Night feeding - until what age? How to wean a child from night feeding

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

In the first months of a newborn's life, sleep and food form the basis of normal growth and development. Regardless of the type of food, the child should receive his milk norm every 2-4 hours. The kid is actively gaining weight, he has new skills, and food is the main fuel for the body, which replenishes the energy expended on natural physiological processes. Any mother is pleased with the good appetite of her baby, but after a hard day it is so difficult to get up to the child even in the dark. Of course, up to a certain point, night feeding is simply necessary. Until what age this is considered the norm, all caring parents need to know so as not to harm their treasure.

Don't rush

The tradition of nighttime breastfeeding (or bottle feeding in the mother's arms) brings not only satiety, but also provides psycho-emotional contact of the baby with his loved one. Therefore, it is not necessary to stop this action ahead of time. Allmodern pediatricians agree that drinking milk at night is the norm for all newborns. At the same time, the baby's sleep normalizes, and the mother's milk steadily arrives. Feeding at night is also required for artificial children, because, regardless of the type of food, all babies develop according to the same laws of nature. Night feeding brings great benefits to the development of the nervous system of the crumbs. Until what age to extend this process will depend on the characteristics of the development of the baby and his state of he alth. Of course, there are certain norms that are discussed later in the article, but you should not abruptly stop breastfeeding your baby at night. Everything should be done gradually.

Any doctor will tell mom that not only the feeling of hunger makes a newborn wake up at night. Much more important is emotional intimacy with a loved one, because a long separation from her mother causes psychological discomfort. Night feeding nourishes the baby, promotes sound sleep and allows you to feel safe. Growing up, the baby will wake up less and less for food and will gradually switch to the usual mode of wakefulness and sleep.

When is feeding at night justified?

A newborn baby needs daytime and nighttime feedings. Until what age this is considered the norm, you can find out from your pediatrician. Most authorities in the field of pediatrics give the following data:

• From birth to three months. Up to four feedings per night are allowed.
• Afterfour months old. It is necessary to gradually transfer to single feeding at night.
• After six months. You can gradually wean from nightly attachments.

Of course, the given data is very conditional and not every baby fits into them. In fact, parents face certain difficulties. Often mothers complain that the baby categorically does not want to fall asleep without a breast (or a bottle) and constantly requires it at night. In this case, the parents of artificial children were "luckier" a little more. The mixture takes much longer to digest, the baby does not depend on the breast, so his sleep is often stronger.

Should I wake up?

Feeding a newborn baby at night is considered natural. But if the baby wakes up the parents more than four times, then experts believe that this is not due to hunger, but is a sign of a sleep disorder. In this case, you should consult a pediatrician.

Sometimes especially restless mothers wake up their babies, even if they are fast asleep. You shouldn't do that. If the child is developing normally, gaining weight, then it is necessary to provide him with a normal sleep and not wake him up to feed him. Otherwise, you can drastically disrupt the natural biological clock. Forced awakening always leads to the formation of restless sleep. It's best to follow your baby's natural instincts and sleep with them for an extra hour.

However, many children often do not let their parents sleep peacefully. There is a reasonable question, until what age to feedbaby at night. There are no exact recommendations, all the norms are approximate, which you need to focus on, but do not forget about the individual development of the baby. Yes, all parents are different. Someone continues to feed their grown child up to three years and calmly endures night vigils. Others, by the year, are exhausted and are interested in when feeding at night can finally be removed. But it is important to know how to do it correctly.

Signs of readiness

It should be understood that before the age of six months, breastfeeding and bottle feeding at night will be inevitable. But after six months, almost all babies begin to receive complementary foods. At this time, it is worth carefully monitoring the development of the crumbs. By his behavior, the child himself will be able to suggest that he is ready to sleep all night. This is usually possible when the child is 9 months old. But by the year it is already necessary to part with this habit, because the normal digestive system is disturbed. To make the process less painful for the baby and go naturally, you must follow a number of rules:

• In addition to formula or breastmilk, the baby should be fed other foods recommended for age.
• Slow down latching or bottle feeding gradually and replace with spoon food.

If you carefully observe the baby, then by certain signs we can conclude that he is ready to sleep all night:

• normal weight gain according to accepted norms:
• no obvious he alth problems;
• night milkdoes not drink completely, the baby tries to play after waking up or immediately falls asleep.

When a child turns one year old, he no longer needs night feedings. If the above signs coincide with the behavior of the crumbs, then drinking milk at night is not a necessity, but a habit. Therefore, with the right approach, you can get rid of it.

How to wean from feeding at night?

When a child turns 9 months old, he begins to receive complementary foods, consisting of cereals, fruit, vegetable and meat purees. The baby's menu is already quite diverse and it takes a long time to digest food. In this case, all pediatricians are advised to start a gradual refusal to feed at night. At the same time, there are a number of recommendations that must be followed.

Respect the regime

Eating at night will only hurt if the child is a year old. How to stop eating at night? This worries many mothers, and here a well-built regimen comes to the rescue. If the child continues to ask for food during sleep, then it is reasonable to observe strict intervals between feedings, increase portions and diversify the menu. Experts especially advise paying close attention to the last two meals. At the same time, the penultimate menu is made up of light foods, and the last one is made up of more high-calorie foods. In this case, the baby will get enough and will not disturb mom at night.

