Man, oh man, I wish there was an easy answer to this question: When should I wean my baby from night feedings?
Night feedings are the thing you wish for when you’re trying to get pregnant.
Night feedings are also, in my humble opinion, the hardest part of parenting; you’re so utterly exhausted from caring for your little one all day that you just want to sleep at night!
But night feedings are also necessary for your little one to thrive…to a certain extent, of course.
And that is why answering that question is fairly difficult. It’s often more nuanced than you think, and that’s what we’re going to dive into in this blog post!
So, when should you wean your baby from night feedings?
You have to know the first thing I’m going to say is this: When it comes to the timing of dropping night feedings or weaning from night feeding altogether, this is a conversation to have with your child’s pediatrician.
This is also a discussion to have with your child’s pediatrician especially if they’re had troubles with feeding and/or weight gain in the past.
When to Wean Your Baby from Night Feedings
If you want a black and white answer, most babies are capable of going through the night without a feeding once they’ve reached the following milestones:
They’re a minimum of 15 lbs
OR
They’re a minimum of 6 months old
AND
You have approval from your child’s doctor that offering a feeding at night is no longer necessary
However…
…only you know what’s best for your baby. They may not be ready to drop the night feeding quite yet.
Or, if you’re breastfeeding, you may want to keep one to protect your supply if you don’t want to pump at night.
Or maybe they’re waking for feedings 2 or 3+ times at night and you just want to do less.
That’s an option in most instances, too!
Working Moms and Night Feedings
When my babies were little, I was still a teacher in the United States. This means I only had 12 weeks of maternity leave and then I was back to work.
It’s really, really difficult to function and run a classroom of a bunch of 4-, 5-, and 6-year olds during the day when you’ve been up one, two, or three times at night.
Luckily, my first child was sleeping through the night around 4-months old and never wanted or needed a night feed as we sleep trained him.
Wondering if you can sleep train and still offer night feedings to you babe?? You can! Read more about that here.
My younger child had some health complications after his birth and we kept night feedings for him through 6 months and reverted back to them on a family vacation where we needed to keep the house quiet at night. We officially weaned him from night feedings by 7 months old when we were back home and had full control of the situation.
Could I have weaned him sooner?? Probably not, even if I had wanted to - he was scrawny! The total opposite of my oldest child.
Every child is SO different and there’s a lot to consider.
If you’re a working mom and need to help your baby wean from night feedings to ensure you can function at work the next day, please don’t feel guilty for doing so. You need to provide for your family and if your baby is meeting those above requirements, there’s no shame in doing what works for you!
Part-Time Work or Stay-at-Home Moms and Night Feedings
If you’re a part-time worker or a stay-at-home mom, you may be able to sustain night feedings a little longer because you have more flexibility with your schedule during the day.
For example, Megan’s little guy has been feeding at night for 9-months and counting! She works from home, part-time, during the day and has the flexibility to take a nap here and there if she needs it.
It’s sustainable for them and they both enjoy it.
What about dream feeds?
If your goal is for your little one to be an independent sleeper, I wouldn’t recommend offering a dream feed, since the end goal is to separate feeding and sleep, and feeding your baby while they’re sleeping kind of defeats the purpose.
A dream feed is when you pick your baby up while they’re sleeping, say 11:00 p.m., and feed them with the hope that this little “top off” will help extend the amount of time they sleep before waking again at night.
What is a “Snooze Button” feeding and should you offer one?
A “Snooze Button” feeding is one that occurs during the early morning hours, typically between 4-6:00 a.m., and is usually the last feed that a baby will drop before weaning from all their night feedings.
If done correctly, a baby will likely fall asleep for one or two more sleep cycles before being ready to officially start their day. Make sure your little one is awake for the feeding and puts themselves back to sleep afterward. If they begin to wake for this feed out of habit instead of hunger, they’ll have a hard time putting themselves back to sleep and seem like they’re ready to be up for the day…this is your cue to cut that feed! They likely don't need it anymore.
Nuances of Night Feedings
So friend, as you can see, there are quite a few things to consider when it comes to helping your little one wean from night feedings.
If you’d like a professional opinion or want help teaching your little one to sleep through the night, we’d love to help you with our responsive sleep training program, The CHEER Method.
Wondering if sleep training is the right solution for your family? Take our quiz and find out!
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