[Aziah]

DD wakes up at 3am every morning and cries until I give her a baba. She will only take a couple ounces...but she won't sleep until I give it to her. Now I read that we are supposed to not feed them, but ignore them, when they are this age because they are old enough to sleep thorugh the night without needing fed. Now, I do give her a bottle at 10pm...but she still wakes at 3am.

What do you guys do???

 

[plantmommy]

I'm nursing, but I've never considered nightweaning until at least 18 months.

IME, when my 2+ yr. olds were nightweaned, they would ask for a snack. And get one. Growing babies need to eat when they're hungry.

 

[Artisan]

Yep, my 10 month old nurses 1-2 times per night. She will sleep through when she's ready. She will only be little one time -- she has the rest of her life to sleep through the night.

 

[paquerette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aziah Now I read that we are supposed to not feed them, but ignore them, when they are this age because they are old enough to sleep thorugh the night without needing fed.

I don't think there's ever an age where you should ignore your child if they cry for you during the night.

And at this age, their little bellies still empty so fast that they get hungry. Did you ever try to sleep with your belly growling and churning and hungry? Not fun.

Can you maybe have a small bottle fixed & in the fridge when you go to bed so you have less work when she does get up? You must be missing your sleep!

 

[alegna]

IMO no baby (or person) should be ignored when they want to eat. My 10mo often sleeps through the night, but also often wakes once to eat. She is in my bed and nursing, so I always roll over (or just snuggle closer) and nurse.

-Angela

 

[AugustineM]

If your baby is only taking one or two ounces she could just be thirsty, too, and you definitely don't want to ignore that (or anything that your child needs, be it cuddling or whatever). I know I get very thirsty at night, so I assume babies do too! My DS is almost 9 mo and nurses at least twice at night, but not for very long. I often assume he's thirsty, especially when it's been very dry outside. Hugs!

 

[Marimami]

Well, we just brought our 9-month old home at the end of her 7-month, and she had been waking in the middle of the night for her bottle. We had no intention of stopping it.

She went to her pediatrician last week who suggested we stop it. She's eating a lot of solids and takes about another 4 bottles during the day. I told DH I did not want to do it. If she was waking and asking for it, she was hungry.

Well, apparently she was listening to the doctor because she has not awoken once since he mentioned in. :LOL

But, we are still planning on offering it if she wants it!

Holli

 

[Itlbokay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alegna She is in my bed and nursing, so I always roll over (or just snuggle closer) and nurse. -Angela

When my boys were nursing that is what I would do as well, and pretty much continued to do so until they weaned.

I'm thinking a bottlefed baby/toddler should be no different?

 

[slacker_mom]

I let my daughter nurse at night if she wants too. She usually wakes up a couple of times to nurse for a few minutes, then she goes back to sleep.

I think people go a step too far when they say older babies are not SUPPOSED to be fed at night.

As a newborn, if she were to sleep through the night, I was SUPPOSED to wake her to nurse her every 3 hours or so, since her stomach was so small, and she needed the nourishment. It was important to feed her frequently, even at night.

At 10 months, if she were to sleep through the night, I wouldn't NEED to wake her to nurse her, since she's not really in danger at this point. She can survive through the night without a feeding, so it's not necessary for me to wake her up just to offer to feed her. However, if she lets me know she wants to nurse, I see absolutely no reason to deny her that.

Have you ever woken up with a dry mouth or throat and needed a sip of water? Can you imagine being told you need to wait until the sun comes up before you can have that sip? Babies don't have as much control over their salivary glands as we grown ups do, either, so they can't always just summon up that little bit of spit to clear their throats.

 

[BabyBumblebee]

Dd still wakes at night for a snack and she is nearly a year old; I think she's still half asleep, but it would not occur to me *not* to feed her (or give her a drink). I really wouldn't worry about what 'should' be happening - just go with your heart and do what works for you, good mama

 

[mollyeilis]

Yes I feed my baby when he wakes. And he's a year old now. And doesn't really eat any solids yet. Can't quite imagine denying him his milk, just because some (awful) book said to do it, please throw away that book and listen to your baby!

 

[VikingKvinna]

I'm sorry to be repetitive, as everyone else has said the same thing, but I have to chime in and say that you should never *ignore* your 10-month old child. She cries because that is the best way she has of communicating -- and she is communicating a need. She doesn't cry to be annoying, or to be manipulative (you don't mention this, OP, but I'm sure it's somewhere in that book you're reading

) but because she needs something. Chances are it's food, or a drink, or some love and snuggling.

Listen to your babe, and listen to your gut. They'll tell you what to do. HTH.

~Nick

 

[sylvi76]

My almost 10 month old wakes up at leaast once around 2 am every night. Sometimes again around 6:30 am. Both times she wants to nurse for a few minutes and then she goes right back to sleep. So do I.

I've also had ppl tell me recently that she should be sleeping through, and I should stop etc. It makes me feel bad that others are so pushy about something that should not even bother them. I mean, it's the middle of the night, my baby is only waking ME up, and I'm happy to feed her, so why do other ppl feel the need to try to correct a situation that has nothing to do with them? Ya know what I mean?

Anyways.....like someone else said, it's for a relatively short period of time in their lives when they are this tiny and they can't tell us their needs verbally, they can only wake up and fuss to let us know they are not comfortable. So I'd encourage you to feed her if that what she wants/needs when she wakes up at night.

 

[3timesamama]

I think what dr.'s are concerned about is babies sleeping with milk on their teeth and getting "bottle rot". But on the ask dr sears website he says it's fine as long as you clean their teeth when they wake up.

But I wonder if breastmilk doesn't rot teeth cuz with my older 2 boys I nursed through the night and never worried about cleaning their teeth and they never had problems.

 

[bikruca]

I couldn't tell you how many time my 10 month old nurses at night because I don't usually wake up for it, bit I am thinking around 2 times a night..