Until how many months do you need to feed your baby at night? Night breastfeeding

Should I feed my newborn at night? This question arises for many inexperienced young mothers. Friends and forums often advise the opposite. Where is the truth?

Baby feeding rules

A newborn baby is a whole world of new sensations and a change in the picture of the world. A woman who has recently given birth discovers something new every day, acquires new knowledge and skills: how to feed the baby, bathe, swaddle or not, how to organize his sleep. Many mothers wonder: should they feed their newborn at night? Is this correct? Or, ignoring the cub’s protests, avoid the practice of “night eating”?

How to breastfeed a newborn: on schedule or on demand

Among neonatologists, pediatricians and young parents, the question is constantly discussed: how to feed a baby - on a schedule or on demand. For young mothers, the feeding schedule is convenient; you can go out somewhere for a while, leaving the baby in the care of other relatives, return at a certain time and feed him. Grandmothers also claim that you need to feed your children on a schedule; they fed theirs exactly on time: at 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24. At the same time, the children slept peacefully all night from midnight to 5-6 in the morning, not disturbing your parents. This is an ideal picture, but the reality is much more diverse.

Some babies can easily withstand a three-hour break in food, for others this period of time between feedings is unbearably long. Modern pediatricians recommend feeding infants on demand. How often should you put your baby to the breast? Breastfeeding consultants say that as soon as the baby wants to eat and shows it by screaming, grunting, and smacking, the mother should be ready to give him her milk. Some babies may ask to “feed” every 1.5-2 hours. After sucking a little, they quickly get tired, fall asleep, then wake up, again wanting to “eat mommy.”

If a child was born low birth weight, weak, pediatricians definitely recommend feeding him often, on demand, at night, during the day. The baby should eat mother's milk and gain weight. If a baby sucks weakly, he sucks out little milk and after a short time he wants to eat again.

Formula-fed baby (IV): how to organize feeding

Pediatricians recommend feeding babies on IV and eating breast milk substitutes according to a schedule to avoid overfeeding. When a baby is on breastfeeding, it is not visible how much milk he has sucked from the breast, whether he has eaten or not. When a baby is bottle-fed, you can tell exactly how many grams he has eaten, compare it with the recommended amount for his age, and understand how much he has satisfied his hunger. Therefore, experts advise shortening or lengthening the time intervals between meals in artificial infants, correlating them with the amount of food eaten the previous time.

Why is it important to breastfeed your baby at night?

Night feeding is especially important for both mother and newborn for several reasons:

At night, from approximately 3 to 7 am, the body of a young mother produces the hormone prolactin. This substance is responsible for milk production;
Letting your breastfeed is the best way to soothe your baby;
Putting the baby to the breast at night will help the woman avoid stagnation of milk in the breast and associated unpleasant phenomena such as lactostasis and mastitis.
The hormone prolactin is responsible for the production of milk in a woman’s body. It is produced in the early morning hours and stimulates the flow of milk into the breast the next day. Therefore, night feedings in the first or second months after birth will help to establish breast milk production and establish the correct lactation regime.
Also, in the first months, until a stable diet has been established in the child, it is important for a woman to prevent stagnation of milk in the breast. If the baby empties each breast once every 4-6 hours, then a night break of 8-9 hours can cause unpleasant sensations of “bloating”, tension in the chest, and in some cases lactostasis.

At night, a baby may wake up due to several reasons:

due to discomfort because he is wet, pooped;
from colic in the stomach;
because of anxiety, the desire to feel the warmth of the mother;
from hunger.

It is important to eliminate the possible reasons for his awakening and then he will quickly fall asleep, allowing other family members to rest.

How many times at night should you feed your baby?

How can you not feed a hungry child? After all, satisfying hunger is a basic human need. Often mothers have a related question: how many times a night should you put your baby to the breast? Ideally, of course, the baby would ask for the breast one, maximum two, times a night. In this mode, he will be well-fed, calm, and mommy will not get tired and will be able to get some sleep.

