Night feedings of children: when and how to wean a child

How to wean your baby off formula feeding at night

Most babies under 6 months of age wake up at night to feed. This is a physiological necessity. But the older the child, the more important it is for parents to learn how to wean their child off formula feeding at night. A clear action plan will help you do this faster. It is important to determine the baby’s readiness, take into account all possible mistakes, and study the opinions of experienced pediatricians.

When is it time to stop night feedings?
In which case is it better to wait to cancel night meals?
What plan to act on?
What mistakes should you avoid?
Dr. Komarovsky on how to wean off night feedings

When is it time to stop night feedings?

Depending on the characteristics of the baby, the age ranges from 6 to 12 months. If your child is one year old and still eats at night, it’s time to take decisive action.

To help parents, signs of child readiness:

• He can easily tolerate a 5-hour interval between meals during the day.

• His weight and height are appropriate for his age.

• The daily diet includes complementary foods. The child receives all necessary nutrients and vitamins in sufficient quantities throughout the day.

• The time to wake up at night is the same. This is an indicator of habit, not hunger.

In which case is it better to wait to cancel night meals?

When choosing a time to stop eating at night, it is important to consider the following factors:

• Baby's well-being. Lethargy, excessive whims and passivity are a reason to postpone planned changes.

• Familiar environment. Moving or visiting relatives is also not the best time to break habits.

• Home furnishings. If it is unfavorable - parents often quarrel and speak in a raised voice - it first needs to be improved.

• Sufficient communication time with mom. If she went to work, the child may not have enough of her attention during the day. He wakes up at night to catch up.

What plan to act on?

To decide how to wean your baby off night feeding, it is better to develop a clear plan. A number of rules will help the mother quickly rid her baby of this habit.

If the interval between daily feedings is too short, it should be increased. Portions should also become larger and more filling.

The most nutritious meal of the day is dinner. It is important that the baby eats the entire portion offered. This way he will remain full throughout the night and will only wake up for breakfast.

The cancellation of night meals can be abrupt or gradual. Having chosen the second method, parents need to gradually reduce the volume of the mixture prepared at night.

Good, healthy sleep will help you avoid snacking. To do this, the room must have cool and sufficiently humid air.

2 hours before lights out, you should finish all active games. And before going to bed, it is useful to give your baby a bath. This will help his muscles relax and give him sound sleep.

The child should have enough communication with his family during the day so that there is no desire to wake them up at night. To do this, you need to pay him as much attention as possible.

If demand feeding was adopted at an early age, it should be discontinued. A clear regimen and feeding at certain hours is another rule that helps to abolish nightly bottles with formula.

After waking up at night, do not rush to prepare the mixture. It is quite possible that the child simply has a full diaper, is hot, cold, or wants to drink. Nighttime moodiness is often caused by the appearance of teeth.

It is necessary to exclude all these factors, and pour water or tea into the bottle instead of baby food.

After a year, the child understands everything that is told to him. Parents need to explain to him that he needs to eat during the day, and night is the time for sleep. Together with other actions, this will speed up the abolition of night eating.

It’s good if father comes to help mom. Laying down a child who wakes up during the night will help him get used to the new routine.

What mistakes should you avoid?

When deciding how to wean from formula, it is important to take into account the experience of other parents. To ensure that the process is quick and does not cause stress to all family members, you should not:

• Transfer this to relatives, leaving the child with them overnight. So he will definitely experience stress, and his parents will lose faith in themselves.

• Scold and intimidate the baby by denying him night food.

• Lubricate the nipple of the bottle with red pepper or mustard. This can burn the baby's oral mucosa.

Useful tips for mothers: MIXED AND ARTIFICIAL FEEDING

It is easier for a child to give up formula than to give up the mother's breast. In addition, it is more nutritious than breast milk and helps you stay full longer.

Therefore, the process of weaning off the mixture should not cause difficulties. But if they do appear, it is better to consult a pediatrician.

Dr. Komarovsky on how to wean off night feedings

The pediatrician is of the opinion that after six months there should be no night feedings.

They must be weaned off sharply. And sound sleep depends on nutrition during the day and the conditions in which the baby sleeps.

When there is a diet, there is also a sleep mode. If a child eats chaotically, it is important to establish a routine.

Swimming before bed should be done no later than 23.00. It's better if the water is a little cool. But the child needs to be taught this gradually.

The humidity in the bedroom should be between 40 and 70%. And the temperature is no higher than 18 degrees. In a hot room with dry air, the baby is more likely to wake up from thirst.

Weaning off feeding at night just seems difficult. Consistent and clear actions will help parents improve their child’s sleep at night and teach him to eat only during the day.

It is important not to forget about the relationship between diet, family environment and conditions in the baby’s room. If something is wrong, you need to try to change the situation.

In the future, restful sleep without getting up regularly will be a real gift for the whole family.