How can I wean my daughter from breastfeeding at night?

Hello, I took the advice of a couple of people on here, and I started breastfeeding my daughter, laying down to slow the flow and to help us get some sleep; it worked great, too great actually she wants to be attached to me all night long now. She wakes up in her sleep, and before her eyes are even open, she’s panicking, trying to find my breast. If I don’t immediately put it in her mouth, she wakes up screaming; she is now three months old. Does anyone have experience trying to stop this? I don’t want her attached to me all night long; for one, I’m scared I’m gonna roll over onto her, and also, she wakes up spitting up so bad in the morning from eating all night.

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3 days cold turkey. best advice her pediatrician ever gave me. first night was rough 2nd was okay 3rd was easy peasy

Read about sleep training.

Maybe try a pacifier?

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As far as the spitting up, hold her upright or sit her in her baby chair or car seat after eating for about 30 minutes… My cousin had the same spitting up problem with his baby girl. This worked better than the gripe water for her… Good luck!

I’m going through the same thing but with my 15 month old. I’m giving him a pacifier. He doesn’t like it but he will suck on it for a bit and fall back asleep. I will breastfeed him once before bed and I try not to if he wakes up at night. Im over pumping and feeding him. He has teeth and it hurts now because he likes to chew on my nipples than drink from them.

I did sleep training/ learning self soothing with my daughter it took a while but it works she sleeps in her crib all night in her own room and she loves it
When she woke up I would give her a pacifier and I would walk out of the room and I would let her cry I would walk in every 10 to 15 minutes to give her the pacifier again and soothe her and then walk out again repeating that until she fell asleep

Probably will need to move her to her own bassinet or crib.

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Have you tried giving her a bottle? You can pump and feed her your milk and it will make her less dependant on your body.

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Is this page about nails???

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3-4 months they go through a leap and a sleep regression. Its totally normal and night weaning is not recommended before a year old.

If side laying works to slow the flow, great. But don’t fall asleep, or let her. Once she does down or stops burp her and put her in her bed. (I also have an almost 3 month old, baby #3, and had to do the same thing. The key is to stay awake. She has learned to control/gotten used to the flow so she is fine now)

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Not good. Break this habit now even if it takes screaming at first. Unless you want a 6 year old still in your bed attached to you.

My son ate alot. I started him on baby rice mixed with breast milk before… it seemed to hold his tummy better. Remember your breast is her comfort… maybe she’s a night owl and needs to be up and active for an hour in the middle of the night. Maybe stimulate her brain for awhile when she wakes up.

Start a bottle at night…

Feed her meal time ,then put in her bed and then go to sleep :sleeping::heart:

Sounds like a habit she has gotten use too.

I had this problem. I thought something wrong with the baby so took him to Drs hospital until Children’s hospital said feed put to bed and walk out. It’s heartbreaking however only took 3 days. I don’t know if you can do this as it’s hard but worth it

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I breastfeed and my 7 month old is still having night feeds. Just pop it out when she hits that sweet spot of deep sleep and let her fuss a little until she falls back asleep and lay her down. I havent used pacifiers with any of my kids. Just lay them down and let them settle themselves back into sleep.

At three months old she should be feeding at least every two to three hours over night it will get longer between feeds as she gets older. Please dont expect her to sleep through at 3 months old as with breast milk it is digested quicker than formula.

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Let her cry it out. It may take a week or two, but eventually she will re-learn to not need it. It may be hard for all involved, until it subsides, but it will subside, and that is the end result, after all. Often, babies will turn to sucking their hands or fingers. I am not against pacifiers, but some people are. Using a pacifier is another option. My first-born loved her thumb, my second-born loved his pacifier, and my third-born didn’t like anything. Such is life. But either way, it will get her off the boob.

Stop co sleeping! Please! To many babies die from that.

3 months old is too young to not be feeding through the night. But not all night. Babies are exhausting but there is no way to skip feeding them when they should be fed. You just have to get through it. It’ll pass faster than you think

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Try giving her a pacifier some times that all they want is security and a pacifier will give her that. Ask.your pediatrician if it’s colick. Gripe water a pacifier rap her secure in a blanket walk the floor a bit should calm down. Good.luck

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Anything an infant needs in the first year of life, give it to them. Attachment is normal for three months, she’s not 20 years old. Let her be a baby. Put down a liner under you and her that you can wash without changing the sheets. Her only way of communication is her cries. Your job is to decipher those cries. Welcome to motherhood, it’s not for the faint of heart.

