5 EFFECTIVE STEPS TO WEAN NIGHTTIME FEEDINGS

Are you tired of waking up in the middle of the night and looking for ways to wean nighttime feedings? Find these guidelines which will be very effective in helping you wean your little one.

Are you exhausted from waking up to feed your little one in the middle of the night all the time? Do you often get the feeling that your little one is just waking up for a small duration in the night and then falls back to sleep quickly? If you have answered yes to these questions, then probably it’s the right time to start thinking about weaning your little one from his nighttime feedings.

As a new mom, I was mostly tired and exhausted but waking up in the middle of the night was the hardest for me especially after I had started working. I would feel irritated and exhausted and usually take it all out on my husband out of irritation.

After a countless number of crazy nights, I started to follow a routine so that I could wean my daughter from her nighttime feedings and be able to get more sleep. The weaning process took some time and after a few weeks of following a similar routine, I was successfully able to wean my daughter by the time she turned ten months old.

In this blog post, I will share with you all five effective steps that helped me in the process. All these steps are simple and if followed accordingly can help you in weaning your little one.

**Related: If you are struggling to sleep train your baby, then check out Baby Sleep Made Simple which is a baby and toddler sleep program for babies 5-24 months, designed by a baby nurse and lactation consultant. This course is designed to help exhausted parents to get their babies and toddlers to sleep well, so they can get their energy back, feel like themselves again and start enjoying all the little things.

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15 tips to survive nighttime breastfeeding without going insane

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Is your baby ready to wean?

Before you start the weaning process it is important to make sure that your baby is ready to wean from the nighttime feedings. Some of the cues to watch out for that will let you know when it’s appropriate for your baby to wean (or reduce) his night feedings are.

How old is your baby? The age is a big factor in deciding whether your baby is ready or not. Usually, newborn-3 months old needs night feedings whereas 4-5 months old also need night feedings, but some can have a 5-6 hour stretch of sleep; 6-8 months old – Many can be night weaned. Others need 1-night feeding.; 9-11 months old – Most of them can be night weaned.; 12+ months old mostly do not need night feedings.
Has your baby started to take solids during the day? This means that they will feel more full and hence require less feeds
Your baby wakes up in the middle of the night, sucks for a few minutes and then falls back to sleep quickly
Consult a pediatrician – It is always best to consult a doctor as they always know what’s best for your baby

Guidelines: 5 effective steps to wean nighttime feedings

This is an effective 5 step process that should be adapted slowly in the baby’s routine. It is very effective and has worked really well with my daughter.

Step 1: Form a bedtime routine

Firstly, it is very important to form a good bedtime routine for your baby. It helps the baby understand that it’s time to sleep, they feel more comfortable as they know what is coming and it can help them accommodate easier to a change in routine. You can follow a simple bedtime routine like – massage, bath time, storytime, feed, and sleep.

Step 2: Keep a record of the time your baby wakes up in the middle of the night

You will notice that your baby mostly wakes up around the same time in the night for the feed. For the next couple of days write down the time your baby wakes up and takes an average from it. When you start the nighttime weaning process, set an alarm to wake up at that time as well as wake up the baby to feed.

As you must have noticed, it is extremely important to follow a set routine for the weaning process hence it is very crucial to start with a good bedtime routine.

Example – If your baby wakes up at 2 AM in the night, then you should set an alarm for 1:45 AM, get the milk bottle or yourself situated in a place to feed and then wake up the baby at 2 AM for the nighttime feeding.

Step 3: Gradually reduce the duration of the nursing sessions each time

The next step is to gradually reduce the time for the nursing sessions for the nighttime feeding that you would like to drop first. If you are a nursing mom then start by reducing 5 minutes with each nursing session and if you are bottle feeding start to reduce the milk by 1/2 ounce. Eventually, the feeding sessions will only be a few minutes and then you can drop it altogether.

Step 4: Feed more during the day

Now that you have started to reduce the feed in the night, it is important to make sure that the nutritional requirements of your baby are meant through the day. Hence, offer additional milk during the daytime or afternoon. Also, you can try to cluster feed in the night before bedtime, so that your baby can feel full in the night and sleep longer.

Step 5: Keep repeating the process until the nursing sessions become very small

Finally, just keep repeating these steps until your baby is completely weaned. Once your baby is down to feeding for only a few minutes during nighttime maybe 2-3 minutes each feed then it is good to drop the feeds all together.

Common questions & answers:

In this section, you will find answers to a few common questions that you might have once you start the weaning process.

1. What do I do when the baby wakes up crying in the middle of the night not as per the schedule?

It is important to stick to a routine during the weaning process. Hence if your baby wakes up off-schedule then try to soothe him by patting, using a pacifier (if he uses it), back rubbing, etc. but make sure not to nurse. Eventually, your baby’s body clock will adjust to the routine.

2. Will night weaning affect my milk supply?

The answer to this is yes it can affect your milk supply but you should not be worried about this. Milk supply depends upon demand and feed, so your milk supply will depend upon your baby’s requirements. Still, if you would like to maintain the same supply, try pumping the extra milk before bedtime using a breast pump. Also, try and feed more during the day so that your body keeps producing a good flow of milk supply.

3. What if my baby is still waking up after nighttime weaning is complete?

If your baby continues to wake up in the middle of the night even after the weaning is complete, then try to soothe the baby back to sleep by back rubbing, patting, etc. It is important to note that sleep training and weaning are two different things. You are not trying to wean a baby from the nighttime feedings by crying it out method. Instead while weaning, you are with the baby trying to soothe and help him get back to sleep.

4. What do I do with breast engorgement issues during the night?

Breast engorgement is a very common concern with nursing moms. There will be unexpected leaks in the night as well as pain as your breasts will feel fuller than usual. You can use these disposable or washable nursing pads that can absorb all the extra milk. You can also try and pump before bedtime to not let that good milk go to waste.

Trying to wean a baby from his nighttime feedings is a long process that can easily take a couple of weeks. It is important to keep your patience during the entire process as well as follow a good routine with your baby as it will help them adapt to the entire process more quickly.