But some babies may ask for the breast every hour, an hour and a half, two, a couple of hours at night, not so much because of hunger, but because of the desire to suck, to satisfy the sucking reflex, to feel their mother. It is quite easy to understand whether this is so. If the baby, after sucking a little, continues to simply hold the nipple in his mouth, does not release it, occasionally making sucking movements, it is likely that he does not want to eat. Mommy needs to carefully open his mouth by inserting her little finger and remove the nipple. If your baby takes a pacifier, you can use it.

Perhaps the baby does not eat enough during the day, so he does not miss the opportunity to get milk at night. You can understand this by how the baby sucks, how greedily he takes the breast, how energetically the baby makes sucking movements, whether he sucks all the milk from the breast, how long it takes the baby to do this, how many times a day he pees.

Pediatricians say that a newborn becomes sated in the first 10-15 minutes of sucking, then he can fall asleep at the breast without letting the nipple out of his mouth. If he completely empties the breast in 5-10 minutes, it may not contain enough milk for him.

Normally, a newborn can write every hour. If the number of “pees” has sharply decreased, the breast, after the baby has eaten, becomes completely empty, it is obvious that he does not have enough milk. It is necessary to increase the frequency of feeding the baby to the breast, including at night, stimulating milk production.

If parents see that the baby often wakes up at night not because of the desire to eat, but just wants to be close to his mother, another family member can calm him down by carrying him a little in his arms. After some time, the baby will wake up to eat if he feels hungry.

Do I need to wake up my baby for night feedings?

A weak and low birth weight child needs intensive nutrition. Such babies should be put to the breast more often than others, at night and during the day. If the baby is weak and does not wake up on his own for night feeding, extending the break in food for several hours, his body may experience a lack of fluid, and certain signs of dehydration may appear. In this case, pediatricians advise carefully waking up the baby so that he can eat.

This is best done in the superficial phase of infant sleep. You can recognize this time by how the newborn behaves: he can move his arms, legs, and smack his lips. You can pat the baby on the back, look at the contents of the diaper, and try to breastfeed. The main thing is that the baby takes the nipple and starts sucking. If the baby is in a deep sleep phase, it is better not to touch him, wait about 20 minutes, and try to wake him up again for feeding.
The light during night feeding must be dim and muted so that the child does not perceive this as an invitation to stay awake and play.
If the baby sucks sluggishly and stops after making a couple of sucking movements, you need to stroke his cheek or nose, encouraging him to continue eating. The mother may have to repeat this action several times during feeding to agitate the baby.
In the first days and weeks after birth, until the mother’s milk production has improved, she can also wake up the baby at night so that he can suck a little and remove the feeling of unpleasant “fullness,” heaviness, and tension in the chest.

How many months should you feed your baby at night?

Usually babies ask to eat at night until 3-6-8 months. The older babies get, the longer the intervals between meals. By this time, a woman’s milk production regime has been fully established; she produces as much milk as the baby eats at each feeding.

For the first 6 months, the baby is exclusively on breastfeeding, after which complementary foods appear in his diet. At this time, pediatricians advise, if possible, to stop night feeding, providing the baby with a more satisfying dinner before bed. The older the baby gets, the less often he asks for the breast at night, more often waking up in the morning in order to eat.

Frequent awakenings at night demanding the breast can be observed in babies older than 6 months during teething or illness. At this time, babies use their mother's breasts more for comfort than for food.

How to organize night feedings

Frequent awakenings at night can make a young mother nervous, so it is important to organize this process correctly. If a child sleeps with his parents in the same bed, the mother can breastfeed him at the first squeak without getting up. In this case, it is important to control the feeding process, especially in the period up to 1-2 months, until the cub can independently move and turn its head in case of discomfort. It is best for mom to feed while sitting or reclining so as not to fall asleep herself.

If the baby sleeps separately from his mother, in his own crib, it is advisable for another family member to get up to him, bring him for feeding, and carry him back to the crib. Thus, the young mother will save more energy for caring for her baby during the day.

5 rules for feeding a baby

You should not deny your baby night snacks in the first months of life, because this is important for all family members, especially for a young mother. Lactation will soon be established, and the baby will sleep soundly all night, allowing mommy to gain strength for a new active day.

feed him on demand;
feed him at night to activate lactation;
to avoid lactostasis, ensure that the baby is fed evenly from each breast;
ensure the safety of feeding your baby at night;
Involve relatives to help feed your baby at night.