It is important to include mandatory outdoor walks, active games and full communication in the daily routine. However, before going to bed, it is better to excludeany emotional overload (noisy guests, watching funny cartoons, excessive laughter) and provide a calm atmosphere. Bathing in a decoction of soothing herbs can help you sleep soundly.

Shift priorities

The type of nutrition that has been established will determine how to wean a child from night feedings. GW is strongly associated with sleep. A newborn after sucking the breast falls asleep sweetly. But if up to the age of four months this is considered the norm, then at an older age it is necessary to make it clear to the baby that food is not combined with sleep. To do this, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between both processes, and after eating, change, for example, a diaper or carry out other hygiene procedures. Only after that you can put the baby in the crib. The task of parents is to ensure that the baby falls asleep on its own, and does not "hang" on the chest.

A child's night sleep should be full. If food gives energy for physical development, then rest - for mental. But sometimes mom feels that one feeding at night is still necessary. In this case, you need to pick up the baby from the crib, turn on a dim nightlight and feed. So the child will understand that sleep and food occur in different environments and are not interconnected in any way.

Baby wants to eat at night

If the baby stubbornly wakes up and asks for food, then experts advise offering him a breast or a mixture between twelve o'clock at night and five o'clock in the morning. At other times it is necessary to give water. At the same time, you can not replace it with sweet tea, compote andother sweet liquid. It is also important to pour the water into the cup and not into the bottle with the pacifier.

Doctors advise that if the child is already five months old, then you should not run to him at the first call. In practice, it often turns out that the mother herself wakes up the baby when he just whimpered in his sleep. It is recommended to wait a few minutes, perhaps the child will fall asleep. Of course, the nerves of parents do not always withstand crying at night, but then the efforts are usually justified.

Features of artificial babies

Feeding a newborn baby can come from birth with a bottle. There is an opinion that such children sleep more soundly and wake up less often at night. This is partly true, because they do not have attachment to the breast, and the mixture is absorbed longer. But in reality, everything is much more complicated, and mothers of such crumbs sometimes have even harder.

When feeding artificial children, it is important to strictly observe the regimen so as not to overload the unformed digestive system. There are clear rules for how much a baby should eat at a certain age. If there is a large share at night, then it is gradually shifted to daytime hours, bringing the balance to 50-30 g. You can simply not offer this part, limiting yourself to water from a drinker.

Sometimes you can use a little trick. If the child stubbornly wakes up and asks for food, then the mixture is gradually diluted with water until only one water remains. Often children refuse such treats on their own.

Problems of older children

Newborn babies for normalgrowth and development just need night feeding. Until what age should breast or formula be offered? It depends on he alth indicators and weight gain. But in any case, it is important to completely stop feeding the baby after a year. If, after a year and a half, the child endlessly asks for water, tea, juice, compote at night, then we can talk about a habit (if everything is in order from the he alth side). In a conversation with a doctor, it usually turns out that the mother offers liquid (any) from a bottle, not a drinking bowl, and the baby is used to the nipple. Sucking helps them relax, and babies get used to falling asleep only in this way. To wean the baby from night vigils, it is imperative to replace the bottle with a drinker, first with a soft spout, then switch to a regular one. Such a drinking device is very different from a pacifier, and many babies refuse food themselves.

If a child is used to drinking tea or compote, then it is necessary to gradually dilute them until only water is in the bottle. Sugar is very harmful for children's teeth, and such food at night significantly harms digestion.

Sometimes mothers of older children put a bowl near the crib so that the child can reach out if necessary. In this case, babies learn to fall asleep on their own.

Observe rituals

In order for a child to fall asleep peacefully and not cry at night, it is necessary to provide him with a calm going to bed. In the evening, a calm atmosphere should reign in the family, mobile and too noisy games are excluded. The child's room should not be hot and dry. If necessary, you canuse a humidifier. Calm games, a hearty dinner, bathing in warm water and a lullaby before bed will help the baby fall asleep quickly, and he will not wake his parents with his crying.

CV

Young and inexperienced mothers are always keenly interested in whether it is necessary to feed the baby at night. If the baby is not yet four months old, then breast milk or formula is required. But by the age of nine months, you can gradually wean yourself from the habit of eating during sleep. However, it is difficult for some mothers to decide on such a responsible step, and they continue to run up to the child with a bottle at the first call or even practice co-sleeping. But the children develop, grow very quickly and their body is ready for changes, while the mother is not yet. Most often, it is the parents who need to rebuild, and not their beloved treasure.

It should be understood that for the harmonious development of the child, he needs a good sleep. Therefore, you should not indulge in fears that the baby will remain hungry, and disturb the natural night's sleep. Some mothers scold themselves for allegedly torturing the baby in order to get more sleep. But doctors say that in this case, work is underway to establish a normal regimen for the baby. In addition, a well-rested mother will be able to devote more full attention to her child and the whole family.