How to properly feed your baby at night. How can a mother wean her baby from night feedings?

Good day, and maybe good night, my dears! I know that many of you, dear mothers, read me at night so as not to miss night feedings. I can imagine how difficult it can be for you: your eyes are sticking together, but the baby is about to wake up and demand his “legitimate” boobs. I went through this myself, so I will not let you sleep and will tell you why night feedings are important and until what age they should be continued. Some mothers are lazy and don’t want to get up at night, but you’ll have to do this the first time, and now I’ll tell you why. Open your eyes, pour yourself some weak tea and get comfortable.

Our mothers didn't spoil us

Just two or three decades ago, our mothers and grandmothers fed us according to a clear “scheme”. She looked something like this:

· From 6 to 17 feedings per day at 0-2 months

· 5 daytime meals and one nighttime meal at 3-4 months

· 5-6 feedings during the day + complementary foods and none at night at 5-6 months

I see no point in continuing this plan, because it is already noticeable that previously we were deprived of night food by six months. And the point is not that our mothers were lazy, but rather, in a strictly established regime, which doctors advised to adhere to.

In baby mode

Now the situation has changed radically. Pediatricians recommend completely tailoring feeding to the baby and his requirements. This means that the notorious “clockwise” meals are cancelled. The baby should receive the breast upon his first request. This way he will eat better, and your mammary glands will be emptied evenly and correctly. In addition, they will bypass you, which is also important.

If we talk specifically about night feedings, then in the first months they are just as necessary as daytime feedings. The baby has every right to ask for the breast every 1.5-2 hours. I repeat, there are no exact schedules. The regime is completely subordinate to the child.

Why do babies so often ask to eat at night, when all “normal” people sleep and don’t eat? Let me explain: a baby’s body is different from an adult’s. If passive sleep predominates in us, then active sleep prevails in babies. They sleep lightly, wake up every now and then and, like blind kittens, begin to grope for their mother’s boobs. If they don’t find it, they begin to groan and then cry. The “adjustment” to passive sleep will begin only at 6 months. You yourself will notice that the baby begins to worry less and wake up at night.

"Saving" bottle

Some lazy mothers themselves “switch” to combination feeding. During the day they breastfeed, and at night, when they want to sleep, they quickly prepare a bottle of formula. Don't repeat this "trick". They lead to the complete abolition of breastfeeding. The mixture flows from the bottle in a free stream. The baby quickly understands that here the food itself goes into his mouth, and in order to eat boob, he needs to strain, and makes his choice in favor of the mixture.

Do not deprive your baby of breast milk even at night, because it is many times more nutritious than all formulas combined and saturates and soothes faster.

Dr. Komarovsky has his own opinion about night feedings. He considers them undoubtedly important for the development and nutrition of the baby, and assures that they should be continued for at least 6 months. Then night feeding is no longer so necessary for the baby. Some experts say that you need to continue feeding at night for as long as possible. For example, psychologists recommend getting up at night and offering your child the breast up to two years of age. How do you like this prospect?

A little later we will dwell on the age at which to wean from night feedings, in more detail.

Know-how: moms, don't sleep

Well, now a few “tricks” for you, dear ones, to make the sometimes tedious night feedings a little easier for you. Learn a few simple tips:

· Feeding should not be treated as a duty. Think more positively. Now your breasts belong not only to you, they have another owner who uses them for their intended purpose. So take the trouble to get up and give it to him for a few minutes when necessary.

· At first, the baby should sleep on the same bed with you, or move his cradle as close to you as possible. When the baby just starts to wake up, you can give him the breast immediately and then fall asleep safely.

· In case of emergencies, keep wet wipes and clean diapers next to your bed. If the baby pees himself, you can quickly change everything.

· Before going to bed, give your baby a good meal, as much as he wants. Then you will have time to get some sleep before the next feeding.

· Buy a small, dim nightlight so you don’t have to turn on the “big” light when feeding at night. So it won’t take long for the baby’s physiological clock to be disrupted. He will sleep during the day and be awake at night. You'll have fun!

Is six months enough?

Well, now about weaning. As we said above, night feeding with breast milk should be maintained during breastfeeding for at least the first 6 months. Then the number of night feedings will gradually decrease on its own. The baby will wake up less often at night and ask for the breast. Evening boobing, of course, is not cancelled. After a tasty and satisfying dinner, the baby will fall asleep more soundly and, perhaps, sleep all night, unless, of course, his teeth bother him. During the period of their eruption, hold on: to soothe the pain, the baby will hang on your chest for more than one hour, chewing the nipple with its sharp gums.

