The thing to remember with night feeds is they won’t last forever.

At some point in the not-too-distant future, you will get more than four hours of sleep at a time and may miss the quiet sleepy cuddles night-time feeds offer.

Until then, here are some tips for breastfeeding at night, and advice for bottle feeders.

Most babies will need night-time feeds during their first six months, so here is how to make them short and sweet.

On the Breast

 

 

During the early weeks, it is important to feed your baby during the night.

His tiny tummy will need frequent refills and your breasts will also need the stimulation of night feeds to establish a good milk supply.

Since you produce more prolactin (the milk production hormone) at night, night-time feeds will increase and maintain high levels of this important hormone and plentiful milk supply, which could mean your baby will sleep more soundly, sooner.

 

Keep It Simple

Make night feeds easier by keeping the lights dim as you attend to your baby, so neither of you is stimulated to a fully awake state.

Avoid disturbing your little one unnecessarily by changing nappies unless they are very wet or soiled.

If you do change nappies during the night, it’s better to change your baby and rewrap him halfway through the feed than to disturb him when he is full and drowsy.

Parents are encouraged to share the same room as their baby during the first six to 12 months, as this practice reduces the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

Also, sharing a room with baby will mean you can feed him before he wakes and becomes too distressed. A crying baby can be difficult to feed and take longer to settle, or may only take a short feed and wake sooner. If you learn to breastfeed lying
down, you’ll also get more rest as you feed.

Create a safe feeding and sleeping environment – make sure your bed is a safe space and don’t lie on a sofa to nurse in case you doze off and baby rolls off.

You may need support during night feeds – someone to bring baby to you to feed, then change (if needed) and settle them afterwards.

This is better than expressing milk and sleeping through feeds, as missing feeds can result in engorged breasts, blocked ducts or mastitis.

 

Is He Really Hungry?

 

When your baby is a few months old, wait a minute or two when he wakes at night to see whether he is just stirring between sleep cycles or whether he is going to wake fully and need a cuddle or feed.

Some babies make noises as they stir but don’t wake fully.

If you pick him up too quickly, you may disturb a baby who’d otherwise snuggle back to sleep by himself.

On the other hand, waiting even a few more moments may mean some babies become more awake and difficult to resettle, so relax and do whatever works best for you and your baby.

 

Finishing Night Feeds

Some babies give up night feeds early but wake again after a few months as they go through growth spurts or become too busy during developmental leaps (such as learning to crawl) to feed enough during the day.

If your baby is easily distracted, you may need to do your daytime feeds in a quiet room with minimal stimulation.

Babies who are teething or experiencing separation anxiety (a natural developmental stage) will be comforted by nursing.

Little ones in childcare may get into a ‘reverse cycle’ feeding pattern and sleep long periods during the day but feed more at night.

Help your baby sleep longer at night by offering a cluster of feeds close together in the evening – many babies feed frequently then anyways, as though they are ‘tanking up’ for the night.

 

Flexibility Is Key

You and your husband will need to work out the logistics of night feeds to suit your baby and your family.

Just remember, sleep isn’t a milestone or reflection of your parenting skills, but an ongoing process that will be influenced by your baby’s development.

If you can see night feeds as an opportunity for one more delicious cuddle, you will eliminate stress that could affect your own sleep as well as your baby’s.

 

On The Bottle

 

 

These simple tips will help make your night feeds happen as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

Some of them require only a few minutes of pre-planning before you flop into bed at night:

• Have the bottle make up already at the front of the fridge.
• Have clean, dry teats and a towel to catch spills ready to go.
• Prefer your baby to have warm milk? Have the bottle warmer or kettle plugged in ready to go or the pan of water sitting on the stove. Either way, you will be looking at around five minutes for night-time preparation.
• Have a glass of water ready for you to drink as well.
• After about three months of age, it is the total amount of milk that matters for growth and fullness, so if you give your baby slightly larger feeds during the day, you can put less in the bottle at night-time, making these feeds quicker.
• Put baby in a nappy one size larger than the ones you use during the day. Only change him if he’s dirty or wet through, and give him 60ml of milk first so he is not hysterically hungry.
• Keep the lights dimmed and music and TV off. Whisper softly to him but don’t over-stimulate him at this hour.

Resettling Yourself

We constantly see mums who are wrecks. Their babies settle nicely after feeds but the mums find it much more difficult to resettle themselves and end up tossing and turning all the way through to the next feed.

If this sounds like you, drink lots of water during the day so you’re well-hydrated and cut out fluids after about 7 pm. Cut out caffeine so you avoid the vicious cycle where you feel exhausted, caffeinate yourself, and then can’t sleep!

Finally, exercise. Pop baby in the pram and walk every day. At least an hour a day or brisk walk in the evenings will help your brain feel more tired at night.

 

Cutting Out Night Feeds

In many ways, this decision is completely up to you. For the first six months of baby’s life, let him be your guide. Demand feeding is the name of the game.

But, from six months, healthy babies do not actually need night feeds for their health or to grow properly. Whether you choose to cut out night feeds or not is entirely up to you.

Some parents enjoy the chance for bonding late at night and don’t mind interrupted sleep. If you do decide to stop night-time feeds, here is the best technique to make the process as painless as possible. Cut down the volume of milk by 20ml every second night.

So, if your baby usually drinks 180ml, give him 160ml for two nights, then 140ml for the next two nights, and so on. Once you get down to 60ml or less, you can stop the night feed altogether.

Use the same resettling techniques night in, night out.

On the night you stop his milk altogether, go in, and simply move straight to resettling.