleeping through most nights.

Answer 3

This is normal. My 12 month old son still wakes up 2 times a night to breastfeed. You don't mention whether or not you're nursing or formula feeding. Either way though it's normal for babies to need to eat in the middle of the night for quite a while. I don't know much about formula as my son has never had any... but I know that formula is digested in about 2-3 hours and breast milk is digested in 90 minutes. So... you can't reduce night feeds.

You mention that you 'put her to bed'... have you tried co-sleeping? I swear you get much more sleep when you have baby cuddled right there with you. I can't imagine having to get up and out of bed two or three (or more) times a night! I wouldn't feel rested in the morning at all.

Answer 4

each infant's diverse. My daughter stopped waking up maximum nights as quickly as she hit 10 weeks, yet she in basic terms sleeps for 8 hours (she's 4 months now). The 12 hours of sleep at 13 months is commonly used, and something from no nighttime feeds to 2 is commonly used.

Answer 5

Try feeding her more. My 6 week old is eating between 4-6 oz a feeding. She's got daddy's 7 ft. tall bone structure though. Or depending on what school of method you are, you could add a little rice cereal to her bottles. I've found that at least for my kid, how many ounces equals how many hours before she wants to be fed again, and if she drinks a whole six ounces, it's usually 5-6 hrs before she wakes up again. Remember, their stomachs are as small as their fist, only a little bigger, so that's why she needs to eat so often. Good luck!

Answer 6

Cassandra's advice was right on. At 4 months, she still very much knows what she needs and wakes up to get it! I learned to allow my son to sleep in my bed, and I'd nurse while laying on my side. I could fall asleep while he was still nursing, and soon enough he'd fall asleep, too. I was one of the best rested moms around! The reason she wakes more often (if she's breastfeeding) is because breastmilk is so easily digested through their little systems. Formula keeps them feeling full longer, because it's harder on their digestive tracks. She may keep up the night feedings until about six months when she starts solid foods.

Answer 7

I think it would probably help if you could try to get more milk into her before she goes for her sleep. Im a nanny and working with a family with a 8 week old baby, who takes 6 ozs at about 10 at night and sleeps through till about 5am. Loosly swaddling so she doesnt get cold and filling her up with as much milk as possible is the thing to do i think!

Answer 8

Unless she was a premie I am suprised she is only eating that much. Is that all she is having, or all you are offering? I always found that if I stayed up and gave a last feed at midnight I then got to sleep through till about 6am. Which was ok, especially if I could talk hubby into doing one of them!

Soon she'll be on solids and then she will sleep much longer, so I know how hard it is, but try to keep going, not much longer.

Answer 9

Try to get her to eat a little bit more, and she won't be as hungry a soon. A 4 month old should be eating more than that anways. my 3 month old eats almost 4 ounces every feeding and he was a preemie. Also, try giving her a bath with nightime soothing right before bed, we do it 2-3 times a week, and he sleeps through the night.

Answer 10

my daughter didn't start sleeping through the night until she was about 5 in a half months old.

it's okay if she's not ready to sleep through the middle of the night. you could try feeding her more. i tried feeding my daughter more. but she wouldn't drink anymore than 4 oz. sometimes that's just the way babies are.

Answer 11

FIRST she is to young to go through the night without an extra feed, but when she is, make her a bottle of water, she will soon realise that it is not worth waking up for.
it has worked for all my children, and my friends little ones.