If you have already completely stopped night feeding, it will be easier for you to do day feeding later. Half the battle is done, and the weaning will most likely be painless. At first, of course, you will have to rock the baby in your arms, sing lullabies, and do everything you can to help him fall asleep without his favorite “attribute.”

If you want and you have enough strength, you can feed your child at night for at least a year and a half. Everything is individual and depends only on the two of you. Mom and baby - in this matter they must be allies and tacitly agree among themselves. Well, I wish you patience, delicious lulling night milk and excellent health!

See you again, my beloved readers! Go feed your babies, and good night!

Babies of the first year of life often wake up at night, but it is up to the mother to make the process of night feedings as easy as possible.

How many times does a baby usually wake up?

If for several decades it was believed that a 3-4 month old baby should wake up only once at night, and after 5 months he should sleep all night, now the attitude towards night feedings has changed. Nowadays, free feeding is considered the most natural and optimal, when breastfeeding is given at the baby’s request.

With this approach to feeding up to six months, the baby will wake up at night as often as during the day - at intervals of about 1.5-2 hours. This is due to the predominance of the active sleep phase in newborns, the small volume of the newborn’s stomach, and the rapid absorption of human milk. Occasionally, mothers of breastfed babies are lucky and their babies sleep 5-6 hours at night without waking up from hunger. But this is rather an exception. Read about whether you need to wake your baby for night feedings in another article.

Does the baby always wake up for feeding?

A baby sleeping next to its mother almost never fully wakes up at night. He finds the breast during shallow sleep, attaches himself to it and sucks on it in his sleep. At the same time, the mother rests, since she does not need to get up, feed the baby and put her in a separate crib.

It should also be noted that waking up at night is not always associated with hunger:

  • in the first months, the baby may suffer from colic or discomfort from a wet diaper at night;
  • restless sleep with frequent waking up is also typical during the teething period.

The child may also wake up due to stuffiness in the room, so the room should always be ventilated before going to bed.

What determines the number of night feedings?

The frequency of feedings at night is influenced by the individual characteristics of the baby. In the first months after birth, infants' sleep, nutrition, and wakefulness patterns have not yet been established. The baby doesn’t know whether he wants his mother’s milk during the day or at night; he only feels hunger at approximately equal intervals. In addition, in young children the active phase of sleep predominates, which is why the baby sleeps very lightly. And due to the fact that breast milk is absorbed quite quickly, hunger appears approximately every 2 hours, regardless of the time of day.

By the age of 6 months, most toddlers have already slept for a relatively long time at night without feeding, latching on to the breast in the second half of the night.

Babies for whom breastfeeding will soon end no longer ask for breastfeeding at night. At the same time, the number of attachments at night may increase when the baby is teething, there is psychological discomfort, or an illness has begun. Also, the baby is more often applied at night if the mother produces less milk than she needs (during the period of “growth spurts”).

When breastfeeding

Note that night feedings are important for successful and long-term lactation, since prolactin production is stimulated during the night period. This hormone is responsible for the production of human milk. Avoiding night breastfeeding can not only reduce lactation, but also cause lactostasis.

Babies receiving formula also need feedings at night. In this case, it is better to prepare the mixture for the baby in advance, so as not to waste time on this at night, when the baby has already woken up. In addition, a half-asleep mother may confuse something, for example, the amount of formula. However, resist the urge to leave the prepared mixture in the room where the baby sleeps. Place the bottles in the refrigerator, and all you have to do at night is warm them up.

Appetite

The food that a baby needs at different feedings may have different volumes. It is impossible to say exactly how much milk a baby will need. Even if your little one was born quite large, this does not mean that his appetite will be increased. On the contrary, there are large babies whose appetite can be called modest. In addition, the amount of milk at each feeding, as well as the calorie content of milk, can vary greatly for each mother. Premature babies and low-weight babies experience hunger more often, so they are often fed at least 2-4 times at night.

Husband's help

Even before the baby is born, discuss with your husband where the baby will sleep. Do you want the baby to sleep in your bed or next to it (in an attached crib), or decide to immediately put the baby to bed in a separate room prepared for him.

A husband can help a tired nursing mother with feedings at night if he gives the baby milk that has been expressed in advance instead. If the baby receives formula, parents can replace each other and give the baby food in turn.

Debunking myths

You can often hear a recommendation to feed a baby who is receiving complementary foods more solid food at night, supposedly this will provide the child with better sleep. In fact, doctors recommend giving your child foods that are harder to digest in the first half of the day. If you feed the baby very tightly before going to bed, this will only worsen the baby’s sleep and well-being.

