How to wean baby off from night feeding? These methods are available

Breastfed babies need to feed many times at night, which makes it difficult for mothers to get enough sleep. When the baby is six months old, many mothers go back to work. If they do not get enough sleep at night, it will cause great mental and physical harm. Therefore, it is best to wean the baby.

When should I stop feeding at night?

Many babies have the habit of drinking milk at night, which is a natural development from the neonatal period. Because, for newborns, we need to follow the principle of feeding on demand. Generally speaking, the baby should be fed as long as he is hungry, day or night.

However, when the baby reaches 6 months, start adding complementary foods slowly. At this time, the nutrition needed by the baby is becoming more and more abundant, not only from breast milk and formula milk, but also from various complementary foods. In addition, with the addition of various fruit purees, meat purees, rice noodles and rice, the baby will not be so hungry. Therefore, from this time on, mothers can stop their babies from drinking milk at night.

It's best to talk to your health care provider before weaning your baby off from night feedings, especially if your baby is premature or has other health problems, such as digestive problems or poor weight gain.

Formula-fed babies

You can add rice cereal and other easy-to-digest complementary foods to the last meal of milk before bedtime to delay the baby's feeling of hunger. In addition, you can appropriately extend the intervals between feedings during the day and increase the amount of milk powder according to the baby's individual situation. This is a two-pronged approach, increasing the amount of milk and extending the intervals between feedings. In addition, eating sleeping milk powder directly is also a good choice.

Babies fed with formula are often addicted to bottles. It is necessary to wean them off bottles at the same time as night feeding, which can reduce their attachment to the pacifier. But weaning from the bottle should be done slowly, and should be done in a timely, appropriate and skillful manner according to the baby's mood. You can buy your baby a cute cup or tableware with animal patterns to attract the baby's attention, and say to the baby: "Baby, you have grown up, it's embarrassing to use a bottle again!"

Mistakes before weaning

Feed the baby as soon as he cries at night, and always comfort him with milk, which makes the baby more dependent on night feeding.

At night, the baby needs to suck milk to fall asleep, which will bring greater obstacles to weaning from midnight feeding in the future.

Constantly nagging your baby or even scolding him/her by saying "No more breastfeeding at night" will make the baby feel indifferent and produce emotions of panic and anxiety.

In order to wean your baby at night, start preparing during the day by not letting your baby see the milk or reducing the amount of milk you give during the day.

Mistakes in weaning

Adding spicy or sour seasonings to milk powder or applying these seasonings on pacifiers or mother's nipples can scare the baby.

I feel soft-hearted when I hear the baby crying, and choose to give up again and again.

Some mothers, especially those who breastfeed, stay away from their babies when they are weaning, and even move out of the house and don't see their babies.

Ignore the baby's crying, thinking that he just wants to be fed and will fall asleep when he is tired of crying.