As a new parent, I'd worry about my son getting enough food. When my son was less than six months old, I would would wake him up, even in the middle of the night, to nurse him. I'd do this if it was more than six hours since he last ate.
When my son older than six months, he didn’t wake up as much during the middle of the night to eat. I started wondering, do I need to wake him up anymore to feed him? I learned that when a baby is between four and six months old, babies are ready to wean off nighttime feedings (but check with your child’s pediatrician, because every child is different).
I also learned that when a child has unnecessary feedings throughout the night it may cause sleep problems. For instance, if a baby is awaken during the night to be fed and changed, then the baby will be used to wake up at that time of night. This may be habit forming.
There are some ways to help you as a parent to keep your baby asleep all through the night. Start off by nursing your baby throughout the night. Gradually shorten the amount of times during the night. During the day, have your baby nurse as much as possible, so at night your baby won’t wake up hungry as often. Before your baby goes to sleep for the night give your baby a snack, so they have a full belly.
Night Weaning: Baby Night Feedings By Age
While there isn’t a “magical age” at which every baby is ready for night weaning, there are some general guidelines for night feedings that seem to work for most babies:
- Newborns to 3 months old: Feedings every 2-3 hours, on demand
- 3-4 Months: 2-3 feedings per night or every 3-6 hours, on demand
- 5-6 Months: 1-2 night feedings
- 7-9 Months: 1, maybe 2, night feedings
- 10-12 Months: Sometimes 1 night feeding
- 12+ Months: Generally no feedings
I hope this helps you, since it really helped me with my baby boy.
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