BFing moms: Do you still nurse in the middle of the night?

ENev · May 2010

I still feed DS once a night - he'll sleep a good stretch, wake up and I'll nurse him, then he'll sleep til morning.

I'm wondering if I should try cutting out that middle-of-the-night feeding sooner rather than later so he'll learn to sleep all night. He's done it before - 9, 10 hour stretches here and there - and I know at this age he can go all night without eating.

I think it's what's best for him so he'll learn to sleep all night, yet I'll miss those middle-of-the-night feedings, too.

Just wondering how many BFing moms of 6+ month olds are still nursing in the middle of the night. Thanks!

Squishycheeks · May 2010

DD still nurses 2-3 times per night, and then right away when she wakes. We do co-sleep so I don't see things changing any time soon.

AMYfromKY · May 2010

He goes to sleep around 7 and wakes up at 10-11 to eat. Then he's down until 6-7am. If he wakes up in the middle of the night and wants to eat I will feed him.

Could you try feeding him right before you go to bed? Maybe he'd sleep until the morning if you did.

BrittKav · May 2010

I nurse her right before bed (8:30), again around 11:00, and twice more in the middle of the night. She seems to be genuinely hungry each of those times so I'm not going to try to drop a feeding for awhile yet.

ETA: I also cosleep/bedshare so that probably has something to do with it.

amber_tynan · May 2010

B still nurses at 11pm and 3am. He fusses at 5 or so and comes to bed with us and nurses again then is up at 6. I tried cutting the 11pm feeding, but it was too much crying for me to be satisfied that that nursing really wasn't needed.

Oct2010momma · May 2010

I was until about a week ago. From about month 5-6 he was waking up up to 3-6 times per night! He started nursing 2x per night again during that month. After his 6 month appointment the pedi suggested we let him CIO at night. It only took 2 nights & now he sleeps like a champ. He usually starts stirring around at about 5am so I go in and feed him so he'll sleep longer (& to relieve my boobs!)

ENev · May 2010

I do feed him right before bed - usually around 7:30 and he's down by 8:00 or a little before. I do think he's hungry when he wakes up 4-7 hours later, as he eats like a champ. I'm glad to know that others are still nursing at night; some people IRL are making me think that it's not normal to still be nursing him in the middle of the night.

whirli · May 2010

Squishycheeks:
DD still nurses 2-3 times per night, and then right away when she wakes. We do co-sleep so I don't see things changing any time soon.

This is us exactly!

godzprncs · May 2010

Sometimes she needs be nursed 1x a night but she will go back to sleep right away. But then other nights she'll sleep straight through. This seems to be working for us so I don't plan on cutting that feeding out if she still needs it.

ENev · May 2010

KellyM5904:
I was until about a week ago. From about month 5-6 he was waking up up to 3-6 times per night! He started nursing 2x per night again during that month. After his 6 month appointment the pedi suggested we let him CIO at night. It only took 2 nights & now he sleeps like a champ. He usually starts stirring around at about 5am so I go in and feed him so he'll sleep longer (& to relieve my boobs!)

We did CIO a couple of nights and had great success, but then DS got sick with bronchiolitis and he's been fighting it for four weeks! So since he's been sick, we obviously haven't been letting him fuss at all at night. We'll probably revisit it once he's healthy ... but I don't want to leave DS hungry, either!

fairychick77 · May 2010

He goes to bed around 7pm and wakes up around 2am to eat and then back down until around 5:45

madameladauphine · May 2010

At least 3 times. But he goes right back to sleep.

AMYfromKY · May 2010

ENev:
I do feed him right before bed - usually around 7:30 and he's down by 8:00 or a little before. I do think he's hungry when he wakes up 4-7 hours later, as he eats like a champ. I'm glad to know that others are still nursing at night; some people IRL are making me think that it's not normal to still be nursing him in the middle of the night.

