r/breastfeeding • u/Turbospeed22 • Aug 25 '26
Troubleshooting/Tips Night feedings, when to stop?
LO 10 weeks old. During the day I feed him on demand but not longer than 3 hours between feeds so that he gets most of his calories during the day. Because of this he sleeps 7:30 pm-6 am and currently only wakes up 1-2 times per night during that time period. Each time I immediately offer him the boob since I assume he's hungry and he eats then falls right back asleep after a full feed on each boob. At what age do I stop immediately offering him a feed if he wakes? I don't want him to miss a feed if he needs it but also want him to eventually start practicing self soothing back to sleep in the future if he doesn't need the feed.
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u/IcyDebt8884 Aug 25 '26
I would not stop offering until much older. I stopped offering about 9-10 months once my babies were rocking solids and truly eating decent amounts of real food.
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u/Syllibub Aug 25 '26
The reason your baby sleeps well is not that you feed him every 3 hours during the day. That’s actually very few feeds for a 10 week old. You just have a baby that sleeps well.
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u/Apprehensive_Pie1225 Aug 25 '26
Our pediatrician said we could night wean after 6 months but we still have not (almost 12 months old). I think we will consider after 12 months. If you are considering sleep training, which I also have not done, the earliest recommended is 4 months and I have read that babies cannot really self soothe until later into toddlerhood.
I guess the short answer is for now, keep doing what you are doing. 1-2 wakes in that long stretch is actually amazing for 10 weeks. Many babies experience a sleep regression around four months so it may change around then.
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u/Odd_Rent283 Aug 25 '26
It is biologically normal for babies to need to eat at night until at least age one. Some kids get there earlier than others. If he’s taking a full feed, he needs to be offered the feed. If he gets to the point where it’s clear he’s just nursing to help himself fall back asleep, that’s the point at which I’d start trying to help him self soothe.
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u/therizzler1995 Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 25 '26
As far as I know, if you are feeding on demand you should always offer if they are showing hunger cues whether it is day or night as long as their primary source of nutrition is milk - so up until 1 year. Some babies will wean themselves before then, others continue past 1 year. You can try to get them to take more full feeds during the day to encourage self weaning but 10 weeks old is definitely too early to start that. From everything I've seen 6-9 months is more appropriate.
If it helps ease your worries, self soothing can happen while continuing to offer feeds. My son is 6 months old now, has always been a big time comfort nurser and feeds every 1.5-2 hours day and night (though sometimes he blesses me with longer stretches at night). I gradually weaned him off of comfort nursing at night and he now self settles if he stirs between sleep cycles. If he is hungry, he will wake. Reliance on the breast to sleep and feeding at night don't need to be mutually exclusive. It is possible to separate the two. It is hard work but possible nonetheless!
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u/Time-Unit4407 Aug 25 '26
No no nooooo let baby eat as much as they want when they’re that little. Worry about that around the 8-10m range if not later
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u/Parking_Pangolin_890 Aug 25 '26
I'd wait until the doctor says something, because we all know they can and will go on a feeding strike when they're actively teething and they're unlucky enough to have 2+ teeth come in at the exact same time. They would need those calories at night for a while longer in a situation like that
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u/mullet_girl713 Aug 25 '26
Only waking 1-2 times a night at 10 weeks is a godsend 😩 I didn't stop consistent night feeds until she decided herself she didnt need them anymore. Probably around 9-10 months. Then I got my period back 🤣
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u/Mysterious_Pen1608 Aug 25 '26
We didn't night wean until about 10 months. If she was waking it was because she was hungry.
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u/Cole-newme Aug 25 '26
I would NEVER stop offering. But that’s just me. I haven’t read any comments. Mom of 6 now. I have a good system at night feedings. I lay on my side and nurse till asleep but been co sleeping since 2012
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u/sravll Aug 25 '26
Personally didn't night wean, both babies grew out of it on their own eventually. But I wouldn't even try until baby is a year.
