How to wean a one-year-old baby from night feeding

Midnight feeding means feeding at night. Newborns need to be fed frequently because of the needs of growth and development, and their relatively small gastrointestinal capacity. As the newborn's gastrointestinal tract gradually improves, and the baby gradually increases complementary food, when the baby is about six months old, you can consider stopping midnight feeding. Long-term midnight feeding is not good for the child's gastrointestinal tract, and it is also a heavy burden for parents.

How to wean a one-year-old baby from night feeding

1. Reduce the number of feedings

From the fourth month onwards, the mother should systematically reduce the number of nighttime feedings, so that the baby can gradually develop the habit of not drinking milk at night. However, if the baby's height and weight development do not meet the standards, appropriate measures should be taken.

2. Adjust feeding time

Delay your baby's night feeding by half an hour each time. For example, if your baby is used to having midnight feedings between 3 and 4 in the morning, you should feed him water first after he wakes up, and then feed him milk half an hour later. This way you can adjust the baby's feeding time and slowly stop the baby's midnight feedings.

3. Don’t be soft-hearted and don’t feed it even if you squeeze it.

Many mothers feel soft-hearted when trying to stop breastfeeding at night, but in fact, this is a big taboo when trying to stop breastfeeding at night. Mothers should adopt the attitude of preferring to squeeze out the baby rather than feed it, otherwise it will be difficult to wean the baby successfully. If you are afraid that your baby will be hungry, increase the amount of complementary food during the day.

4. Add complementary food before going to bed to prevent hunger

Feed your baby one hour before bedtime to reduce hunger during sleep, such as by giving him or her foods that can add a sense of fullness, such as rice cereal. In addition, the amount of food eaten during the day should be adjusted according to the baby's situation.

5. Use a pacifier

Sometimes babies cry at night, not necessarily because they are hungry, but because they want to get comfort through sucking. Mothers can give their babies a pacifier to suck on, which can also have a comforting effect. If the baby doesn't cry, you can slowly stop feeding him at night.

How long is the best time to stop night feeding? If the baby's night feeding is too troublesome and the mother cannot sleep well, she should consider stopping night feeding. Stopping midnight feeding is a big test for both the baby and the mother. Many mothers are determined to quit breastfeeding, but are afraid that their babies will be hungry, so at the slightest sign of trouble at night, they rush to their babies to feed them. Moreover, the baby’s repeated crying will make the mother compromise, resulting in repeated delays in stopping night feeding.

In fact, when the baby is 4-6 months old, he no longer needs to be fed at night. Because at this time, the baby not only gets nutrition from breast milk and formula milk, but also begins to get nutrition from complementary foods. With the increase of complementary food, the baby will not feel hungry at night and the quality of sleep will improve. From this time on, the mother can gradually stop the baby from drinking milk at night, which can help the baby and herself develop good sleeping habits to a great extent.