How to wean a baby from night feeding

A newborn baby is happiness inextricably linked with anxieties and experiences. Why is he crying? Maybe the baby is sick or doesn’t like something? It is very difficult to understand such a baby, and parents, especially those whose first child, are worried all the time. In fact, in most cases in vain. Today we’ll talk about one of the most common problems of newly moms and dads - baby’s nocturnal awakenings. Why this happens, and how to wean a child from feeding at a late hour - this is the topic of conversation.

We agree immediately: the baby is a very small one, but still a man. He already has a psyche, individual character traits and the manifestation of various emotional reactions. Many young parents forget this, referring to the newborn treasure as something magical, not at all related to this mortal world. Such a worldview was reflected in the expression “children are angels,” which is not true. These are, first of all, people, and, therefore, there can be many reasons for nightly awakenings, and it’s not quite right to reduce them to the banal “wants to eat”.

When to feed at night

Night feeding is a necessary process. But he is needed only in the first months of the baby's life. And although, according to the Soviet approach to feeding infants, there should be a 6-hour respite at night (the last time the child eats at midnight, and you can’t feed him anything until 6 in the morning), in practice this is quite difficult. Yes and no need. While the baby is still very small, he needs close contact with his mother. And constant nutrition.

Depriving this little man is not worth it if you do not want to injure the psyche. The leading activity at such a tender age is emotional communication with the mother, which the baby receives, including by breastfeeding. Today, a different approach is common - on-demand feeding. Plus rejection of artificial nutrition. Most maternity hospitals practice breastfeeding immediately after birth and do not give any lures to ensure that the mother has normal lactation. That is why in the first months you can not focus on a non-existent problem: give breasts on demand, even at night, adjust close contact with the baby, do not be nervous and do not worry. And all will be well.

And what if the baby is on artificial feeding? Here it is even easier to control the situation. Firstly, on each package it is indicated how many calories a child receives, how many times he needs to be fed and in what portions. Unlike breastfeeding, the mother knows exactly the amount of food eaten. Secondly, you yourself develop a feeding schedule. It’s enough just to be patient. Just a few sleepless nights with demanding screams and rocking - and the goal is achieved, the child learned to sleep, asking for nothing. He will quickly understand that there is no point in waking up if they still give nothing. But you have to get nervous and upset.

Reasons for Nocturnal Awakenings: Is Hunger Only

Unfortunately, the belief that a child wakes up at night only because he wants to eat is rooted in everyday life. Indulging this error, many mothers seek to feed the baby, give him breasts, thereby unwittingly accustoming to night concerts. The baby in the first months of life knows only 2 types of emotional state: “I feel bad” and “I feel good”. Next to mom, at the chest, and even with warm milk - fine. And if you let him know that it’s worth shouting at night to get what he wants, the baby will wake up. And you are with him.

In fact, the reasons for night wakefulness are much greater, and they are by no means reduced only to starvation:

1. I had a terrible dream. The child was frightened, woke up, cried, he was immediately fed. Having received positive emotions, the brain established neural connections. It is quite possible that your treasure will wake up the next night, too, but in order to receive the due happiness, eat and feel your mother next to you.
2. Something got sick. A child is the same person, and from time to time he may have health problems. From pain or discomfort (such as wet diapers), he wakes up and cries. Sometimes it’s enough just to shake, warm, change clothes and bedding, but many parents also feed. Again, making a mistake.
3. Confused day and night. A common cause of awakening in the dark. Your baby can sleep well almost all day, but at night he will certainly wake up and will happily walk. The reason is not in hunger, but in violation of the regime of rest and wakefulness. Here it is not necessary to feed, but to rebuild the body of the child.

These are only the main causes of night awakenings; in fact, there are even more of them. Many parents consider the only panacea for the cries of the newborn is only one way: to give the breast, let it calm down and fall asleep. This behavior leads to a persistent ritual of night feedings, from which it is then very difficult to wean. Hence the main advice: do not accustom from the beginning! And for this, follow a few rules:

1. Try to find out the true cause of crying and waking the baby, do not try to solve the problem by feeding.
2. Do not follow the demanding cries and screams. At night it is easier to give a breast or a bottle than to listen to how a baby cries. But this is wrong. Sometimes it is necessary to let the baby scream and get tired. Usually no more than a week of such ignorance, and the child will stop waking up at night. Remember, even very small children can be capricious and demand their own.
3. Do not panic, do not wind yourself. Yes, the child is still very small, yes, scary for him. But the kid even at that age understands perfectly when he is well, and he can show character, trying to scream to achieve the desired. Moreover, if already once he lost.
4. Remember that night feeding is exactly normal for up to six months, in some families it is possible up to a year, but then you should definitely be accustomed to sleep all night. Therefore, while the son or daughter is very small, do not worry and do not listen to anyone: for such children, eating even after midnight is absolutely in the order of things. They, after all, do not diet.
5. Do not listen to anyone other than a trusted doctor. Another great adviser is your own heart. It always tells the mother and father the right decision. Therefore, even if the girlfriend has a child sleeping all night since birth, and the cousin already a month after birth, do not listen and do not compare. Your baby is only your responsibility, and nobody knows him better than you. Therefore, each family has its own problems and its own regimes.

And yet, despite all the warnings and advice, you have already made a mistake, and now the baby wakes up regularly at night, demanding to eat, and you are 100 percent sure that this is just a habit, not an urgent need, but don’t know how effectively deal with it? Well, let's look at the practical side. How to wean a child from night feedings, if they are no longer needed? Let's look at all the ways.

Weaning from night feedings

So, for starters, set boundaries. When to eat normally at night, and when not? Most pediatricians are inclined to believe that after a year a child should definitely sleep peacefully all night without waking up for a “snack”. In fact, the boundaries are more vague, a lot depends on you and the child. If you feel it’s time, proceed.On average, from 6 months to 18, but after a year and a half normally, the baby should sleep at least 8 hours: from 22.00 to 6.00. Time may fluctuate depending on the individual regimen, but a sound eight-hour sleep is an indicator of the correct development of a one and a half year old child. This is important to understand.

To achieve the goal, do the following:

1. Nourish your meal for the night. When transferring a child to complementary foods, follow this pattern. About a couple of hours before a night’s sleep, feed a nutritious porridge, and just before laying it - kefir. The kid will feel comfort and satiety. Perhaps he won’t need to wake up.
2. Develop only your own ritual of retreat to a long sleep. For example, wash your hands with jokes, tell a fairy tale, stroke your son or daughter. A psychologically calm situation should be created, relaxing and relaxing. In addition, in such rituals there is one more meaning: spending them every day, you form the correct reaction in the child. He knows for sure: after such an action I have to go to bed and not wake up until the morning. It’s great if this installation also speaks out, unobtrusively and affectionately.
3. Do not forget to love your child. It happens that a baby wakes up in the middle of the night because he has not received the necessary amount of caress in the afternoon. Iron it, praise it, touch it. Such relationships give reassurance and confidence that the child is loved. And with a good mood, he sleeps better.
4. Keep your baby full throughout the day. Great option: feeding in small portions 6 times a day. Here is the secret. Growing up, the child constantly receives a stream of information that captivates and makes you forget about hunger. And mother got used to give food on demand: the baby is silent, and she is calm. However, a lack of food during the day can then be reflected in night awakening. Carefully monitor the proper nutrition of a growing person!

Weasel, caring, sensitive attitude will help to avoid serious problems. Listen to yourself and your child, and then motherhood will surely bring only joy and positive!

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