night feeds

[ButterCup17]

In so confused about night feeds. All the things I see online say babies between 4-6 months can stop eating through the might, then says they can sleep for 6 hrs without eating. So which is it? My ds is 5 1/2 months. He goes to sleep at 7:30 and gets up in the morning anywhere between 6:30-8am. But he usually wakes sometime between 12-2am. Should I be feeding him then? I have been but not sure if I should continue or stop?? If I continue, then when do you stop feeding in the night?

 

[irish_cob]

Yes if he's hungry - feed him! My baby is currently getting up for 2 feeds in the night, having gone through a phase of only needing one or sleeping through. The baby hasn't read the book and he'll let you know when he doesn't want feeds any more x

 

[irish_cob]

There's a heck of a lot of nutrition in night milk too x

 

[ButterCup17]

How do you know if he's actually hungry or just waking up our of habit?

 

[MrsDuck]

I've got this same issue, my baby wakes and sucks on her hands (doesn't have a dummy) then goes back to sleep without crying, if I leave her she sleeps from 8pm til 6 am but if I pick her up and offer her my breast she gobbles it up so I'm not sure which I should be doing either??

 

[luna_19]

6 hours of sleep is considered "sleeping through the night" if your baby is hungry feed him. Personally even if he isn't havig a full feed I find it a million times easier to just offer a boob than try to get.them back to sleep some other way. We still night feeds every night at 9+ months and likely won't be stopping anytime.soon

 

[misspriss]

Still doing night feeds some nights at 16 months. Some nights he sleeps through, some he stirs and I offer milk.

 

[irish_cob]

Because babies don't think "oh I know I'll wake up out of habit". All of this is developmentally normal. My lo went through a phase of sleeping through, then waking once a night, currently it's twice a night. She's going through a massive development leap right now, she's so close to crawling, it's all normal. She'll sleep through again when she's ready. You're not going to "create bad habits" or "cause a habit" (I hate those phrases) by feeding your baby if he cries in the night. If he was waking every 20 mins then you have a problem but once or twice a night is normal. You don't think a cavewoman thought she better not feed or cuddle the baby in case she made bad habits do you? Babies are still miniature cavemen, our society may have changed but our natural physiology hasn't xx