Sleep training question re: night feeding...

LiluBee

I hope I'm not repeating myself, I feel like I've asked this question before.  We are almost a week into sleep training using the HSHHC book with exctinction.  However, I nurse him 2x during the night because I whole-heartedly agree with Weissbluth that my baby may need 1-2 feedings up until about 9 months.  I've tried to keep it about midnight for the first and 5am for the second.  One night he woke up at 3am for one feeding.  He still wakes up randomly and cries at other times sometimes like last night it was 12:30am so I went in right and nursed.  I really don't think he was very hungry.  He ate but it's a different feeding altogether at the 5am time. At 5am it's like major swallowing like a true feeding. 

Should I keep the midnight one and just roll with it and figure if he doesn't REALLY need it he will drop it or is it just perpetuating the nursing back to sleep thing?  We don't get in at all before midnight .   Should I try to shorten it to one feeding for him or continue to let him decide....

 and fwiw...I've always nursed on demand and really have no idea what his hungry cry sounds like.  You'd think I'd know but it honestly just all sounds the same to me.   He's 6 months and 21 lbs and definitely well fed so I'm not concerned, but I want to make sure I'm meeting the need appropriately.

 Thanks for the help! Sorry if this is all over the place.

Lisa Frank

If he's waking at the same time, it's actually probably more habitual than it is hunger. Sporadic wakings usually mean hunger, while ones that are at the same time/or around the same time are habit.

I think at 6 months, 2 feedings is overkill, but that's JMO.  I'd work on getting rid of that midnight feeding.  If you need to feed, only give him a short time at the breast, and then eventually do away with it. Soothe if needed, but eventually he will move to getting whatever calories he was getting at midnight, at his other feedings.

GL.

Tinybride08

I agree with Lisa. DD wakes up at about the same times and I know it's out of habit. She doesn't act like she's hungry. She's happy just to nurse for a few minutes and then go back to sleep. Not that she goes back to sleep happily though.

LiluBee

So what time for one feeding then would you say?

Lisa Frank

I'd say 10-12 hours from the time that you put him down, is reasonable. I know a lot of people don't think so, but that's the average....and your DS is 21 lbs, so I have no doubt in my mind he could go that long.

So, if you put him down at 7, I'd say that the 5am feed would be the one I'd focus on feeding him at. I'd feed him and get him back down afterwards.  

With the midnight, I'd gradually wean it. Example, 8 minutes for 2 days, 6 minutes for 2 days, 4 etc until you get to none. Then you do the intervals or whatever method is working best for you. 

GL.

 

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I put my LO down at 7 and don't feed her again until 5.  She was waking around 1, but two nights of not feeding her cut that out.  I just did it cold turkey, she cried for less than five minutes each night.