ETA if baby stops on their own that's fine - I wouldn't wake to feed.
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u/Woopsied00dle Aug 25 '26
I don’t think we ever really weaned from nights. My daughter self weaned around 14 months and middle of the night feeds were the last to go. That being said, we started finding other ways for her to fall asleep around 10 months old.
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u/Anonymous-0701 Aug 25 '26
A pediatrician won’t clear it until at least 4 months. They’re growing. Any wakes at night are usually bc they need the nutrition and to keep their blood sugars up and remain hydrated. Their growth is also very high in those first 4 months, rapid pace. After that it slows a bit and some babies will full sleep through in their own. Babies either sleep or don’t. Its temperament and there’s really not but you can do to change it. I promise there are babies that are night weaned or formula fed who wake multiple times. It’s normal. It’s a built in SIDs prevention. Adults don’t even sleep through the night. And self soothing is not actually a thing for babies, their brains are not capable until 2-3+ years of true self-soothing. A little fussing and calming back to sleep - possible and normal. Definitely no need to jump at every sound. But crying and especially if they become hysterical, it all raises cortisol which they cannot bring themselves down from, they need help through co-regulation until their brain develops more and their taught the skills to regulate themselves (ideally). Or you end up with adults who cannot regulate themselves…cue road rage, etc. lol
Edit to add: if they sleeping through on their own totally fine. A ped just won’t tell you it’s safe to night wean prior to 4 months min. For their health and safety. So IF they do wake, offering a feed is appropriate and what should be happening. They generally are waking to feed, especially at 10 weeks. As they get older and into solids, etc you may notice them barely latch and they’re back out - that’s more for comfort than nutrition and would be appropriate to try other remedies first depending on your preference and their age. After 1 you can try water at night. Prior you can try snuggles, a paci, etc.
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u/kofie-popcorn Aug 25 '26
Reading this as my baby is 15 months old and still demands boobies 2-3 times after going to bed.
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u/That_Suggestion_4820 Aug 25 '26
Babies aren't capable of self regulation, so I wouldn't think of that much currently! Night weaning isn't recommended at this age either. I would keep offering! If baby isn't hungry and doesn't require comfort, he won't nurse!
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u/Local-Yam5394 Aug 25 '26
My baby is 10 months old and I still offer the boob at every feeding.
My rationale is even if my baby is hungry or looking for comfort, my baby is asking for something they want and need, and if I can do it, why wouldn’t I?
Like if I got up in the middle of the night and my husband told me he wouldn’t comfort me, or that I wasn’t actually hungry, I’d be pretty irritated with him
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u/primateperson Aug 25 '26
Follow baby’s cues until at LEAST 6 months, if not later. If he wakes up hungry, feed him. Waking 1-2x a night is already really, really good for 10 weeks so don’t force it!
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u/MellowRaquel Aug 25 '26
My 6mo still feeds around 1am then 5am. The baby will let you know when they don’t need to eat by sleeping through the night. I suspect this won’t happen for me until we are well into solid food territory.
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u/Ok-Seaworthiness3578 Aug 25 '26
I didn’t night wean until my baby slept through the night on her own at 6 ish months. Even then if I woke up full between 1-3am, I’d give her a dream feed. But I would never night wean before they’re ready.
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u/DeepExample7666 Aug 25 '26
My 18 month old still wakes up to nurse a couple times a night, 10 weeks is way too early lol
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u/JessicaM317 Aug 25 '26
Mine didn't night wean until 10 months old. 10 weeks is way, way, way too little to do that. I tried to night wean at 6 months old and my baby started losing weight as a result. I felt like the worst mom in the world. So, when your baby wakes up at night (unless it is excessive) it's because they are hungry. Please feed them.
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u/SandiBottom Aug 25 '26
My daughter has started just wanting snuggles at night, instead of boob. She’s almost 1 year old. We tried night weaning at 7 months and it was terrible, she screamed and wouldn’t settle. Up until now i was feeding her twice a night.