To the question “how often and how many times should you feed a newborn?” There is no exact answer, the fact is that these numbers depend on the age of the baby and his individual parameters. The younger the baby, the more often he needs attachments. Usually during the night this figure fluctuates from 2 to 6 times; the older the child, the less often he wakes up to feed. By the age of six months, children can go longer without food, but by morning their sucking need awakens. Night feeding continues in this mode until breastfeeding is complete.

Sometimes a baby needs to be put to the breast not only for saturation, the fact is that he associates the mother’s breast with a feeling of security and peace, and during various experiences or pain, for example, colic, he needs to be put to calm. As pediatricians assure, a newborn does not have visual memory, so when crying and demanding the breast, the child simply wants to make sure that his mother is nearby. It is for this reason that pediatricians recommend latching a newborn at the first squeak, even if it is needed every hour.

Until what age should I continue night feedings?

Pediatricians assure that before the age of six months it is impossible to deprive a baby of night feedings. According to statistics, night snacks will be necessary for children up to a year old, or even longer. At this age, daytime feeding will occur at intervals of 3-4 hours, and at night, rest from feeding can be a maximum of 6 hours and no more, since the baby will be hungry.

After a year, with the introduction of complementary foods, the situation changes somewhat and night feedings become practically unnecessary, but the child still requires the breast. This does not happen because he is hungry, but rather out of habit, in order to feel the closeness of his mother and calm down. You should not deny your baby this until the moment when he stops demanding the breast.

To make night feedings easier, mom needs to make them as comfortable as possible:

Ensure that you sleep together so that you don’t have to get up again;
A special nursing shirt will greatly simplify this process;
Always keep a fresh diaper and wet wipes nearby for emergencies;
Buy a night light; it’s better not to turn on the main light.

Sometimes, in the summer, the baby is thirsty and does not need the breast because he is hungry, so you need to keep a bottle of water near the crib.

To the question, “until what age should you feed your baby at night?” There are no strict recommendations; it is better to focus on the child’s desires and needs, as well as your own feelings. Only one thing can be said for sure: up to 6 months, night feedings are mandatory, and after this age, only if the child needs it, if he sleeps peacefully, night feedings can be stopped.

How to wean your baby off night feedings?

First of all, every mother should understand that this process can take quite a long time and it will be necessary to overcome some difficulties associated with this, such as lack of sleep and nervous stress. It will be especially difficult to stop feeding after six months of age, after a year this process is much easier.

As mentioned above, breastfeeding satisfies not only the physiological needs of the baby, but also the psychological ones, therefore, when the baby is sick or teething, he will demand her attention at night. The main guarantee of night rest is the child’s complete psychological comfort throughout the day, and only under this condition can one begin to wean him from night vigils.

There are several proven methods to wean your baby from asking for the breast at night:

Gradually replace milk or formula with plain water., if the baby refuses to drink it, then you can add a little water there, gradually bringing it to the complete replacement of milk with water.
Reduce feeding time– make it clear to the child that night is not the time to eat;
Increase the periods between feedings in a variety of ways: singing songs, rocking, stroking, etc.
The last meal should be as nutritious as possible so that the baby does not want to eat at night.
Place your baby on the breast as often as possible throughout the day., so the need for feeding will be fully satisfied during the daytime.
Change your bedtime routine, for example, ask dad to put the baby down, or rock him to sleep without falling asleep at the chest.
A regular nightgown will limit your baby's access to the breast when sleeping together.. When the baby does not feel his mother’s body, it will become easier for him to forget about the breast.
Separate cot- promotes rapid weaning from breastfeeding and night feedings.
You can try to explain to children older than one year that they should not eat at night.

To be sure that weaning off night feedings is going well, you should monitor your child; if during the day he is restless, nervous, or begins to sleep poorly, it means that the time for weaning has not yet come, and it is better to abandon this idea for a while.

Nutritional needs are the main priority of a newborn. Both breastfed children and babies receiving formula may require food every 3–4, or even 1.5–2 hours, which is generally natural. A tiny but rapidly growing organism needs a lot of energy. However, if during the day the baby’s wonderful appetite makes the mother proud and tender, then night feedings for her are not always painted in rainbow tones.