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At 3 months old shes gonna to eat every 2 hrs this is normal and your expectations seem a bit high, take a deep breath talk to her pediatrician but I’m sure he’ll tell you the same most have it’s normal at this age

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OMG…I cannot believe that y’all think a 3 month ols baby shouldn’t be sleeping thru the night. My baby slept thru the night from the time we came home from the hospital, back then it was. 3 day stay. I didn’t breastfeed, but it doesn’t seem normal that a baby wants to feed all night and then throws up in the morning. Maybe the baby needs to have something to eat before bed?!?

Get her a pacifier. She’s basically using you as one. Yes she still needs to eat through the night but not continuously. I think a pacifier would be helpful. If she gets to fussy then she probably is legit hungry and then you can do your thang mama!!! Enjoy this time. It goes so fast. :heart:

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I suggest a schedule every 2-3-4 hours and increase to all night feedings as you start on solid foods . You should never sleep with a baby. I also suggest sitting in a rocking chair while feeding something not so comfortable so ur not tempted to doze off. Good Luck mommy :heart: :relaxed:

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At 3 mos she still needs to be fed at night.

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Are you burping her after every feeding?

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Get up and sit in a chair to feed her, get her out of your bed asap or you are setting yourself up for big problems. I know it seems horrible right now but these first months will be over in a FLASH.

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Uhh Shes spitting up a lot cuz she is laying down when shes eating

She’s 3 months old ??? She’s going to want to eat at night why don’t u sit up and feed her properly then put her in her cot and sleep

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Laying down to drink isn’t good and she needs to be burped after feedings. Every time. And I agree to put her in her own crib for safety… and sanity (eventually)

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Feed her every 3 hours (day or night). Burp her after every feeding. Keep her upright when she drinks. Don’t let her sleep with you, it’s unsafe for her. Keep her next to your bed in a bassinet. Give her pacifiers to suck on.

I am amazed at how many moms on here say 3 month old babies need to feed through the night. My daughter who let me tell ya has been a hungry girl since birth - literally had to supplement her with formula at birth because my colostrum wasn’t enough for her - has slept from 9p to 6a since 6 weeks old. She is a breastfed only baby and has zero problems sleeping through the night. On a rare night she will wake up around 230a and want to eat but it is rare.

Get a pacifier momma, it will do wonders.
If you’re cosleeping do it safely. Get a bedside sleeper or a dockatot. :blush:

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What about a pacifier

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It helped us to pump and let my hubby feed at night in another room. Join the Facebook group Sleepy Littles for credible bedsharing and cosleeping information. If she’s hungry, I definitely don’t recommend silencing her with a pacifier.

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I put apple cider vinegar on toilet paper & tapped it over my nipples, as soon as my son smelt it he wouldn’t want it, I did that for 2 days, by the 3rd all I had to do was tape toilet paper no vinegar cause he already knew. By the end of the week we were done. But my son was 17 months

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Definitely try a pacifier. Otherwise maybe try getting up and feeding her and then putting her to sleep without it. Don’t give it to her when she is sleeping next to you. Gotta kinda get her back to just using it when she is hungry and not for comfort.

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Breast fed both of mine on demand but they slept in their own cot and had a dummy. Bottles of water to wean from night feeds …but mine loved water so still woke up lol.

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Totally normal baby behavior. Just nurse her when she wakes up! She literally NEEDS you. I’ve done that with all 3 and right now I’m night nursing a toddler and 6 month old. It won’t last forever.

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Start putting the baby in the bassinet with a pacifier or bottle with water after you feed her

I breastfed both of my littles (13 and 7) and I was quite funny and scared about using a pacifier at first… if your little is around 3 months, gaining weight/appropriate growth, and seems to be more of wanting something to “comfort” — Especially since you said that they are spitting up badly in the morning (which sounds like overfeeding) —- Try the passy while you are holding your little one at night after feeding.
If you have already started a good breastfeeding routine (and new Momma :clap: YOU are doing A WONDERFUL JOB!!!) then calm down a little …(because they WILL know if u are upset/tensed) and try a pacifier … for BOTH of you!!!