  • If you wake up at night, you should immediately take your baby in your arms. If the baby cries and you wait for him to calm down, the baby will eventually become very excited. You will have to calm him down first, and then feed him.
  • At night, the baby’s room should be calm and quiet. If you need light, turn on a weak night light that won't disturb your baby.
  • Place a clean diaper and wipes near the bed so you can quickly change the diaper at night if necessary.
  • To make sure your baby wakes up less often not because of hunger, but because of extraneous sounds, gradually accustom the child to different noises, for example, a ringing phone or a running washing machine.
  • Get ready for the fact that your sleep habits may change dramatically during the first time of life with your baby. Perhaps you will start going to bed earlier, postponing all non-urgent matters.
  • You shouldn't worry that you won't hear your baby waking up at night if he's sleeping next to you. It’s rare that a mother sleeps while her baby cries. If the baby is in a separate room, take care of purchasing a radio nanny.

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 buries himself in 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.

In the first months of a newborn's life, sleep and food form the basis for normal growth and development. Regardless of the type of food, the child should receive his milk supply every 2-4 hours. The baby is actively gaining weight, he is developing new skills, and food is the main fuel for the body, which replenishes the energy expended on natural physiological processes. Any mother is pleased with her baby's good appetite, but after a hard day it is so difficult to get up to see the child even in the dark. Of course, up to a certain point, night feeding is simply necessary. Until what age is this considered normal, all caring parents need to know so as not to harm their treasure.

There's no need to rush

The tradition of nightly breastfeeding (or bottle feeding in the mother’s arms) not only brings satiation, but also ensures psycho-emotional contact between the baby and his loved one. Therefore, you should not stop this action prematurely. All modern pediatricians agree that drinking milk at night is the norm for all newborns. At the same time, the baby’s sleep normalizes, and the mother’s milk flows steadily. Feeding at night is also required for formula-fed babies, because, regardless of the type of nutrition, all babies develop according to the same laws of nature. Night feeding brings great benefits to the development of the baby's nervous system. Until what age this process can be extended will depend on the developmental characteristics of the baby and his state of health. Of course, there are certain norms, which are discussed later in the article, but you should not suddenly stop breastfeeding in the dark. Everything should be done gradually.

Any doctor will tell the mother that it is not only the feeling of hunger that makes the newborn wake up at night. Much more important is emotional closeness with a loved one, because a long separation from your mother causes psychological discomfort. Night feeding saturates the baby, promotes sound sleep and makes you feel safe. As the baby grows up, he will wake up less and less often to eat and will gradually switch to the usual regime of wakefulness and sleep.

When is night feeding appropriate?

A newly born baby needs day and night feedings. Until what age is this considered normal, you can find out from your pediatrician. Most authoritative specialists in the field of pediatrics provide the following data:

  • From birth to three months. Up to four feedings per night are allowed.
  • After four months of age. It is necessary to gradually transfer to one feeding at night.
  • After six months. You can gradually wean yourself off nightly latching.

Of course, the given data are very conditional and not every baby fits into them. In reality, parents face certain difficulties. Often mothers complain that the baby categorically does not want to fall asleep without a breast (or bottle) and constantly demands it at night. In this case, the parents of artificial children were “luckier” a little more. The formula takes much longer to digest, the baby does not depend on the breast, so his sleep is often sounder.

Is it worth waking up?

Feeding a newborn baby at night is considered natural. But if a baby wakes up its parents more than four times, then experts believe that this is not due to hunger, but is a sign of a sleep disorder. In this case, you should consult your pediatrician.

Sometimes especially restless mothers wake up their babies even if they are fast asleep. You shouldn't do this. If the child develops normally and gains the required weight, then it is necessary to provide him with normal sleep and not wake him up to feed him. Otherwise, you can radically disrupt the natural biological clock. Forced awakening always leads to the formation of restless sleep. It is best to follow your child's natural instincts and sleep with him for an extra hour.

However, many children often do not allow their parents to sleep peacefully. A reasonable question arises: up to what age should a child be fed at night? There are no exact recommendations; all standards are approximate, which must be followed, but do not forget about the individual development of the baby. Yes, and parents are all different. Someone continues to feed their grown child up to three years old and calmly endures night vigils. Others become exhausted by the age of one year and wonder when feeding at night can finally be stopped. But it is important to know how to do it correctly.

Signs of readiness

It is worth understanding that until the age of six months, latching and bottle feeding at night will be inevitable. But after six months, almost all babies begin to receive complementary foods. At this time, it is worth carefully monitoring the development of the baby. The child himself will be able to tell by his behavior that he is ready to sleep all night. This is usually possible when the child is 9 months old. But by the age of one year it is already necessary to give up this habit, because the normal digestive system is disrupted. To make the process less painful for the baby and go naturally, you must follow a number of rules:

  • In addition to formula or breast milk, the child should receive other foods recommended by age.
  • Gradually reduce feeding or bottle feeding and replace with spoon feeding.

