thread: Too early to refuse night feeds?

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  1. #1
    Registered User

    May 2007
    3,341

    Question Too early to refuse night feeds?

    Last night DS wanted to feed 2-3 hrsly overnight.
    this is fine except he gets on has a few sucks then goes to sleep. so i am thinking it is a comfort rather than hunger need.

    By 3am i just gave him his dummy and co slept , he kept stirring but i persisted not feeding until 5am when i gave in (last feed 1230am)....

    When is it ok to refuse feeds overnight? Surely he doesnt need 5 feeds overnight when he has gone with only 2 at times!

  2. #2
    paradise lost Guest

    At around 6 weeks most babies hit a growth spurt, so he's almost certainly trying to increase your milk supply by feeding more frequently - even if he doesn't empty, he will be stimulating you by sucking even a few sucks.

    I'm not sure when it's "ok" to stop feeding at night. In the interests of sustaining your milk supply it's better to let the baby be in control because he intuitively knows how to work your boobs. My DD fed at midnight and 5am until she was 7 months old, and during growth spurts she often came at 3am too.

    Bx

  3. #3
    BellyBelly Member

    May 2008
    1,110

    Before trying to "refuse" night feeds I would try and get him to seriously have his night feed. Try and wake him up enough to suck for a while longer - then hopefully you get a bigger break before the next one.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Oct 2006
    Adelaide, SA
    3,962

    I think 6 weeks is a little young to be refusing night feeds.
    DS is 11 months old and still has 2 night feeds!
    Like the other girls said, it'll probably be your bubs trying to increase your supply to meet his demands

  5. #5
    Registered User

    May 2007
    3,341

    kmn - last night i fed him at 730, 830 and 9... kept feeding to fill him up and he still wokr 3 hours later.

    DD i cut her night feeds out at 4months. so maybe i should wait until then?

  6. #6
    BellyBelly Member

    Jul 2006
    1,069

    Yeh, I too think it's too young yet to be cutting out those feeds. Ditto what the others have said with increasing your supply.
    Although absolutely exhausting I know..
    I guess the thing is, yes maybe at times he could live without 5 feeds a night if he had too, but at that age I don't think it's quite right to make him do so.

    Big :hugs:, I feel your exhaustion! x