Weaning off night feedings?

TheSniglet · March 2009

My pedi wants me to stopp all ngiht feedings after 10 and let him go like 12 rs wihtout a feeding. Relaly won't this kill my supply? I will pump till I go to sleep (actually i coudl finally get a stash going then) but is it realy healthy for him to go so long?

FriendlyFanny · March 2009

You don't always have to agree with your pedi. You're the parent and you can decide how you want to raise your child.

FWIW, we went from 3 night feedings down to one and OMG do I function so much better! I started casually by offering the paci when she started to stir at the second feeding, then the first. (She was generally waking 2, 4, and 6 hours after bed, then going a 4-6 hour stretch after I got up for the day.) It really helped that she was still in our room, right next to our bed in her bassinet. I'm not sure it would have gone as well if she'd been further away and it taken me longer to hear/sense her stir and longer to get to her, which would mean she'd be more awake and harder to get back to sleep.

Honestly, I'd have a hard time with my supply if she went a full 12 hours without one feed. I only sleep 6 hours and then get up and pump, but since the pump doesn't completely drain me when I'm that engorged, I dreamfeed her afterward. Some mornings she stirs on her own and other mornings it is a true dreamfeed. As much as it sucks getting up an extra half hour early to pump, my output after sleeping for 6 hours is huge. Sometimes I can get two whole bottles from that one session.

Depending on how many times DS is currently waking to eat, I wouldn't try stopping all night feeding at once. That would cause massive engorgement and supply issues.

socalduo · March 2009

My pedi recommended the same thing when DD was 4 months old. She was already sleeping 7+ hours with an occasional 4 hour wake up at the time. We started this the same night and she was able to sleep 10 hours. Physically, a baby at that age can sleep that long without any health concerns. The only thing is that the transition may cause you to have plug ducts. That's my problem. In general, my supply wasn't affected. I usually produce 1 to 1.5 ounces a hour.

Good2BdaMommy · March 2009

I don't know, I feel dd when she's hungry, but she goes 12 hours at night without eating and my supply is fine. I'm just not as full overnight b/c she doesn't have to eat then. I have plenty in the morning once she's awake, and throughout the day.

Dobie_Mama · March 2009

When DD was STTN she slept 12 hours and my supply was fine. That being said, I think its crap when pedi's tell you when your kids should eat and sleep. Do what feels right to you.

Notwifezilla7 · March 2009

Your body should regulate itself to meet the needs of DC's demands.

With that being said, I eliminated DD"s 3 am feeding around 6 months, after speaking to both my ped and my sister who is a pediatrician. Both explained that often children nurse in the middle of the night more as a routine than a need. I just started letting DD make a little noise (not cry) and I noticed she fell back asleep. Eventually we eliminated the 6 am feeding the same way. She's always been in the upper 80-90% for weight so I know she's getting what she needs.

But as always, you need to do what you feel is best for you and your son!
GL!

marrymemylove · March 2009

I think 7 months is way too young for that. There's plenty of evidence most babies need a couple of night feeds until 9-10 months at least.

MrsAmers · March 2009

FriendlyFanny:
You don't always have to agree with your pedi. You're the parent and you can decide how you want to raise your child.
Depending on how many times DS is currently waking to eat, I wouldn't try stopping all night feeding at once. That would cause massive engorgement and supply issues.

Ditto! Just because babies can STTN doesn't mean that it is wrong or a bad thing for them to nurse overnight. And many babies do need to nurse overnight because they are more distracted during the day and don't take in enough milk while they're awake.

Our pedi told us at 6 months that we should stop feeding her overnight, but we thought that was premature. Around 7-8 months we felt like DD only needed to eat once overnight. The second waking was more irregular and she was only snacking, so DH started going in for that one and he was easily able to settle her back to sleep without me. But the first waking she was taking in a full feeding and we felt like she still needed it. And I still remember trying to put her back to sleep without nursing at 9 months and she basically cried on and off in my arms for 90 minutes. At that point I decided it made a lot more sense to nurse her and be back to sleep in 20 minutes than fight with her over one nursing session a night.

My DD stopped waking to nurse when she was ready. And there were a few times she wanted to nurse overnight because she was teething or sick, and that was the easiest way to get her back to sleep so I obliged. And when the disturbance ended, so did her waking.

Do what is best for your child and your family!

Angela814 · March 2009

I disagree with your pedi. I guess maybe a 7 mo can go 12 hours without a feeding. Mine couldn't at 7 months. Mine still couldn't now. She nurses before bed and right away when she wakes up. She's never slept for more than 10 hours.

I figured that I had no idea if she was really hungry at that age, so I wasn't going to deny her food for no reason. I didn't stop nursing DD at night until she was 26 months old. If anything, it helped keep my supply up so I could meet my 2 year goal.

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