Come in if you've weaned night feedings...

ele617

How did you do it?? DS goes through phases when he'll only wake once or not at all for a few days, but the majority of the time he wakes twice and sometimes 3x. He wakes and eats more often at night than he does during the day, at this point (in terms of hours between feedings). I'd be happy to get him down to just one time a night.

I've tried just replacing his paci, sending DH in, and letting him fuss, but it almost always ends up in his screaming. UGH. Any advice? TIA!

srs5624

Have you tried gradually reducing the number of ounces during the night feedings (start at his normal number and then reduce an ounce until the feeding is gone)? He might be waking up out of habit rather than because he actually needs to eat.

Make sure he's getting enough during the day too. You say he eats more at night than during the day... he might need to eat more during the day.

I could be talking out of my ass though. DS weaned himself off of night time feedings on his own, so I really have no experience. I'm just talking my way through what I probably would have done had DS not figured it out for himself.

Kell+bell

DS just turned six months and we've weaned him from night feedings in the past week.  H is a pedi and he said once they are six months old and over 14 lbs. they don't "need" to eat during the night; it's just for comfort.  So, DS eats around 6:30 or 7, then goes to bed.  Then I get him up for a dreamfeed between 10 and 11.  Then he usually sleeps till 5 or 6.  That's been working for us.  If he wakes up before 5, I give him the binkie and let him soothe himself.  HTH and GL

SecondTimeinMSU

I would try reading Ferber's techique on weaning night feedings. He suggests a combination of reducing quantity and slowly increasing intervals as a gentle way to reduce the habit of feeding more during the night since they've grown used to eating then they are still going to be hungry at those times until you can slowly transition them out of it. I personally haven't tried it since DS night weaned early on his own and only recently started waking once to eat so I am working on upping his daytime feeding since i think it is due to him needing to eat more rather than just habit since he STTN for so long but we shall see. I have heard people say Ferber's method did work for them though.