Daytime chores already take a lot of energy, and if in addition you need to get up and give the baby a breast, or even more - prepare a formula for him, and this is repeated more than once or twice during the night, there is no question of proper rest. And a mother, tired of such a busy schedule, can often experience overwork, despair and even irritation.

First of all, you need to calm down: everything is not so scary, and feeding your baby at night is normal and even obligatory. Children receiving breast milk at night ensure the development of stable lactation in the mother, but for bottle-fed babies, nutrition in the dark is no less important: for sound and restful sleep, which ensures the health of the nervous system, the baby needs to be properly satiated.

In addition, eating at night is not only about satisfying hunger: for a newborn child who is still getting acquainted with the huge world, it is important to feel the closeness and warmth of the parents and the mother’s usual heartbeat, which allows him to feel confident and safe. Children grow up, and sooner or later absolutely everyone stops eating at night. Therefore, it is undesirable to wean a baby from night feedings ahead of time.

Until what age should a baby eat at night and does he need to be woken up for this?

Particularly strict pediatricians believe that for a baby up to three months old, 2-3 feedings per night are optimal; up to six months, one is enough, and from 6 months onwards, night feedings are not required. However, few children fit into such a strict framework: breastfed babies can demand milk every hour and even fall asleep at the breast, continuing to feed all night. In formula-fed babies, the intervals between feedings are usually longer: formula milk is digested more slowly, and the baby feels full longer. However, if a bottle-fed baby wakes up more than three times a night, it makes sense to check what is causing the sleep disturbance.

There is another extreme: the mother, worried about the baby’s long night sleep, wakes him up herself to feed him. This should not be done under any circumstances: the child’s need for sleep is no less important, and if he does not wake up, it means he is not yet hungry. Forced awakening causes confusion in the baby’s biorhythms, which is why he can be capricious and have trouble sleeping in the future. If the baby is fast asleep, it is better to give him the opportunity to wake up on his own for feeding, and until he does this, rest on his own.

There are no exact instructions up to what age night feedings are allowed. All children are different, and each has its own appetite, character and daily biorhythms. If the mother is not tired of feeding at night, it can last up to 3-4 years - there are many such cases. But most often, parents get tired of lack of sleep by the age of one year, and they are faced with the question of weaning their child from eating at night.

How do you know when your child is ready to stop night snacking?

Before you think about how to wean your baby off night feedings, you need to determine how ready he is to give up the breast or bottle. Often, after 6 months, especially after the introduction of complementary foods and the development of an individual daily routine, babies stop waking up at night, ensuring sound and healthy sleep for both themselves and their parents, and before this age it is not worth taking measures to wean them. But closer to one year, you can determine the following signs of a child’s readiness to stop night feedings:

He receives complete and varied complementary foods.
The number of breastfeeding or bottle calls during the day has decreased.
The child is gaining weight well.
He has no health problems.
At night, the baby wakes up at exactly the same time.
The child does not eat the entire nightly portion and is constantly distracted.

If the baby’s behavior shows such signs, it means that eating in the dark has turned from a need into a habit, and, most likely, weaning off night feedings will be painless.

How to wean it off?

Stopping feeding at night involves working in two directions: organizing sleep and daytime nutrition.

During the day, it is necessary to feed the baby at regular intervals in slightly larger portions than usual. Pediatricians advise making the penultimate meal lighter, and feeding more heavily before bed. It is possible that a satiated child will sleep for a long time.

Another answer to the question of how to wean a child from night feedings - create a comfortable microclimate for sleeping. Pediatricians name warm and dry air among the causes of sleep disturbances. Setting a suitable temperature in the room (18–20 degrees), maintaining optimal humidity (for this it is recommended to install an ionizer-humidifier) and a comfortable bed will help make the child sleep soundly and long.

Often babies cannot sleep because the energy accumulated during the day requires release, and, not knowing how to use it, they reach for the breast or bottle. Active games, long walks in the fresh air and evening swimming in cool water will tire the baby and make him sleep all night to gain strength.

If the child still wakes up at night, you should not feed him right away. Short quiet games, rocking in your arms or a soft lullaby - there are many ways to distract your baby from eating. You can also try giving your baby water (not juice!): perhaps he wakes up from thirst.

