Mothers of newborn babies may experience constant fatigue due to the need to feed their baby at night. However, over time, you can teach your child to eat only during the day. At the same time, it is important to act gradually so as not to harm the child.
Instructions
Step 1
Check with your pediatrician to see if your baby is ready to stop night feedings. In the first three months he needs them, and in the future, much depends on his individual established regime. The doctor will be able to help you by explaining whether it will harm your child's health.
Step 2
Start weaning off night feeds while encouraging your baby to sleep and stay awake. Solve the issue of night awakenings first. They are far from always associated with the desire to eat. For example, in children under one year old, the cause may be teething. To reduce the child's pain, use special pain-relieving gels such as Calgel or others.
Step 3
Offer your baby a pacifier as an alternative to the mother's breast at night. This will help if the urge to suck is related to the need to achieve some emotional effect from sucking. Keep in mind that there is no consensus among mothers and professionals as to whether pacifiers are good or bad. However, the most frightening consequences of their use, such as curvature of the teeth in the future, remain unconfirmed.
Step 4
Change the feeding schedule so that the baby eats just before bed, and move the first meal into the early morning. In this case, he will have to be without food for only 6-7 hours, and you will get the opportunity to fully sleep at night.
Step 5
If the requirement for night feeds remains in a child over a year old, analyze if this is due to a lack of attention. Try to devote more time to it during the day. Think about whether he is ready to end breastfeeding at all. If he has already switched to full-fledged artificial feeding, it is, in principle, possible to end night feedings. In this case, the problem with food at night will also be solved.
