Night nursing a 9 month old

[MeredithK]

Ok, I feel really dumb asking this considering I have breastfed for the last 9 months, but I'm going to ask anyway.

So, DS constantly wakes up at night. Almost every hour. Here's the stupid part...how do I know if he's hungry or not? The wakings are no different from each other. He makes no indication (not in the daytime either, other than fussing) that he wants to nurse.

I don't want to just nurse him every time he wakes because I know he doesn't need to eat all the time and I don't want to encourage the all night snack bar. So, I have been just nursing every three hours or so.

How often should a 9 month old need to nurse at night? I know each baby is different, but just an average would be great. He goes to bed around 6:30 and wakes at around 6:30 (I wish! I mean, that's how long he's in bed).

Oh- we do sidecar, so I'm available all night :

Thank you!

[texmati]

what we did, sometimes, was to have DH rock him... if he wouldn't settle in a few minutes, than I'd feed him.

Honestly though... nursing is the easiest way to get DS back to sleep.

[RhianaW14]

What I normally do is nurse dd to sleep and put her in the crib. Its next to our bed, but the side is on it, its not directly against the bed. when she wakes up, I bring her in bed with us. That way dh and I can still snuggle

When she wakes up, I just lay her in my bed and nurse her. I've always just nursed her back to bed. We don't use pacifiers or anything.

[hildare]

Originally Posted by MeredithK

Ok, I feel really dumb asking this considering I have breastfed for the last 9 months, but I'm going to ask anyway.

So, DS constantly wakes up at night. Almost every hour. Here's the stupid part...how do I know if he's hungry or not? The wakings are no different from each other. He makes no indication (not in the daytime either, other than fussing) that he wants to nurse.

I don't want to just nurse him every time he wakes because I know he doesn't need to eat all the time and I don't want to encourage the all night snack bar. So, I have been just nursing every three hours or so.

How often should a 9 month old need to nurse at night? I know each baby is different, but just an average would be great. He goes to bed around 6:30 and wakes at around 6:30 (I wish! I mean, that's how long he's in bed).

Oh- we do sidecar, so I'm available all night :

Thank you!

this is the story of our life too.. only, there is no going back to sleep without the boob. (however, i woh and i feel like this is a reverse cycle thing, so i'm not quite ready to put a stop to it with any effort)

oh, AND.. our dd doesn't go to sleep till 8:30 or so, and wakes up at 10 to eat, then back to sleep and up every hour to nurse (just like yours, sigh). she does sleep a little later than your babe, if i don't accidentally wake her when i get up for work...