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When should I start night weaning?

megkay210megkay210
in Babies: 3 - 6 Months

Just looking for some opinions from mothers who have gone through this.

My son is 3 months old 1 week tomorrow and is bottle fed. He eats about 5 ounces every three to four hours during the day and wakes up around 1am and eats 2-4 ounces and then wakes up around 5 am for another 2-4 ounces. Usually closer to 4 ounces at each feeding. I have read so many things about weaning him from the night time feedings. He is a pretty good sleeper. He usually always goes at least 5 hours without a feeding and more often is going 6 or 7 hours without a feeding. One night he woke up and I just gave him the paci and he went right back to sleep for another 3 hours. Only that one night though. lol

Is it too soon to start the weaning process? I have read that maybe four months is a better time to start it, but I am a single mother and I am desperate for a little more sleep and sometimes I feel like he may be able to do this. Then I think I am being a bad parent and it is too early. So I am in a big debate with myself. Any experiences and advice would be helpful. Thanks Moms!

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Re: When should I start night weaning?

  • Dreamsicle23Dreamsicle23 member
    I think it's kind of early to really force it.  If he's going right back down and there's no other sleep issues he probably still needs it.  Some things to try - don't let him go more than 3 hours w/o a feeding during the day, give him the max oz. he'll take at each day feeding, feed him very last thing before bed (try not to let him fall asleep on the bottle though).  Then you can slowly decrease the oz. from the 1 a.m. bottle or push it a little later by 10-15 minutes each week.  If you pull all the tricks you can probably get him to one night feeding fairly easily, but I wouldn't force the last one until he's a little older.
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  • megkay210megkay210
    Yeah, he really does go right back to sleep after the 1 am feeding. Lately, it seems like he is ready to get up after the 5 am feeding, but then he goes back to sleep for a nap an hour or two later. Yeah I read alot about gradually decreasing the ounces during the night feedings or diluting them with water. Yeah probably best to wait a little. I sometimes do try to wait a little longer or just soothe him if he does happen to wake up before 1 am and he goes back to sleep so I know he's not hungry. Then when he wakes the second time I feed him. Thank you very much!
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  • daniellepandadaniellepanda member
    I would try to get most of his oz in between 6am and 10pm and see if that helps? I have noticed with our LO that during the day if he doesnt get in 6 feedings of 5oz then he will wake up after he falls asleep at 8pm, sometime around 11pm for another bottle. He wakes up usually sometimes between 3-5 am but only needs his paci (unless he is having a growth spurt) and then falls right back asleep and is up for the day at 6am to eat.
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  • TiffanyTheMomTiffanyTheMom member

    imagemegkay210:
    Yeah, he really does go right back to sleep after the 1 am feeding. Lately, it seems like he is ready to get up after the 5 am feeding, but then he goes back to sleep for a nap an hour or two later. Yeah I read alot about gradually decreasing the ounces during the night feedings or diluting them with water. Yeah probably best to wait a little. I sometimes do try to wait a little longer or just soothe him if he does happen to wake up before 1 am and he goes back to sleep so I know he's not hungry. Then when he wakes the second time I feed him. Thank you very much!

    Indifferent

    Really? I don't hate anyone, but your child is THREE. MONTHS. OLD. You don't need to be doing this. Diluting with water is something you do when your child is a YEAR old and you know for certain he isn't waking up for food, but interaction. 

    Let's just assume your baby is waking up because he's hungry, shall we? Let's say he wakes up and you give him watered down garbage. His stomach will digest it too fast, and he'll start waking up MORE at night. What are you going to do then, let him CIO? Great job, mom. Way to make sure your hungry baby is getting his proper nutrition. He IS hungry. He is too young to manipulate you. And if he goes back to sleep right after? GOOD. Then take your happy heiny back to bed and get some friggin sleep! Be grateful he's going right back down!

    I'm sorry, but you saying your 3mo old infant ISN'T hungry when he wakes makes me kinda hate you. He wouldn't be waking unless he was, moron. 

     

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  • ilovechubbycheeksilovechubbycheeks

    imageDreamsicle23:
    I think it's kind of early to really force it.  If he's going right back down and there's no other sleep issues he probably still needs it.  Some things to try - don't let him go more than 3 hours w/o a feeding during the day, give him the max oz. he'll take at each day feeding, feed him very last thing before bed (try not to let him fall asleep on the bottle though).  Then you can slowly decrease the oz. from the 1 a.m. bottle or push it a little later by 10-15 minutes each week.  If you pull all the tricks you can probably get him to one night feeding fairly easily, but I wouldn't force the last one until he's a little older.

    This. It totally worked for us.

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