![]() If baby feeds normally then you are okay! Then I would think about keeping one night feed. If your baby has been crying and waking at night AND they wake up early in the morning and guzzle down their morning feed. Sign 5: If baby wakes up in the early morning and is gulping down that milk. If baby hasn’t started solids, then the likelihood that they need one feed at night is higher. Again this is not always the case but this is the general guideline. Without knowing babies weight and calorie intake we can assume that a baby under 6 months still needs at least one feed at night. Sign 4: They are under 6 months and haven’t started solids. This again is a sign that you’re looking at a suck to sleep association more than actual hunger. Now this also depends on age but generally for babies over 4 months you can expect to have a gap of at least 4-6 hours between feeds, if they need them. If you have fed your baby the likelihood that they’ll be hungry again in a few hours is very low. A full sleep cycle is 2 hours so if your baby is waking every few hours, It’s likely that they are just waking from a sleep cycle and need the sucking to go back to sleep. Then I would think that a feed might be necessary.Ĭan they be settled back to sleep another way? That is the question to ask yourself. If baby doesn’t settle or settles for 10, 20 minutes and is up again. If you comfort and soothe your baby and they go back to sleep for a long stretch. If a baby is hungry, they won’t give up easily. Sign 2: They will go back to sleep without feeding. If they are hungry they will EAT and eat it all. If you find baby gets on the breast or bottle and sucks for a few minutes and then falls asleep or just sucks but doesn’t gulp down the food.then I would tend to think that they are just feeding for comfort. Remember babies NEED sleep just like they need food, a diaper change and love from mama. If you are fine with feeding each time baby wakes then it’s all good! Like I always say, if it works for you then it’s not a problem! But if you are waking multiple times to settle baby to sleep, it can have an effect on your rest and mental health and have an impact on baby’s much needed sleep as well. One of the most common type of associations I see in my practice. This can cause a suck to sleep or nurse to sleep association. Feeding for the purpose of falling asleep not for the purpose of nutrient intake. The difference is that if you are feeding to sleep you are actively feeding until they fall asleep. If baby is falling asleep during a feed, they are likely relaxed, tired and were going to fall asleep anyways. Sign 1: Can they fall asleep on their own or do they need to feed to sleep?ĭoes your baby fall asleep while feeding or does baby get fed to sleep? These are two different things. How do you balance the need for calories and the need for sleep?īabies are excellent calorie regulators and they will naturally eat more during the day to make up for the long stretches of sleep at night, that they desperately need at this age. Please if you are concerned about your babies weight or they have a medical condition, consult with your Paediatrician or family doctor and get their go ahead before weaning night feeds. I want to be very clear here, all babies have different night time feeding requirements, some can go all night without a feed from an early age and some don’t wean off night feeds until they are older. After 6 months and babies start solids, the need for night time calories decreases. As they get older though, their night time needs change. ![]() They often need multiple feeds at night which is completely normal. And let me tell you, newborns usually need it. During the newborn phase we are wired to respond with a feed for all night time wake ups. It’s obvious and understandable that parents worry about depriving their little ones of food at night. One of the most common questions I get from mamas is “how do I know my baby is not hungry when he/she wakes at night?”
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