In the case when night awakenings are caused by habit, and not by real hunger, the baby will quickly get tired and fall asleep. Little by little, the craving for night feeding will begin to fade, and perhaps in a few days the child will delight his parents with a sweet sleep that lasts all night. But if the baby stubbornly continues to wake up, cry and demand a bottle or breast, it is better to give in - obviously, the baby still urgently needs night feeding. After a couple of weeks, you can try again.

Food in the crib

Mothers, tired of getting up at night, prefer to solve the problem in a simpler way: when the child can already drink from a bottle on his own, they simply leave it in the crib so that the baby, when he wakes up, eats without the participation of his parents. However, firstly, this method is quite risky: the baby may accidentally remove the pacifier, roll over into an unfortunate position and choke. And secondly, parents who decide to use a trick will have to wean their child off the bottle in bed, and this process lasts much longer. Between night feedings and this way of eating, the first is perhaps the lesser of two evils.

A typical situation: the baby wakes up in the middle of the night, begins to act up, and the mother rushes to feed him. Is she doing the right thing and until what age can night feedings continue?

To feed or not to feed?

Waking up at night for feedings is a completely normal occurrence for a baby, according to modern pediatricians. “If a child does not eat enough during the day and wakes up at night to eat, there is nothing wrong with that,” explains pediatrician Olga Minkina. “It's more of a problem for parents who don't want to be disturbed at night.” But the main thing is that the child develops well.

Whether or not you need to wean your baby off night feedings depends on the baby’s weight and how much food he eats during the day.
❥ If a child is underweight and does not receive the required amount of nutrition during the day, then night feedings are simply necessary for him (of course, if the baby wakes up on his own to eat).
❥ If the baby’s weight exceeds the norm, it is better to gradually refuse nighttime reinforcement.
❥ If your baby is of normal weight, you should never wake him up at night to feed him, even if he sleeps for more than 6 hours in a row. Sleep yourself and be happy!”

What to give your child at night?

Mother's milk is the optimal food for a child in the first year of life, which is best absorbed by the body. And accordingly, this is the most suitable food for night feedings.

For the mother, night breastfeeding is not burdensome: she does not need to urgently run to the kitchen and fuss there, mixing the mixture; she just needs to put the baby to the breast - and he will already receive nutrition.

For the baby, mother’s breast is not only food, but also a means of calming. After spending a little time at the breast, the baby will quickly calm down and fall asleep.

Night feedings have a beneficial effect on a woman's milk production. “They are very important for maintaining lactation,” explains pediatrician Natalya Kustlivaya, chief physician of the Autonomous non-profit organization “MOM + BABY”. “At night, a woman’s body produces more of the hormone prolactin and, accordingly, more milk is produced.”

Even if a woman does not have enough milk and the baby is supplemented with formula milk, it is more convenient and healthier to breastfeed at night - after all, at this time of day the mother has more milk.

You can breastfeed your baby at night for as long as you like - as long as the mother has milk.

Artificial mixture used if a woman does not have her own milk. Formula feeding is somewhat more cumbersome: preparing the formula in advance is not recommended, so you have to go to the kitchen at night and make it for the baby.

Milk Should not be given to a child under 2 years of age in its pure form. This is because cow's milk proteins are difficult to digest and often cause allergies in young children. For night feedings, it is better to use formula milk instead of milk.

Kefir(preferably for children) can be given at night to a child older than 8 months (it is from this age that kefir is introduced into the baby’s menu). This will be a good alternative to formula milk. Before offering it to your baby, kefir from the refrigerator must be heated.

Water helps in cases where the child wakes up not because of hunger, but because of thirst. The baby can drink water and fall asleep. But if the reason for awakening was hunger, then the baby will calm down only for a while, and will soon wake up again.

How to organize night feedings

Your main task is for your baby to satisfy his hunger and fall asleep faster. You need to try to ensure that the room where the child is located maintains an environment that encourages the baby to sleep, and that preparing food does not take much time.

