HELP! Going back to work, and ds is STILL feeding in the night!

[ratfly]

I know this has been done before, but has anyone any solutions to night feeding?

DS is 5 months. Mixed fed - so has 3 x 7oz bottles -2.30, 5.45 and 11pm - and a bf 7am, 10.30am and 7pm.

I think his feeding in the night is mostly habit - he had a growth spurt recently, but that has settled down, and he is taking some solids too.

How can I break the habit?!?!

[Wisteria]

How many times is he waking up for a bf in the night?

[ratfly]

He is waking once (usually)between 3am and 4.30am. The feed tis a normal-length feed - e.e. not a quick comfort suck then back to sleep.

Sometimes he will wake at 3ish, then wake again at 5 to be fed. Those are both short feeds though, perhaps because I don't give him a full feed the first time?

Does he still really need a night feed?

[parkqueen]

I went back to work when dd was 7 months and was only giving a night bf by then. Was prepared to continue as I had got used to it but when I was on 2 night shifts in a row at 8 months she didn't wake for a feed either night. Well she may have woken and either dad didn't hear her or just went in and said hello but she wasn't after a feed so I guess maybe it was habit. So i didn't feed her again after that which was a bit odd as i didn't consciously have a 'last breast feed'. However other friends who are doing more mixed feeding or complete breastfeeding still do night feeds at 10 months.(and dd still wakes for a chat at 3am most nights!)

[Wisteria]

Agree with Tipex - go with the flow and make sure you rest when you can during the evening. I found that the night feeds dropped off when my DCs were weaned anyway.

[ratfly]

Last night was a disaster!
I decided to offer him water instead of feeding him when he woke just 3 HOURS after his last 7oz feed..
Well, he woke up every 20 minutes for an hour, then refused to settle. I thought that I couldnt give in and feed him now, after 1 1/2 hours of crying and resettling. So in the end I took him in bed with me.
Interestingly, his morning feed was the same length as normal - no longer, which I thought it would be.
So, either he will not wake tonight, or it will be a complete nightmare again.
Should I continue with the water battle, or give in and feed him? (though it looks like you will say the latter.. )

[Wisteria]

You could try giving more solids late afternoon and try again with the water although that didn't work for me.
Ultimately, it's up to you, if you don't want to bf in the night then don't but you may go through some pretty crap nights before he gets there, and some babies wake up through the night for a long time anyway. Personally, I found it much easier to carry on BF in night as you don't have to get up and warm bottles etc which wakes you up more.

[hermykne]

ratfly, my ds feed til 7mths and 3 wks once in the night around 2, by then he was eating 3 good meals a day and i stopped breastfeeding in the night after 7pm.
i dont think its unusually nor uncommon for a baby to want a feed around 3ish at that age. maybe the 5am one is the one to go initially.