Stopping night feedings

AlwaysGrateful

Wed, Aug 03 2022, 3:33 pm

Look, I sleep train my babies at some point because I don't do well without sleep. At the point where I'm not functioning well, I gently sleep train them. There are ways to do it, and if you get to this point, there's no shame in doing it.

BUT. If you're fine with the way things are, there's no reason to change them. Just be honest with yourself if you're not managing or are starting to feel resentful. When that happens, don't feel guilty about it. Figure out what you need to change, and do it.

It seems like you're not at that point right now. So go with your gut, and enjoy the five-hour stretches. Smile

amother

Indigo

Wed, Aug 03 2022, 9:06 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I don’t mind doing it! Friends just seem shocked that he’s still eating at night.

Lol. Meet me then. Nursing my 9 month old every 2 -3 hours round the clock, including the night.

I know it's not ideal, but I can't deny him food if he's hungry...

Once a night is for sure normal, please don't give water instead or anything.

amother

Steelblue

Wed, Aug 03 2022, 9:27 pm

When I was a new mother, I also felt bad about baby crying in the night (in the event they were not inconsolable/sick).
When, however, each baby reached a given developmental stage/size and with our pediatrician’s guidance we gently sleep trained, which gave our babies the skill to fall asleep/back to sleep on their own (having fed them well throughout the day).
Does your baby do something specific that would suggest hunger, or might it be like comfort-seeking-crying?
Maybe your baby’s pediatrician would be a good resource?
Hatzlacha raba, enjoy your little one.

amother

Wed, Aug 03 2022, 9:28 pm

amother [ Indigo ] wrote:

I have no idea how you do this! Wow!

amother

Indigo

Wed, Aug 03 2022, 9:36 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I have no idea how you do this! Wow!

I am finding it a bit much to be honest, but I can see that he is hungry. He has a full feed every time and then goes back to sleep.

Every baby is different - I didn't have this with my others (he's my third). He's been a much hungrier baby than them since day 1.

I've been trying to get him onto real foods but he hasn't shown too much interest so far. I should give him a bottle before bed (not sure if he'll take it because he's not used to it, but I should try) so that he takes longer stretches, I guess I'm just lazy and haven't tried it.

But, that will be giving him an extra boost to fill him up more and go longer stretches, not denying him food when he's hungry.

simmy17

Wed, Aug 03 2022, 10:27 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

This is kind of ridiculous and not at all what is going on here. From my friend’s reaction, I thought perhaps I was doing something wrong. I am a first time mother and have no previous experience with babies and I am constantly doubting myself.

my baby is 6.5 months he wakes up at least twice at night..I would advise you read the book Much more than milk by C.N.Schreiber.. its excellent and puts things in perspective..

amother

Cyclamen

Wed, Aug 03 2022, 10:29 pm

amother [ Starflower ] wrote:

At this age, you have to tell yourself baby is not hungry. You have to be ready to hear him cry.
I went to his bed every time he woke and sat there saying sha sha, its bedtime. You can also let him cry a few minutes to see if will put himself back to sleep without you. Program says 10 minutes but that was too hard for me. The point of you sitting there is to encourage baby and not just let him scream for hours like by CIO method. You can switch off with dh if that works.
I followed a program so that gave me encouragement.

Is he getting a bottle at bedtime, if so your supposed to remove that as well.

do you realize that this baby is only 7 months old??

mushkamothers

Wed, Aug 03 2022, 11:36 pm

amother [ Starflower ] wrote:

Don't listen to a single word of this and NEVER pay anybody money to tell you to ignore your child on purpose. Don't fool yourself, sitting on a chair next to them is still absolutely cry it out.

Op if you're a first time mother then so are your friends. So you're all passing around bad advice. Don't discuss sleep with them and you'll be much happier.

Water at night- another terrible idea. At this age they shouldn't have more than about 1oz of water with meals, and that's together with solid foods.

I thought this thread would be more like "my 18m old who absolutely 100% does not need the calories is still waking up every 2 hours at night to breastfeed"

You don't have to stop feeding your 7m old at night. There actually are ways to wean him off if it's a habitual waking but you don't have to.

dena613

Wed, Aug 03 2022, 11:53 pm

Hi, not sure what to say about your friends... I am definitely not your friends!!!

My kids nurse all night for a very long time...
And unless a mother is anti nursing or not doing well physically or sick of nursing or lack of sleep or whatever... Nursing at night is totally normal. Even past 12 months.

I will not say how long my longest middle-of-night nurser went, because mower ppl here will think it's excessive.

Bottom line, if you are okay with it, forget abt the friends +who might all just be copying their friends)

You're doing great and so is your baby.

amother

Oxfordblue

Wed, Aug 03 2022, 11:55 pm

mushkamothers wrote:

The post your quoting IS referring to an 18 month old. She is not responding to OP, sue was responding to a different poster asking how to address an 18 month old.

Not that I agree with her recommendation how to go about it, but nust clarifying for you.

amother

Thu, Aug 04 2022, 2:29 pm

mushkamothers wrote:

Just want to clarify- I got married in my late 20s so most of my friends are not first time mothers.. but I think that a baby this young should be eating when he wants.

amother

Azure

Thu, Aug 04 2022, 2:59 pm

At 7 months, most babies should not need to nurse during the night. Ask your pediatrician just to be sure.

All our kids stopped night feedings between 3-5 months old, and began sleeping through the night from that point on after just a few nights of sleep training.

amother

Stone

Thu, Aug 04 2022, 3:13 pm

Just wondering how people are 'ok' with wakimg up at night?
Dont you want to get a long stretch already?

Iv been there done that and its so exhausting.

Bh my last baby I managed to sleep train and he was sleeping through the night by 3 months by some miracle. He was also a very placid baby by nature bh bh!
I gave him enough milk during the day to know he wasnt hungry at night.
I kept upping his bottles to.make sure he was getting enoughh.
And even acc ti guideline he wasnt even having full amount but was content.

Plus I slowly stretched the times in between feeds at night so never was too drastic.

From the beginning I also never upped the middle of the night feed (from a certain amount) so he never became dependant on a big feed at night.

I think you can absolutely sleep train a baby and especially if you are bottle feeding.

If a newborn (and mine was small ish) can go at least 4 hours in between feeds forsure at night a 7 mo th old should be able to do at least an 8 hour stretch.
But it does take work, it isnt easy. And lots of perserverance.

Just wondering about everyone saying theyr fine to wake up at night...
Do you not WAnt to get uninterrupted sleep?
Or are you just too tired to work on the sleep training?

Which I totally get aswel.
Btdt.
My cousin came in when my baby was barely 2 weeks old and started talking about sleep training and I thought she was talking baloney!!
But a while after I saw that I could sloowly start making small steps..bh.

NEVER thought I would be getting full nights with a little one but bh Hashem helps..

amother

Bluebonnet

Thu, Aug 04 2022, 3:29 pm

amother [ Topaz ] wrote:

Don't want to derail this thread. My 18 month old is still waking up for bottles. How do I gently stop this?

Every baby’s different. For me, what worked was slowly reducing the amount in the bottle until about 2 oz. Then I switched to water (it didn’t go well when I first tried to switch, but at that point he was ok with it.) Eventually he stopped waking up at all.

amother

Viola

Thu, Aug 04 2022, 3:33 pm

giftedmom wrote:

Don’t listen to them. Feed your baby. Listen to your instincts.

Definitely feed your baby! You will regret it one day if you won’t. Your baby is still little and this will only help him. Listen to your motherly instincts. Don’t let your baby cry over this.