Way to go! And keep pushing lil Momma!! :facepunch::hugs::hugs::hugs:

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As for the spitting up, burp her during the night at some point if you want to, and then burp her in the morning and she wont spit up

My daughters six months and still on my boob all night… I sleep terrible :sleeping:

Especially at 3 months old she REALLY needs mama’s comfort and reassurance during the night at that age!

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This is totally normal for her age. Unless you’re planning to wean her and move to bottles, you can’t wean from night feedings right now. She still very much needs them.

I’ve nursed two kids for a total of 4 years, and we’re gearing up for another round of 2 years when I give birth in October. I co-slept for the simple fact that I am completely deaf in one ear, and was afraid I wouldn’t hear them cry. I never nursed laying down unless it was nap time or I could be sure I would stay awake long enough to detach them when they’d had their fill, because babies that young will absolutely use you as a pacifier, but continue to drink because it’s there. I know it sucks, and you’re tired, but you need to be consciously awake while she’s nursing. If you are awake to detach her, she won’t wake up spitting up anymore.

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Edit to add: 3 months is still too young for her to go all night without nursing IMO. Some will disagree.
You’re better off waiting until she’s 6 months to break the habit.
Oh yeah this ended up happening with both my babies…
I was at my wits end with my eldest. She was 14 months old and I was 2 months pregnant with horrible morning sickness at the time. I have her a baby bottle with warm milk in it and she loved it enough that she stopped nursing. Mind you I gave it to her at night (huge no no but it didn’t give a rats ass at the time :laughing:) then I gave her a sippy cup around 2 instead.
Her younger sister on the other hand still nurses to sleep and wakes up to come to my bed every night and she’s 2 in September… once her teeth are all in (3 more to go!) she’s getting cold turkeyed lol.

My bottle fed babies still woke at night to eat… she’s only 3 months… are you trying to quit nursing all together? :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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JFC don’t listen to anyone on here telling you to give the baby water 🤦 if you’re ok with pacifiers, use them. Or maybe supplement with formula at night for a longer fuller belly

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At that age they’re going through a lot of mental and physical developments and it’s normal for them to want to be attached to you. It’s exhausting, but they need the comfort and your milk right now. Unless you’re planning to completely stop id just power through it cause it does get easier. My son is 3 and still boobs at night lol

She is still in the 4th trimester–infants are supposed to be attached to their moms. Unless you are drinking, doing drugs you will not roll over on your baby(and if doing that you should not be taking care of a baby anyway). do you roll out of bed at night? If so then you will need to try something else. But otherwise keep her with you so she feels safe and attached. Babies should not be night weaned until they are around 6-9 months and eating some solids. At that time you will probably need someone else like the father to get up with her as she will want to nurse if you get up with her.

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Baby #3, she’s two months old now, and this is normal. Check out Biologically Normal Infant & Toddler Sleep

Get a bassinet next to your bed if you’re worried about rolling over on her but at 3 months she still needs her feedings at night. It’s easier to just wake up and fully feed her a few times a night than to slow the flow and have to nurse thru the entire night though. And burp her every few ounces and give a couple gas drops if she’s barfy.

Totally normal. My 8 month old still does that and she does take a passey also.
All 3 of my kids have done that. Why would you want to wean from it if you feed on demand? Its what she wants. Js
Just pull your nipple out slowly when she’s not sucking. You can burp her in the middle of the night to keep the baby from spitting up.

You need to make sure you burp her after she feeds at night if you can, that will prevent the spit up. As far as her not feeding at night your gonna have to probably still do that even with formula but you might have to less if you put her in a bedside bassinet and use a good passifier.