If you carefully observe your baby, then based on certain signs you can conclude that he is ready to sleep all night:

  • normal weight gain, corresponding to accepted standards:
  • no obvious health problems;
  • At night the milk is not drunk completely, the baby tries to play after waking up or immediately falls asleep.

When a child turns one year old, he no longer needs night feedings. If the above signs coincide with the behavior of the baby, then drinking milk at night is not a necessity, but a habit. Therefore, with the right approach, you can get rid of it.

How to wean off feeding at night?

When a child turns 9 months old, he begins to receive complementary foods consisting of cereals, fruit, vegetable and meat purees. The baby’s menu is already quite varied and it takes a long time to digest food. In this case, all pediatricians advise starting to gradually stop feeding at night. However, there are a number of recommendations that must be followed.

Follow the regime

Eating in the dark will only harm if the child is one year old. How to stop eating at night? This worries many mothers, and here a well-structured regimen comes to the rescue. If the child continues to ask for food during sleep, then it is reasonable to maintain strict intervals between feedings, increase portions and diversify the menu. Experts especially advise paying close attention to the last two meals. In this case, the penultimate menu is made up of light foods, and the last one is made up of more high-calorie foods. In this case, the baby will be satisfied and will not disturb the mother at night.

It is important to include mandatory walks in the fresh air, active games and meaningful communication in your daily routine. However, before going to bed, it is better to exclude any emotional overload (noisy guests, watching funny cartoons, excessive laughter) and ensure a calm atmosphere. Bathing in a decoction of soothing herbs can ensure sound sleep.

Shift priorities

How to wean the child off night feedings will depend on what type of nutrition has been established. GV is clearly associated with sleep. The newborn falls asleep sweetly after sucking the breast. But if up to the age of four months this is considered the norm, then at an older age it is necessary to make it clear to the baby that eating does not go together with sleep. To do this, you should clearly distinguish between both processes, and after eating, change, for example, a diaper or carry out other hygiene procedures. Only after this can you put the baby in the crib. The parents' task is to ensure that the baby falls asleep on his own, and does not "hang" on his chest.

The child's night's sleep should be complete. If food provides energy for physical development, then rest provides energy for mental development. But sometimes the mother feels that one feeding at night is still necessary. In this case, you need to take the baby out of the crib, turn on a dim nightlight and feed him. This way the child will understand that sleep and eating occur in different environments and are in no way interconnected.

The child wants to eat at night

If the baby stubbornly wakes up and asks to eat, then experts advise offering him breast or formula between twelve o’clock at night and five o’clock in the morning. At other times it is necessary to give water. However, you cannot replace it with sweet tea, compote or other sweet liquid. It is also important to pour water into a sippy cup and not into a bottle with a nipple.

Doctors advise that if the child is already five months old, then you should not run to him at the first call. In practice, it often turns out that the mother herself wakes up the baby when he simply whimpered in his sleep. It is recommended to wait a few minutes, perhaps the child will fall asleep. Of course, parents’ nerves do not always withstand crying at night, but then the efforts are usually justified.

Features of artificial babies

A newborn baby can be bottle-fed from birth. There is an opinion that such children sleep more soundly and wake up less often at night. This is partly true, because they do not have an attachment to the breast, and the mixture takes longer to digest. But in reality, everything is much more complicated, and mothers of such babies sometimes have it even harder.

When feeding bottle-fed babies, it is important to strictly follow the regimen so as not to overload the immature digestive system. There are clear standards at a certain age. If a large share falls at night, then it is gradually shifted to daytime hours, bringing the remainder to 50-30 g. This part can simply not be offered, limiting yourself to water from a sippy cup.

Sometimes you can resort to a little trick. If the child stubbornly wakes up and asks to eat, then the mixture is gradually diluted with water until only water remains. Children often refuse such treats on their own.

Problems of older children

Newborn babies simply need night feeding for normal growth and development. Until what age should breast or formula be offered? This depends on health indicators and weight gain. But in any case, it is important to completely stop feeding the baby after a year. If, after one and a half years, the child endlessly asks for water, tea, juice, compote at night, then we can talk about a habit (if everything is in order from the health point of view). In a conversation with the doctor, it usually turns out that the mother offers liquid (any kind) from a bottle, not a sippy cup, and the baby is accustomed to the nipple. Sucking helps them relax, and children get used to falling asleep only this way. To wean your baby from night vigils, you should definitely replace the bottle with a sippy cup, first with a soft spout, then switch to a regular one. This drinking device is very different from a pacifier, and many babies themselves refuse food.

