| How to Stop your Baby Waking at Night for Milk |
| Articles - Lifestyle |
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If your baby is over six months, eating three solid meals a day and still feeding at night, here are some tips to wean your baby off night feeds.
If your baby is over six months, eating three solid meals a day and still feeding at night, here are some tips to wean your baby off night feeds. 1 - Make sure your baby is getting enough milk and solids in the day for her weight and age. 2- Is she sleeping enough in the day? If you want to stop your baby from waking at night for milk and you are sure she isn't hungry, you need to address her sleep habits. By making sure she gets enough sleep in the day, she won't be overtired at bedtime. Without adequate day time sleep your baby is likely to wake at night and need settling - sleep training won't be able to help you! 3- Can she settle herself? It's important your baby is able to settle herself at nap time and bedtime. If she won't self settle you need to address the bed and naptime routines so that she knows when it's time for sleep, and not time for milk or play! Make a routine that works for you but which is consistent and predictable so baby knows what happens next. A baby comforter will help your baby to adapt to new sleep routines. 4- Does she feel safe? Creating a comforting, familiar, dark environment for your baby to sleep in is an important first step so that she always feels secure in her cot. If she still doesn't settle alone you may need to look at sleep training techniques, as she is likely to continue to wake in the night if she can't settle herself. Soothing music can help. 5 - Once you have established that your baby isn't hungry and taught her to self settle in a familiar environment she may stop waking at night within a few days. 6 - For a baby of 6 months or less, try introducing a last feed at 10:00pm. You should be able to do this while your baby is still asleep and this will help her to go for longer - hopefully until morning! 7 - If your baby is still waking at night you need to eliminate one night feed at a time. Start by delaying the feed when she initially wakes to see if she will settle alone. If she doesn't settle you can go in and comfort her whilst she is still in her cot. If your baby has a dummy you can offer that instead. Tell her it is sleep time, not milk time. Feed her next time she wakes and keep doing this every night, pushing it on a little at a time. Be careful you don't undo your work by going backwards! Over time the feed you are trying to eliminate will coincide with the next feed. Keep doing this with all night feeds until it becomes the first morning feed. 8 - Struggling? You may find this very difficult and if you or your baby become too distressed it may be worth asking your partner to help. This can make things easier and through trial and error you will find a system that works for you all. 9 - Maintain the late night feed (between 10 and 11pm) until your baby is between 7 and 9 months. Then start weaning your baby off this feed too. Some babies just do it themselves by taking so little milk that it is no longer worth your while giving it to them! If you follow the above 9 steps, and remain consistent, your baby will soon learn that night time is for sleeping and not feeding! However, if she does continue to wake, you may decide to try some sleep training techniques. It's worth reading more about these though before you decide which approach might work best for you, your baby and your family. DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice. Learn more about products to help baby sleep and stop by Sleepytot.com for free advice to solve your baby sleep problems. |