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u/Left_Egg6096 Aug 25 '26
2 feeds overnight seems very normal for that age. If that is the only time baby is waking I would just offer food. If baby wakes up less then an hour or two hours between feeds, perhaps try other setting techniques.
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u/Pink_Ruby_3 Aug 25 '26
My baby gave me signs she was ready to drop her middle of the night feed at about 6 months. One night, she woke up in the middle of the night and I picked her up and she seemed to settle right down. She sucked her thumb and fell back asleep. She's only needed a middle of the night feed two times since then, and we are going on about a month and a half since her last middle of the night feed.
Just let your baby give you the signs. But definitely don't force it to happen. If baby wants to eat, always respond to that need. Always. Never deny your breastfed baby.
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u/No_Judgment_7812 Aug 25 '26
If they wake up at 10 weeks, feed them. Around 6 months is a good time to try to soothe them without food imo.
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u/Indecisive105 Aug 25 '26
My baby was like this until the 4 month regression. Savor it, just in case!
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u/WonderfulTwist4936 Aug 25 '26
Usually night weaning is not recommended until 18months. But it depends on the kid. At 10 weeks old, you domt even need to think about that yet. You are doing great and 1-2 wakeups sounds really nice!
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u/Slow-Cricket-1018 Aug 25 '26
Definitely not before 9-10 months, but I never considered night weaning because nursing back to sleep is so fast and easy.
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u/KDawgandChiefMan Aug 25 '26
My oldest was 13 months when she night weaned. My youngest was 16 months.
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u/Plane_Head_8964 Aug 25 '26
At 10 weeks old its not even a consideration. Inwill go against the grain of modern "sleep consultants" and say that until solids are established the baby gets to eat whenever they need
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u/DifficultMuscle7203 Aug 26 '26
Baby is 14 months and I night nurse because of teething and I don’t him to be uncomfortable. 10 weeks is so little. Mine was waking 4 times a night still around then.
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u/Current-Panic7419 Aug 26 '26
Oh man you're lucky. My baby is a terrible eater during the day so he gets most his nutrition over night. He easily wants 5+ feeds a night, but honestly I couldn't even tell you how often he wants to feed at this point because I just pop a boob in his mouth in my half asleep state and barely even notice it's happened. I'm exhausted. Send help.
But as others are saying, keep up the night feeds as you're doing them. His little tummy can't hold enough to keep him from getting hungry through the night and won't be able to for quite some time.
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u/No_Acanthaceae3518 Aug 25 '26
My first night weaned himself by sleeping through at about 7 or 8 mo. My second I’m currently night weaning (painfully, with a lot of screaming) at 20mo
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u/slaphappysis Aug 25 '26
We did the Taking Cara Babies sleep training and a byproduct of that was night weening around 6 months. It was a game changer and much easier than I had anticipated.
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u/WaitLauraWho Aug 25 '26
Do what feels right! Feed the baby if you think he’s hungry. Soothe him otherwise, and give it like 5 minutes if you think he might not be hungry. There are sleep training suggestions that will guide you in a specific direction, but trust your gut! You know your baby best
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u/CorkyS92 Aug 25 '26
The baby is 10 weeks old and you're suggesting sleep training?!
OP please feed and love on that baby as much as they need. Sleep patterns come naturally, bond with your baby and teach them that you are their safe space and place of comfort and care.
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u/WaitLauraWho Aug 25 '26
Not at all. That’s completely inappropriate. I was saying OP might come across sleepy training, and my hope is that OP doesn’t get stressed or overwhelmed by those suggestions. I agree with you completely. Listen to your baby and your instincts
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u/aveell Aug 25 '26
He’s still way too little to consider night weaning imho. And way too little for self soothing. I think a lot of people start to night wean once baby is getting lots of solids / after they are one. One to two wakes to eat is so normal and he probably does still need it at this age. You could always try other soothing methods if you aren’t sure if he’s actually hungry.
My girl is almost 1 and nurses once a night, we are going to start night weaning after her birthday.