Babies: 3 - 6 Months

4 month old: Tips to drop night feeding

Hi all,

 DD sleeps generally 6-7 hours (although she's done 8-9 hours), and then goes back to sleep for another hour or two..I'd really like to get rid of that middle of the night feeding.  She usually goes to sleep around 8:30 and wakes "up" at around 3:30, and then sometimes again at 5:30; 6. 

 

I bought the book "Sleep easy solution" but not sure if I should start it or not. Also, I'm going back to work in September (I'm a teacher), so I'd LOVE to get this started before going back to work. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

 

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Re: 4 month old: Tips to drop night feeding

  • Does she eat during that feeding?

    If LO is waking up out of habit, that's one thing. But if she's eating, she's hungry, and she probably just needs that feeding still.

    At least, IMO.

     

  • imageScout05:

    Does she eat during that feeding?

    If LO is waking up out of habit, that's one thing. But if she's eating, she's hungry, and she probably just needs that feeding still.

    At least, IMO. 

     

    It could be her LO is conditioned to want that motn feeding. If I got up at midnight for 2 weeks and had a sandwich, I'd be hungry at midnight every night. But, OP, your 4mo old can only go an average 6 hours between feedings at night. Some STTN without waking but a lot don't; mine certainly doesn't! 

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  • imageScout05:

    Does she eat during that feeding?

    If LO is waking up out of habit, that's one thing. But if she's eating, she's hungry, and she probably just needs that feeding still.

    At least, IMO. 

     

    It could be her LO is conditioned to want that motn feeding. If I got up at midnight for 2 weeks and ha a sandwich, I'd be hungry at midnight every night. But, OP, your 4mo old can only go an average 6 hours between feedings at night. Some STTN without waking but a lot don't; mine certainly doesn't! 

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  • imageScout05:

    Does she eat during that feeding?

    If LO is waking up out of habit, that's one thing. But if she's eating, she's hungry, and she probably just needs that feeding still.

    At least, IMO.

     

    Agreed. I'm 95% sure DD wakes and eats because she's hungry. She eats deeply before going right back to sleep, and won't go back to sleep until she is fed. I'm assuming she will drop the feeding when she is ready. I just go to bed super early so I get a decent amount of sleep even if it's broken in the middle and I have pretty much gotten used to it.
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  • Start it! Also, dreamfeed: https://www.babywisemom.com/2009/07/dreamfeed-fa.html

     

    That's how we got our LO trained to STTN 

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  • We tried a lot of things with DS and he didn't stop it until he was over a year.  With DD she just STTN b/c that's how she is.  The only thing I've done different between the two is go in and pat her on the butt or walk with her before offering to nurse if it has been less than 2ish hours.  She has some nights where she doesn't sleep so well, but then has 10+ hour nights as well.  My mom always seems so confused by this but I just explain to her that DD is a human and just like all humans she has nights where she doesn't fall asleep easy or wakes up periodically!  :)

    So basically, I feel like you can try some things, but she might not be ready.

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  • CRAZY, I KNOW.......

    We were on a vaction and the room was soooo dark. I accidentally gave my LO a bottle of total water (5oz) at around 2am. She has never woke again since then for her 2am feeding again!

    I actually read a book that said that diluting a bottle was a good way to help eliminate a midnight feeding. I guess we just jumped it a bit!

  • We went cold turkey.  Based on DS weight and that he drinks several 8oz bottles a day, my pedi felt confident that he should be able to go 8-10 hours without a feed at night.  He was waking up around 2AM and nursing quite a bit so I didn't really buy it.  But sure enough, that night after his pedi visit when he woke up at 2AM I just gave him his pacifier, propped him up on his side and he was out like a light in less than a minute. 

    He's still waking up around 3AM, but it seems that he wants to be on his side and just can't get himself there,  Hopefully he'll learn to roll over soon so he'll be able to make himself more comfortable on his own.  I wouldn't want to be laying on my back for 10 hours so I don't blame him!

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  • erbearerbear member

    She's too young for you to force night weaning. 10-12 hours is a long time for a tiny baby to go without food.

    DD1 dropped hers on her own around 9 months.

    This is one of those "suck it up and deal" parenting things.

    "Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies. God damn it, you've got to be kind." - Kurt Vonnegut
  • imageerbear:

    She's too young for you to force night weaning. 10-12 hours is a long time for a tiny baby to go without food.

    DD1 dropped hers on her own around 9 months.

    This is one of those "suck it up and deal" parenting things.

    I agree with this.  Mine dropped theirs on their own at 6 months, 5 months, and around 2 months, respectively. It's just a mixed bag - all babies are different.  

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