What it is
You want to stop night feeds, or you wonder whether you should. Searches for 'night weaning' and 'sleep and feeding' usually come from a very tired mother. Night weaning is cutting back or ending feeds between bedtime and morning while day feeds stay the same. Nobody has to do it. Some families do it at six months, some at two years, some never.
What's typical
Before about six months, most babies still need at least one night feed. From six to twelve months, one to two night feeds is still typical. Night weaning usually takes one to three weeks, with more crying the first three to five nights. Your supply may drop a little.
What's known
The AAP and La Leche League both say night feeds are normal through the first year. Studies of gentle sleep methods find no harm and modest gains in parent sleep. Many babies wake again after illness or travel.
What helps
- Offer a full feed right before bed, and again when you go to sleep.
- Shorten night feeds by a minute or two every few nights rather than stopping cold.
- Let your partner take the first wake-up. Babies often settle faster for someone who does not smell like milk.
When to call someone
- Todaya baby under six months losing weight or making fewer wet diapers.
- Todayfever with a hot, red area on the breast.
- At your next visita baby over a year who feeds five or more times a night, or your sleep is so broken you cannot function.
Who helps
Tools: Birthworker Directory
Related
- Breastfeeding and sleep: feeding to sleep, night feeds, and sharing the loadFeeding Your Baby
- Sharing nights: shifts and systemsSupport, Home, and Village
- Weaning: gradual, abrupt, and baby-ledFeeding Your Baby
- Sleep deprivation: what it does and how to survive itPostpartum: Your Body
What mothers here say
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Experiences and questions are their authors' own, not reviewed advice. The topic's steward lists the ones that help most in a credited digest once there is one. Unusual experiences stay, with a note.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Patient FAQ on getting your baby to sleep
- La Leche League International — Night weaning
Sources are named, not yet linked. The steward verifies each one and adds the link.
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