BFing moms, ? about MOTN wakings/feedings

miniray · September 2012

Matilda's sleepeasy post got me thinking. When do babies no longer need night feedings? I had some supply issues a few weeks back but now BFing is going great and X is gaining weight. He is up 2-3 times a night (between 7pm- 7am) to nurse. The last couple of nights he has woken up at the regular times (usually 10-01-0400) so I started nursing him but he only nursed for 1-2minutes then fell asleep and continued to use my breast as a paci. So I thought hum... Maybe I should have just tried the paci and he would have fallen back to sleep? So im wondering, when is it ok to stop feeding in the middle of the night and start teaching self soothing/sleep training? Is it a certain age or weight? Im reluctant because im worried my supply will drop again but I also would like to stop waking up 2-3 times a night.

Luvmy2sons · September 2012

This is a good question, i'm curious too. My DD wakes a few times also. She sleeps great until 12/1, then she wakes every 2-3 hours or so. She also nurses, but if I offer the paci she FREAKS. She wants to comfort nurse. She does suck long enough to "finish" (usually 5 minutes or so), so she really is eating.

MsCat19 · September 2012

I feed her when ever she requests... She does not take a pacifier even though I did offer it to her. Some nights she will sleep all night, some times she wakes up multiple times... I just roll with it.

lindy27 · September 2012

My LO is a healthy weight, aka like 90%, and she stopped MOTN feedings about 6-8 weeks. She was still waking up at 4am and barely eating anything around 8 weeks, so I tried the pacifier for about a week and she stopped waking up at 4am. She will now wake up in the MOTH to eat every few weeks but that is it, and usually it follows a day of not eating very well.

It can depend a lot on the LO though, some women have fattier milk and some LO's just like to eat smaller amounts more frequently. I have heard that almost all babies can go without a MOTN feed at 6 months.

dojo1 · September 2012

I always try to give DS a paci first, sometimes he'll fall right back asleep, but if he continues to fuss, I offer him the breast.

TrudyCampbell · September 2012

DD used to wake once in the MOTN. One night, out of exhaustion, I gave her the paci and decided I wasn't going to feed her until she started to cry. Well, she never did and she fell back asleep. So the next few nights I did the same thing- paci, no feed, and she went back to sleep. Eventually she stopped waking up all together and now she STTN 99% of the time.

(But I know this probably isn't typical... she's a really good sleeper and always has been.)

adamstodrake · September 2012

If LO continues the 12 minute feeds, try the paci or other soothing first. Maybe he is waking out of habit. Of course if that doesn't work, nurse away. I believe MOTN feedings end for all babes at different times, some early on and some kiddos not until closer to a year from what I have seen.

WildcatPrincess · September 2012

According to kellymom 1-2 night wakings are normal up to a year.

Torani · September 2012

Mike wakes up twice at night usually, and he eats quite a bit each time. He also only gets 5 feedings during the day, so he needs those. John did not STTN until we switched to whole milk at one year, and I was okay with that.

starbound6 · September 2012

Mine sleeps 12 hours most of the time, but when he does wake up crying in the MOTN I feed him as he's obviously hungry. Sometimes they just need to eat in the MOTN. If your LO is feeding a good amount of time, he needs it. If it's just a small snack then you could consider trying to get him to drop that feed.?

horsegurl15 · September 2012

I vaguely remember my doctor saying something like once they get to 12ish pounds their body is able to process things differently to allow them to go longer in between feedings. AT our 2 month appointment he had suggested us to try sleep training to a degree since she was big enough to go longer at night between feedings. We hadn't even tried sleep training yet but 3 days later she just decided to STTN. She hasn't woken up in the MOTN since. She typically sleeps from 8pm until sometime between 930-1130. Though she does typically take roughly 10-12 ounces shortly after waking up.

hass2001 · September 2012

I feed DD once at around 3am between 9/10 and 7 which is the time I have to wake her to go to the sitters. She might fuss at another time in the night/ early morning and I just give her a paci and she goes right back to sleep.

miniray · September 2012

Thanks ladies. I read the Kellymom article and it was helpful. LO is still up 2-3 times a night to nurse, normally he would go right back to sleep afterwards and stay asleep until his next feeding but for the past few days he's waking up every hour. I am making the mistake that everytime I hear him make a peep I pick him up and try to nurse him. So last night I tried the soother and it worked a few times and I could tell then when he was actually hungry and when he just needed to be soothed. So that was helpful. As per kellymom he may just be teething or his eczema is bothering him. Looks like he may need MOTN feedings for a while to come... just means I'll have more coffee in the morning that's all. It's only temporary right? He will only be a baby once. Wink

TotallyLoCo · September 2012

Thanks to the 4 month wakeful my LO has been getting up 3-4 times a night, but I only need to feed him during one of those times - usually around 3 or 4 am. The rest of the time by giving him a paci and holding his hand or rubbing his belly I can usually get him to fall back asleep within a few minutes. Before the 4 month wakeful he had been sleeping straight through to 5:30/6 without being fed.

Want a personalized experience?

BFing moms, ? about MOTN wakings/feedings

Re: BFing moms, ? about MOTN wakings/feedings

Choose Another Board

Search Boards