Try pumping for night time feeds and a dummy is good too, remember she still very young and needs nighttime feeds it will take awhile but she’ll get use it x

I’m a mom of 2 boys, my oldest is 4 n I breastfed him like he was like 2. He completely weaned himself actually. I was so sad lol but with that being said when he was just a few months old I would just feed him in the bed then when he would start to fall asleep I would put him in his rocker till he passed out. I’d rock him to sleep. (He was a terrible sleeper) he would wake up for nightly feedings until he was almost 1! Now my second hes 3 months old and he uses me as a paci as well. So I feed him, make sure he’s got a clean diaper, give him some gas drops cause he too loves to spit up. Some babies are just like that no matter how much you burp them. Then I swaddle him n put him in his swing n turn it on and walk away n he’s out with 10 mins. I sometimes have to detach him because he just sucks but the weird thing is he will not take a pacifier for me. He will for others but not for me.

At only three months she still needs to wake frequently to feed. If you aren’t going to put her on the breast then you need to give her a bottle at that time. After she eats you can try giving her a soother for comfort sucking if you like.

Im at 22 months… lol he still screams with out the tata… I have no advice!! just thought I’d follow to get some tips lol

For the love of everything she is only 3 months old….it’s biologically normal for her to wake several times a night also at 3 months old she still will need night feeds. You can start Introducing pumped milk if that helps but she will continue to wake because that’s normal. Also while there are ways to Bedshare safely if your concerned about rolling on her then you are not doing it safely. Please put her on her back in a bassinet near you. She will adjust and it’s the safest

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Respectful Sleep Training/Learning

This is my son at the moment he’s 7 months

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Pretty good advises , pick which suits you, but do not stop breast feeding, it makes your baby stronger.

Try putting a pacifier in her mouth!

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Give her a bottle and. Her own bed

At that age they feed at night like during the day.

I also had to cold turkey for a weekend on my own. Worked though. Their appetite wins in the end. Good luck.

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Make sure she’s had a good feeding before bedtime. Put her to bed and let her learn to fall asleep on her own. If she wakes up don’t always assume it’s time to eat. Sounds like you are the pacifier.

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Soother… or pump and give her a small bottle to lay beside, if she’s old enough to hold her bottle she’ll be fine. You can practice that at nap time if you’re uneasy about leaving her alone with her bottle. :relaxed: good luck

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All of this advise is way too hard. I breastfed my two sons until they were almost two. We had the family bed. I wouldn’t change the feeling of our babies snuggled up between us for anything. So they spit up. They would with a bottle. So your bed smells like sour milk. Relax and enjoy your baby. Time flies by so fast, and you can’t get it back.

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Cold turkey on a weekend. You will have a crying baby, but you have to live with it.

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The third month and breast feeding her is a difficult task sweet heart but u got this u need to get a fixed routine for u and baby every four hours in the day and see how she takes it to hen at night u should extract ur breast milk and feed her with a nipple shaped dummy so she grips it with out air going in baby holds air in the tummy and needs to pass the air from the bottom or burping so hold her up on ur shoulder and rub her back and gently massage her spine in a circular motion and this helps with the air release she will feel so much better and so will u baby will grow into this routine day Tym sleep in the warm room with more sun :sun_with_face: light and nyt Tym in her crib wen ur breast are sore use a warm face towel for relive blessings to and ur little princess

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Feed her small bottles of formula. Switched from brest feeding n bottles. She will get it after a while. N you can get a break from just having her attached to your breast. Good luck :four_leaf_clover:

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If you feel like she is overfeeding, definitely try a pacifier, it will take time, but it seems like she is just trying to soothe, not eat. If you are afraid of rolling over her, try that nursing bed that you can put right next to whatever side you sleep, you might feel more relaxed with that.

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Babies this young still need to feed every couple hours. After each feed place the baby in its own bed. I know trying not to fall asleep with the baby is hard. Try setting a timer to remind you to put the baby back in her bed. They will soon catch on. Rocking a bassinet next the the bed is easier than standing over a crib to soothe baby.

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If you want to stay with a family bed put a crib bumper between your pillows so she is eye level with you. Try a night light so she can see you.

She is using you as a pacifier, feed her and put her back in her crib.

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For my daughter I had enough milk and she latched on great and it seemed she was sucking fine but what I found out was she wasn’t sucking hard enough to get satisfied so she just kept sucking for her I had to pump and bottle feed her

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Three months is still a baby and she must be breastfeeding. Unless for other reasons then bottle feeding, you must share a bed and blankets with her and feed her as much as she wants. Being a mother you don’t sleep alone, let her smell you.

