Night breastfeeding - how to avoid that!

Question

Hi Oby,
I wanted to ask what I should do to help stop my baby from waking up at night to breast feed. Hope to hear from u. Cheerio
O.O
Nigeria



Response

Dear O.O,
I usually don't advice mothers to avoid night breast feeds until they introduce solid foods to the baby. When the baby starts eating solid foods, then gradually the night feeds can be denied baby till he gets used to the new routine of sleeping all through the night without waking up to for night breast feeds. You can use these steps:

• Solid foods: I usually introduce solid foods to my babies from 4 months starting with vegetables like potatoes, carrots, lettuce which I boil together and then make into a puree with a liquidizer while adding a dash of olive oil. When solid food is given to the baby, the baby's system also starts readjusting to the new food being introduced. With time, the mother graduates from veggies to more complex foods. When this is achieved, the mother can then start denying the baby night breast feeds.
• Feeding Habits: When baby has fully started eating complex foods, then the mother will be more comfortable to stop night breast feeds because the baby is eating other kinds of food to sustain him through out the night most especially. With my son, after I introduced solid food to him and complex carbs, I made sure he ate exceptionally well during dinner to keep him through out the night. This worked for a few days till he started waking up again to breast feed. Meanwhile, i knew my son loved his bottle alot and so I would make his milk, get him to drink it around midnight even though he was already asleep. Not too much work right? At least you all get to sleep through the entire night.
• Water feeding: This is my last step. If you've tried the above things and your baby still wakes up to breast feed, you can try this. Buy a feeding bottle with very soft nipples almost like human nipples, wash and fill bottle with water instead of milk. If your baby still wakes up in the night or mid morning for breast feeds, give her the bottled water to drink. Definitely, she would not like it because it is not as sweet as the breast milk she's used to and might complain by crying but don't give up. Since baby is sleepy, give water, rock baby back to sleep. If tomorrow your baby wakes up again, use the same method and after you stick to this for some time, she will see that the breast milk will not likely be coming again and so she wouldn't bother waking up to water.

Just try the above mentioned steps and I hope it works in your favour.
Ate ja.