Prepare in advance for a possible night awakening of the child (this is especially necessary in the first months of the baby’s life).
❥ There should be a small night light in the room where the baby sleeps so that you can turn it on if the baby wakes up. There is no need to turn on the overhead lighting, otherwise the child may decide that it is daytime and go wild.
❥ Keep a disposable diaper ready: if necessary, you can quickly change your baby before feeding.
❥ If you are breastfeeding, then it is advisable for you to sleep in a nightgown specially designed for feeding - with slits.
❥ When feeding a baby with formula, everything necessary for its preparation must be collected in advance: a sterilized bottle, baby drinking water, formula with a measuring spoon. The water for preparing the mixture must have a certain temperature. To quickly heat water, some mothers use a microwave oven, others use a bottle warmer. Some parents fill the thermos with water at the desired temperature in the evening so as not to waste time heating it and feed the baby faster.

❥ At night, talk to your baby in a muffled voice, remind him that now he will eat a little and fall asleep again. Under no circumstances should you “walk” your child, do not start playing with him, even if he has such a desire. The baby should develop the idea that night is for sleeping, and day is for playing.
❥ If a child often has colic or regurgitation, then after night feeding (as well as after daytime feeding), it is advisable to carry the baby in an upright position for 10–15 minutes so that he burps air.

Is this normal?

The number of night feedings does not always fit into the acceptable range. If a child wakes up not 1-2 times a night, but more often, and asks for food, you need to understand the reasons for such awakenings. The baby may have colic or may not have enough breast milk. Frequent awakenings may also be associated with some neurological problems. In this case, it is recommended to show the child to a neurologist.

A child's sleep may be disturbed at certain age periods. “Night awakenings can have different reasons,” says psychologist Maria Klimova. – Their number may vary depending on the age of the child and what happens to him during the day. So, with the development of new skills (crawling, walking, speaking), the number of breastfeeding during the day may decrease. But this leads to a compensatory increase in the number of attachments at night. This is a temporary phenomenon that goes away on its own as the child grows up.”

Age limits

At what age is it time for a child to break the habit of eating at night? Doctors say that everything is individual and parents of a healthy and normally developing child should not worry. “In some children, night feedings continue up to two years, and all this fits within the norm,” says pediatrician Antonina Volzhina. “I observe one girl who, at the age of five, continues to drink kefir at night. There’s nothing wrong with that if she has such a need,” explains pediatrician Olga Minkina. “A healthy baby will gradually give up night feedings on his own.”

Source www.krokha.ru/detskoe-pitanie/nochnye-kormleniya-za-i-protiv

In the first months of a newborn's life, sleep and food form the basis for normal growth and development. Regardless of the type of food, the child should receive his milk supply every 2-4 hours. The baby is actively gaining weight, he is developing new skills, and food is the main fuel for the body, which replenishes the energy expended on natural physiological processes. Any mother is pleased with her baby's good appetite, but after a hard day it is so difficult to get up to see the child even in the dark. Of course, up to a certain point, night feeding is simply necessary. Until what age is this considered normal, all caring parents need to know so as not to harm their treasure.

There's no need to rush

The tradition of nightly breastfeeding (or bottle-feeding in the mother’s arms) not only brings satiation, but also ensures psycho-emotional contact between the baby and his loved one. Therefore, you should not stop this action prematurely. All modern pediatricians agree that drinking milk at night is the norm for all newborns. At the same time, the baby’s sleep normalizes, and the mother’s milk flows steadily. Feeding at night is also required for formula-fed babies, because, regardless of the type of nutrition, all babies develop according to the same laws of nature. Night feeding brings great benefits to the development of the baby's nervous system. To what age this process can be extended will depend on the developmental characteristics of the baby and his state of health. Of course, there are certain norms, which are discussed later in the article, but you should not suddenly stop breastfeeding in the dark. Everything should be done gradually.

Any doctor will tell the mother that it is not only the feeling of hunger that makes the newborn wake up at night. Much more important is emotional closeness with a loved one, because a long separation from your mother causes psychological discomfort. Night feeding saturates the baby, promotes sound sleep and makes you feel safe. As the baby grows up, he will wake up less and less often to eat and will gradually switch to the usual regime of wakefulness and sleep.

When is night feeding appropriate?