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So if you are a light sleeper and fall asleep feeding her then you will be okay. That’s the safest position just follow safe sleep 7. Only other way would be to sleep train. Or rock her. Just embrace this is your life for now :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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At 3 months it still too young to wean and nursing frequently is normal. It is called cluster feeding and happens at periods of growth which is constant for awhile. Trust me sleeping while they nurse is more restful than making bottles every 1-2 hours. Labor/Delivery/Lactation RN

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You can start spreading her feeding times out now at night. If she nurses every 3 hours, then try to space the first night feeding to 4 hours for a few nights. Then stretch that same feeding time to 5 hours and continue to 6 hours as long as you and baby are comfortable. I had my babies weaned at night when they were about 4 months. That way, I was more rested to begin my mornings after a 7 hour nap overnight. For some babies you may have to take more time with each additional hour being added on and possibly only stretch to 30 minutes each time, but in time your little one will be sleeping through the night. Best Wishes and Sweet Dreams.

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She is too young. She cant attach herself if you have a gown on.
Fix a breast milk bottle for her. Nurse her sitting in a chair before her bedtime. She should be able to empty at least one breast now. Pump the other side once she is in HER BED. All dry and fed and cozy.
She will need 1 bottle at night about 4 ounces
Sit up hold her give the bottle. Change and burp in the order you use
If she requires something more and its not 3 hrs? Give her a binki. Shes not hungry. If its more than 3 hrs. Sit up nurse her burp change. If she fusses give the binki.
She isnt hungry she needs soothing. Plus she may be sleeping in the day to much. But she isnt hungry all night unless your milk flow is weak.

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When you are nursing at night for so many minutes on each breast. Be sure to burp her after each feeding especially if she is gulping the milk as it initially comes so fast. She is using the breast as a pacifer. Place her in her bed if she starts to cry pick her up and hold her maybe a burp? spitting up in the AM after all night try to burp her again before you try to feed her. Babies cry because that is the only way to communicate to you. It is hard to figure out sometimes. But benefit of nursing and bonding with your baby is priceless.

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Sometimes you just gotta let them cry. It is a struggle for you and her but the end result is better for all involved.
She’s training you. If she does it now. . . You are in for a lifetime of the same.
It is not going to hurt her to cry. She will learn that your beast is not at her beck and call.

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I don’t think you can wean her just yet. She’s still very small and ebf, they feed round the clock. You could however feed her, burp her and put her into a cot or bassinet with a dummy to suck on. Then when she wakes again you can determine whether she needs feeding if it’s time or it’s more re settling. You will find your groove as she grows. She’s still so very small.

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Is she gaining weight? I ask because i was breast feeding my son (3rd child) and he was always hungry and not gaining much weight, found out that even tho i had heaps of milk, there was no goodness in it because i was so busy looking after 3 young children my body was using any nourishment i ate. Just a thought

Need to get that baby a paci. She using you as a human pacifier. But I didn’t have that problem my kids were bottle fed so they slept 3-6 hrs at night between feeds

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I’m not really a pacifier fan. This little one might be a candidate. Have you tried one ?

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A pacifier will have same issue. Every time it falls out the baby will holler. Need to teach her how to self soothe herself. Nurse till almost asleep n lay her down. Might take a while at first. Pacifiers have there place. It is no problem taking them or the bottle if you limit them. Paci is for sleeping only. Wake up put it back in crib n say bye till later. Bottles are for eating only. As soon as they’re old enough introduce a cup. Don’t let them be running around the house with a bottle in there hands. Should be done by around 1.

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Fix milk…for night feeding…add some rice cereal…this will stick inside her and not make her hungry at night…not too thick. Helps them sleep through night. Both my sons started on Rice cereal in bottle of milk at night when they were 1 month old…they survived and are healthy over 30 yr olds.

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Instead of 4 hourly feeds stretch a few out 5 hrs nd offer her the bottle ,if she’s hungry she’ll take the bottle try putting a bit of ur milk on the teat 4 the smell.

I see so many posts like this, I’m getting a little leery about breast feeding now. So two questions:
What’s the difference between feeding straight from the breast and strictly pumping to bottle feed?
Are there any moms that formula and breastfeed? I’m thinking of doing both once my baby arrives