When did you stop feeding (breast) your baby overnight?

[Jac]

When did your baby stop overnight feeds - ie. no feed between 10/11pm-6am and did they do it on their own or did you encourage them to stop? Does anyone know what is considered average?

My DS stopped at around 9 weeks however my almost 5 mth old DD is still waking to be fed at least once more during the night. Is that usual for her age? I am not talking about "feeding to sleep" as a settling method, which can occur for many months I'm sure, but actually being hungry and unable to go back to sleep unless fed IYKWIM.

TIA!

[Sammiejane]

Hi Jac,

MJ stopped around 9 weeks and was sleeping approx 10-12hrs a night...
However around 7months she must have gone through a growth spurt and started to need it again, sometimes 2 feeds overnight.
At 10 months i stopped offering unless she was very upset or seemed hungry, i.e. i would try resettling first instead of just getting her up and giving her a feed... in the first week i think that she would have a feed every second night, the following week she had one feed and now she doesnt have any feeds (though she still wakes twice at night - but settles back to sleep within 5 mins with minimal fuss)

I think when she started she NEEDED the feeds, but it became a habit and she ended up using it tp go off to sleep, but also in this time we had a bout of Gastro and she again needed the feeds overnight and then we were away camping where it was so cold at night she again NEEDED the feeds as she was probably using so much energy keeping warm.

HTH

[feeb]

my 7 month old still feeds most nights overnight at least once sometimes 2.

He wont settle any other way. Feeds to sleep

[onthefly]

My DS still does. Sometimes it's just to settle, but he does generally have at least one 'real' feed each night.
I think it's still pretty common at 5 months. They're all different so you just have to use your judgement for your baby as to when they need it or don't.

[little_Miss_Chez]

my dd still wakes every hour on the hr and shes 13 months and ive tried everything

[jackrose]

I stopped offering feeds overnight at 10 months as DD was waking every half hour for feeds (actually feeding to resettle more than needing a feed) on the advice of a nurse. After a night or two of issues, DD was fine and slept much better. If I was to do it all again with her, I would have started to drop night feeds at about 8 months.

[indie24]

My DD stopped feeding over night at 3 months and for the last 2 weeks has picked up a night feed again. Not sure how long it will last. HTH.

[rufalina]

My DS dropped the 3am feed at about 5.5 - 6 months. So was going from 11pm to 8am by 6 months. And he self weaned that one... He just stopped waking up in the night for it. He tried to reinstate it about two weeks after he dropped it, but I was able to resettle without the boob, and we have not looked back.

But.... after he dropped the 3am feed, I weaned him to a bottle (ff) gradually over the next month...

[Gigi]

my dd is two

she feeds to sleep around 8pm

she wakes up around midnight/1am and needs a proper feed before she can go back to sleep until breakfast time.

i really think it depends on the individual bub.

she needed feeds every two - three hours until 18 months old. i found that exhausting. really helps if your partner is supportive. to bring baby to you in bed etc.

[Gabi]

My seven month old still feeds at least twice between 11pm and 6am, often more than that. I am not sure whether it's hunger or comfort, but when he nurses he chows down a full meal. I don't feed to sleep, I always put him down awake...

[Tobily]

My daughter stopped overnight feeds of her own accord at 10 weeks old.

My son only recently stopped them just after his second birthday when he finally began to sleep through all night. I didn't change anything, he just stopped waking up.

Look out in the morning though, the second his feet hit the floor he is straight into my bed to catch up

[Dragonbub]

DS stopped at 12 weeks when he slept through, but took them up again at 6 months through to about 12 months. But then it was only once and he went straight back to sleep again. TBH I really loved that time of the night when it was just the two of us snuggled up together.

[Marlene]

My DS is 9 months and still has one "real" feed during the night and sometimes a couple more to settle. (don't get much sleep in this house).

[Jennifer13]

My DD 'stopped' bfing overnight quite young, less than 6 mths. She then started again at about 14-16 mths and didn't 'stop' for a few months. In the end, as she was doing it out of habit and hadn't done it for so long (which was playing havoc with my sleep since I had to work some days!), I introduced a cup of water instead and if that distracted her, she wouldn't have a bf. Once she was taking that the majority of the time I got a bit firmer and wouldn't let her, but she was well and truly approaching 2 by this stage.

[Liz]

15 months for DS, and I weaned him off the night feeds by offering water instead. I mainly did it because I was pregnant.

DD is still feeding through the night.. full on feeds. Am thinking about offering water soon to see if I can wean her off the night feeds.

[Ezz]

I think DS was about 9 months when got rid of the night feeds. I did it by progressively pushing back the time I would give him a night feed (eg. I wouldn't give him a feed before 2am, then a week later I wouldn't give him a feed before 3am, then a week later I wouldn't give him a feed before 4am, etc). I got DH to resettle him with a bottle of water & cuddles, no boob.