If the child is used to drinking tea or compote, then it is necessary to gradually dilute them until there is only water in the bottle. Sugar is very harmful to children’s teeth, and such food at night significantly harms digestion.

Sometimes mothers of older children place a sippy cup near the crib so that the child can reach it himself if necessary. In this case, babies learn to fall asleep on their own.

We observe rituals

In order for your child to fall asleep peacefully and not cry at night, it is necessary to ensure that he goes to bed peacefully. In the evening, a calm atmosphere should reign in the family, active and too noisy games should be excluded. The child's room should not be hot and dry. If necessary, you can use a humidifier. Quiet games, a hearty dinner, swimming in warm water and a lullaby before bedtime will help the baby fall asleep quickly, and he will not wake up his parents with his crying.

Summary

Young and inexperienced mothers are always keenly interested in whether they need to feed their baby at night. If the baby is not yet four months old, then breast milk or formula is required. But by the age of nine months, you can gradually wean off the habit of eating while sleeping. However, some mothers find it difficult to decide on such a responsible step, and they continue to run up to their child with a bottle at the first call or even practice co-sleeping. But children develop, grow very quickly and their body is already ready for changes, while the mother is not yet. Most often, it is the parents who need to restructure, and not their beloved treasure.

It should be understood that for the harmonious development of a child, he needs good sleep. Therefore, you should not indulge in fears that the baby will remain hungry and disturb natural night sleep. Some mothers scold themselves for supposedly torturing their baby in order to get more sleep themselves. But doctors say that in this case they are working to establish a normal regime for the baby. In addition, a well-rested mother will be able to pay more full attention to her child and the whole family.

The breastfeeding regimen for an infant a few decades ago looked like this:

  • 0-2 months – from 6 to 17 feedings per day;
  • 3-4 months – 5 day and 1 night feedings;
  • 5-6 months – 4 – 5 daily feedings (do not feed the baby at night) and some complementary feeding;
  • 7-8 months – 3 daily feedings and complementary foods;
  • 9-10 months – 2 daily feedings (morning and evening) and complementary feeding;
  • 11-12 months – 1 breastfeeding (before bedtime) and “adult” food.

Modern pediatricians and lactation consultants today take a completely different view of both breastfeeding in general and nighttime breastfeeding in particular.

Night breastfeeding

As for night feedings, for the most part in the very first months of life (up to about six months), with a free feeding schedule, they will be as frequent as daytime feedings (the baby will ask for the breast every one and a half to two hours). This happens for two reasons:

  1. Firstly, unlike adults, in newborns most of the sleep is dominated by the active phase (in adults, the passive phase). Babies sleep restlessly and often wake up. After 6 months, the percentage of sleep phases will begin to increase towards passive, and the child will wake up less often at night.
  2. Secondly, breast milk, unlike ready-made formulas, is absorbed much faster, and the baby just needs a little refreshment even at night.

In rare cases, mothers are lucky, their babies can withstand a five to six hour break at night. But don’t expect this to be your little one’s story. After 6-7 months, many babies experience severe discomfort during teething, and at this time they “hang” on their chest all night.

Do not treat breastfeeding at night as a difficult and tedious task. Change your view of this process:

Note to moms!


Hello girls) I didn’t think that the problem of stretch marks would affect me too, and I’ll also write about it))) But there’s nowhere to go, so I’m writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method helps you too...

  • Think that you are not with the child, but the child is with your breast;
  • Arrange for co-sleeping (or move the baby's crib as close to the parent's bed as possible);
  • Feed your baby well before bed;
  • Keep wet wipes and a clean diaper on hand for changing if necessary;
  • Get a bedside night light so as not to disrupt your baby’s physiological clock with bright light.

When to stop night feeding?

breastfeeding at night

According to experts and the experience of many mothers, the least painful process, both for the nursing mother and for the baby, will be gradual weaning. The child will not experience stress with this approach. A breastfeeding woman's milk production will gradually decrease and then stop without the need to bandage her breasts or take a shock dose of hormones to stop lactation.

It’s good to finish breastfeeding in the warm season: babies walk a lot in the fresh air, get physically tired and simply forget about sucking.

According to the rules of free breastfeeding, night feedings are stopped last, immediately after the baby begins to calmly fall asleep without the evening "boob." Perhaps, when weaning, you will have to carry or rock the baby for several nights in a row. Show love and patience during this difficult moment. Together you can do it!

 

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