Maybe I didn't word it right...I meant before you went to bed. I just get Henry out of his crib and feed him if he doesn't wake up by 11 to eat...I know he'll wake up in the middle of the night if I don't. Since he is half asleep while he eats he goes right back to sleep after.

brandenburdett · May 2010

Thanks for asking the question! I have been wondering about this too. Our doc told us that she shouldn't need to feed at all during the night. I tank her up just before bed (~7.30pm) and then try not to feed during the night, until she wakes up at about 5am, when she is definitely hungry. But, she's been sick for the last couple of nights so sleep has gone out the window! She has been fussy, but not all that hungry at night.

BTW, I use a vaporiser with eucalyptus oil (and rub on some Vicks) to help soothe her cough so she can sleep at night. That might help with the bronchitis...

luckyNJ · May 2010

I was going to ask this same question. Of course DD is 11 months old so it's a different story. But we still do BF in the middle of the night when she wakes up. Usually she's up once. If she's sick or teething she's up more. Sometimes she sleeps through the night.

But I pump and send bottles of BM to daycare during the day and she usually refuses them. So I think that she reverse-cycles and would rather wait for me and BF. So I think that when she wakes up in the night it's because she's hungry. And so I feel the need to feed her when she's up to be sure she's getting enough. I really wish she'd take her daycare bottles though. If she would I would consider trying to drop a nighttime feed. But I won't feel comfortable doing that until I'm confident she's had enough milk during the day.

jefner624 · May 2010

DD gets a bottle before bed (like 7;45ish). We haven't nursed in the middle of the night since about 3-4 months. DD just did this on her own one day and it has stuck ever since

stellasmommy · May 2010

DD starting STTN at around 4 months. she just did this on her own. when she first started STTN, about every 7-10 days she would get up in the middle of the night to nurse, but at around 6 months even that stopped. she also gets a lot of food before bed. i pick her up from MIL's at around 615 and nurse her. then she gets cereal w/ fruit or veggie around 7 when we get home. then i nurse her to sleep around 8-830.

BeanieWeanie · May 2010

DS went through a phase of STTN for about 5 weeks, until he hit 7 months. Since then, he's up usually twice to eat.

Cityplanner · May 2010

whirli:
Squishycheeks:
DD still nurses 2-3 times per night, and then right away when she wakes. We do co-sleep so I don't see things changing any time soon.
This is us exactly!

Us also. We've had a few long stretches lately - like 10 hours - without eating. But then the next night, she'll be up again 2-3 times. I think between teething and growth spurts and hitting milestones, it's going to be up and down for a while.

jkalmommy2b · May 2010

I still nurse at night. I don't think I can honestly say when my child wakes for hunger or comfort. I'm ok with my boobs being comfort for now. I'll revisit night eating probably around a year, but for now we continue (I say we b/c my husband goes and gets her from her nursery and brings her to me).

vermont7 · May 2010

She is usually up at least 3 times to nurse. She does go right back to sleep after she eats.

Shlei · May 2010

I still nurse my daughter in the middle of the night when she wants it.

TashaLee · May 2010

Sometimes, but not usually. DD is in bed by 8 and will usually sleep until 5 or 6 before waking to nurse. If she does wake up before that, I try and get her to go back to sleep first but if she won't settle then I know she's probably hungry and I'll nurse her. For the most part though she doesn't need it and will go back to sleep on her own.

johnsoar · May 2010

yup, DSs longest stretch is usually 3 hours. He is usually up every 2-3 hours the rest of the night.

babynurse08 · May 2010

There's only been a handful of nights since 6mo where he would wake up around 10 to nurse, but as soon as I realized it's mostly ( except for the occasional growth spurt) comfort, I cut it out...had DH go in and shush him to sleep and it worked!!! This is my suggestoin to you because by 6-9mo old they should DEFINATELY be STTN!!!

ryry1977 · May 2010

I still nurse Cedric 1-3 times a night. Not planning on cutting it out either.

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