A newly born baby needs day and night feedings. Until what age is this considered normal, you can find out from your pediatrician. Most authoritative specialists in the field of pediatrics provide the following data:

From birth to three months. Up to four feedings per night are allowed.
After four months of age. It is necessary to gradually transfer to one feeding at night.
After six months. You can gradually wean off nightly latching.

Of course, the given data are very conditional and not every baby fits into them. In reality, parents face certain difficulties. Often mothers complain that the baby categorically does not want to fall asleep without a breast (or bottle) and constantly demands it at night. In this case, the parents of artificial children were “luckier” a little more. The formula takes much longer to digest, the baby does not depend on the breast, so his sleep is often sounder.

Is it worth waking up?

Feeding a newborn baby at night is considered natural. But if a baby wakes up its parents more than four times, then experts believe that this is not due to hunger, but is a sign of a sleep disorder. In this case, you should consult your pediatrician.

Sometimes particularly restless mothers wake up their babies even if they are fast asleep. You shouldn't do this. If the child develops normally and gains the required weight, then it is necessary to provide him with normal sleep and not wake him up to feed him. Otherwise, you can radically disrupt the natural biological clock. Forced awakening always leads to the formation of restless sleep. It is best to follow your child's natural instincts and sleep with him for an extra hour.

However, many children often do not allow their parents to sleep peacefully. A reasonable question arises: up to what age should a child be fed at night? There are no exact recommendations; all standards are approximate, which must be followed, but do not forget about the individual development of the baby. Yes, and parents are all different. Someone continues to feed their grown child up to three years and calmly endures night vigils. Others become exhausted by the age of one year and wonder when feeding at night can finally be stopped. But it is important to know how to do it correctly.

Signs of readiness

It is worth understanding that until the age of six months, latching and bottle feeding at night will be inevitable. But after six months, almost all babies begin to receive complementary foods. At this time, it is worth carefully monitoring the development of the baby. The child himself will be able to tell by his behavior that he is ready to sleep all night. This is usually possible when the child is 9 months old. But by the age of one year it is already necessary to give up this habit, because the normal digestive system is disrupted. To make the process less painful for the baby and go naturally, you must follow a number of rules:

In addition to formula or breast milk, the child should receive other foods recommended by age.
Gradually reduce feeding or bottle feeding and replace with spoon feeding.

If you carefully observe your baby, then based on certain signs you can conclude that he is ready to sleep all night:

normal weight gain, corresponding to accepted standards:
no obvious health problems;
At night the milk is not drunk completely, the baby tries to play after waking up or immediately falls asleep.

When a child turns one year old, he no longer needs night feedings. If the above signs coincide with the behavior of the baby, then drinking milk at night is not a necessity, but a habit. Therefore, with the right approach, you can get rid of it.

How to wean off feeding at night?

When a child turns 9 months old, he begins to receive complementary foods consisting of cereals, fruit, vegetable and meat purees. The baby’s menu is already quite varied and it takes a long time to digest food. In this case, all pediatricians advise starting to gradually stop feeding at night. However, there are a number of recommendations that must be followed.

Follow the regime

Eating in the dark will only harm if the child is one year old. How to stop eating at night? This worries many mothers, and here a well-structured regimen comes to the rescue. If the child continues to ask for food during sleep, then it is reasonable to maintain strict intervals between feedings, increase portions and diversify the menu. Experts especially advise paying close attention to the last two meals. At the same time, the penultimate menu is made up of light foods, and the last one is made up of more high-calorie foods. In this case, the baby will be satisfied and will not disturb the mother at night.

It is important to include mandatory walks in the fresh air, active games and meaningful communication in your daily routine. However, before going to bed, it is better to exclude any emotional overload (noisy guests, watching funny cartoons, excessive laughter) and ensure a calm atmosphere. Bathing in a decoction of soothing herbs can ensure sound sleep.

Shift priorities

How to wean your child off night feedings will depend on what type of nutrition has been established. GW is clearly associated with sleep. The newborn falls asleep sweetly after sucking the breast. But if up to the age of four months this is considered the norm, then at an older age it is necessary to make it clear to the baby that eating does not go together with sleep. To do this, you should clearly distinguish between both processes, and after eating, change, for example, a diaper or carry out other hygiene procedures. Only after this can you put the baby in the crib. The parents' task is to ensure that the baby falls asleep on his own and does not "hang" on his chest.

The child's night's sleep should be complete. If food provides energy for physical development, then rest provides energy for mental development. But sometimes the mother feels that one feeding at night is still necessary. In this case, you need to take the baby out of the crib, turn on a dim nightlight and feed him. This way the child will understand that sleep and eating occur in different environments and are in no way interconnected.

The child wants to eat at night

If the baby stubbornly wakes up and asks to eat, then experts advise offering him breast or formula between twelve o'clock at night and five o'clock in the morning. At other times it is necessary to give water. However, you cannot replace it with sweet tea, compote or other sweet liquid. It is also important to pour water into a sippy cup and not into a bottle with a nipple.

Doctors advise that if the child is already five months old, then you should not run to him at the first call. In practice, it often turns out that the mother herself wakes up the baby when he simply whimpered in his sleep. It is recommended to wait a few minutes, perhaps the child will fall asleep. Of course, parents’ nerves do not always withstand crying at night, but then the efforts are usually justified.

Features of artificial babies

A newborn baby can be bottle-fed from birth. There is an opinion that such children sleep more soundly and wake up less often at night. This is partly true, because they do not have an attachment to the breast, and the mixture takes longer to digest. But in reality, everything is much more complicated, and mothers of such babies sometimes have it even harder.

When feeding bottle-fed babies, it is important to strictly follow the regimen so as not to overload the immature digestive system. There are clear standards at a certain age. If a large share falls at night, then it is gradually shifted to daytime hours, bringing the remainder to 50-30 g. This part can simply not be offered, limiting oneself to water from a sippy cup.

Sometimes you can resort to a little trick. If the child stubbornly wakes up and asks to eat, then the mixture is gradually diluted with water until only water remains. Children often refuse such treats on their own.

Problems of older children

Newborn babies simply need night feeding for normal growth and development. Until what age should breast or formula be offered? This depends on health indicators and weight gain. But in any case, it is important to completely stop feeding the baby after a year. If, after one and a half years, the child endlessly asks for water, tea, juice, compote at night, then we can talk about a habit (if everything is in order from the health point of view). In a conversation with the doctor, it usually turns out that the mother offers liquid (any kind) from a bottle, not a sippy cup, and the baby is accustomed to the nipple. Sucking helps them relax, and children get used to falling asleep only this way. To wean your baby from night vigils, you should definitely replace the bottle with a sippy cup, first with a soft spout, then switch to a regular one. This drinking device is very different from a pacifier, and many babies themselves refuse food.

If the child is used to drinking tea or compote, then it is necessary to gradually dilute them until there is only water in the bottle. Sugar is very harmful to children’s teeth, and such food at night also significantly harms digestion.

Sometimes mothers of older children place a sippy cup near the crib so that the child can reach it himself if necessary. In this case, babies learn to fall asleep on their own.

We observe rituals

In order for your child to fall asleep peacefully and not cry at night, it is necessary to ensure that he goes to bed peacefully. In the evening, a calm atmosphere should reign in the family, active and too noisy games should be excluded. The child's room should not be hot and dry. If necessary, you can use a humidifier. Quiet games, a hearty dinner, swimming in warm water and a lullaby before bedtime will help the baby fall asleep quickly, and he will not wake up his parents with his crying.

Resume

Young and inexperienced mothers are always keenly interested in whether they need to feed their baby at night. If the baby is not yet four months old, then breast milk or formula is required. But by the age of nine months, you can gradually wean off the habit of eating while sleeping. However, some mothers find it difficult to decide on such a responsible step, and they continue to run up to their child with a bottle at the first call or even practice co-sleeping. But children develop, grow very quickly and their body is already ready for changes, while the mother is not yet. Most often, it is the parents who need to restructure, and not their beloved treasure.

It should be understood that for the harmonious development of a child, he needs good sleep. Therefore, you should not indulge in fears that the baby will remain hungry and disrupt natural night sleep. Some mothers scold themselves for supposedly torturing their baby in order to get more sleep themselves. But doctors say that in this case they are working to establish a normal regime for the baby. In addition, a well-rested mother will be able to pay more full attention to her child and the whole family.