What’s the best way to get a 18 month to sleep through the night without nursing 4-6 times throughout the night?
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Slowly cut pack ounces you feed them each time. Make sure they eat a good meal at dinner and maybe a healthy snack after and just slowly wean night feedings
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Hannah it could always be worse
When I had a bad nursing aversion while I was pregnant with my second child, I would rock my son with his hand on my chest. I gently explained that I was sad too, I couldn’t nurse right now and that it wasn’t his fault. LOTS of cuddles and comfort! I would tell your little one that they could have milk once the sun comes up
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Stop nursing at night and pump they can hold their own bottle.Or start weaning at night.like Kristina said make sure they have a full belly before bed.
My doctor says by 18 months no child should still be “nursing” through out the night. As babies you have to worry because of dehydration but by that age they are fine until morning. She is propbaky just using you for comfort rather than self soothing. Try giving them a pacifier instead of a bottle before bed and they should be fine.
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I, unfortunately, didn’t/couldn’t nurse, but my daughter wouldn’t go back to sleep in the middle of the night without a bottle. We ended up weaning her off by decreasing the amount of formula in her bottles every couple nights. We went from 5oz for 2 nights, to 3.5oz for 2 nights, to 2oz for 2 nights, then about 1/2oz water for 2 nights. This seemed to work well for her. She was about 6-7 months old when we did this. I’m not sure how it would work for nursing, but I’m assuming shorter feeds each time might help? I feel your pain though, my daughter is almost 10 months and still wakes up at night, but it’s now due to teething 
Let her cryput through the night right away they dont need to be nursed that often at that age
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Give some real food! Full belly=sleep
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At this point she def shouldn’t be nursing at all during the night. Cut back ever week on the nursing and just give a bottle before bed.
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A pacie. It worked with both my kids. But the off side to this is they may get attached to it. My 1st only used one for a few months but my second still uses one at 19 months
Cry it out! She needs to learn to self sooth.
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I would get up and do it because this stage will not last forever and before you know it you’ll be looking back wishing you could nurse just one more time.
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nyquil!! just kidding. maybe try giving them a banana or a piece of some other kinds of fruit or something heavier before bed.
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Ignore. Your child is in a habit. It’s time to break it. As long as they dry no reason to go in.
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Set a schedule. I wake my 1 1/2 year old at 730am and nap time at 1130 and then bed time at 830-9.
Feed him something firmer before bed. Bananas, sandwich, mashed potatoes. Then lay the baby down to sleep. My guy will wake maybe 1 time a night about once a week, other than that, he’s asleep all night
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Stop nursing at night. My doctor thought it was weird that my 5 month old still wakes for feedings at night (fully formula fed now…weaned herself when she started teething) until i told him she was teething and that made more sense to him for her to be feeding at night.
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Substitute nursing for a security blanket. Target sells some night ones
Thats comfort not actual nursing…and if it is I’d use a bottle with breast milk. Also a big dinner of solids will help.
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More food during the day
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My daughter was 14 months old and due to an eptopic pregnancy I had to stop for 2 weeks cold turkey. I probably cried more than her. She was already drinking from a sippy cup so we made sure she had her good dream juice (aka water) in her sippy cup. First couple of nights was rough, with her pulling on me and fussing but with some good cuddles and the sippy cup, she did great. I did not give a pacifier because I didn’t want to battle getting rid of that and was told they can cause teeth problems when kept for a long time. Everyone will have different advise but you be momma and do what you feel is best because you know your child and what their needs are. You’ve got this.
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Babys associate a bottle or feeding at bed. Start a new routine where feeding isn’t associated with bed that way when they wake at night they aren’t waiting for a bottle or nursing to put them back to sleep. Also feed more of a solid closer to bed maybe oatmeal keeps them full longer
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I’d try melatonin for a few weeks see if you can break the habit…
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The comments are so sad
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All my 5 kids slept through the night I have no suggestions but I will advise not to use cry it out it can lead to so many issues later in life one major is sensory issues n abandonment. 18 months this little one has been in this world !!!
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Try finding different ways to comfort (rocking, pacifier, lullabies) leave nursing as last resort. Try to comfort your baby for at least half hour before giving in. This should change the routine and leave more time between nursing at nights.
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Cry it out is not a good method.Best thing to do is ask pediatrician every baby is different:) .
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Feed them baby food before bed usually cereal or reg food at 18 months should be earing alot of solid foods baby shouldn’t be waking that much to eat
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He/she is most likely nursing for comfort. They’re just 18 months. They still need you to feel safe and to sleep.
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What in the day light! Feed that child more solid foods during the day!!!
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Night wean. Literally all you can do is wean them at night to get them in the habit of sleeping all night and not thinking they need to wake up 1000 times a night to eat because a kid that age def doesnt need to eat at night. I’d try to comfort in another way like give a sippy cup of water and come sooth them in their room at night until they dont wake up anymore
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These comments… “cry out method” “stop nursing” SHITTY PARENTS
18 months vs the rest of your life. You’ll make it. Hang in there.
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Turn the light off and close the door
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Cereal b4 bed…fill their tummy
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When I was weaning my daughter at 10 months old…(because of me expecting again and not getting enough sleep) I had my husband comfort her and rock her back to sleep the couple times she would wake up in the middle of the night to nurse. Sometimes it helps when it’s not the mother that is trying to put baby back to sleep. My 10 month old didn’t need to eat throughout the night and an 18 month old shouldn’t either. It’s only for comfort and there is many other ways to comfort your child.
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If they are waking up they are either HUNGRY or need comfort. It’s normal and it will only get worse. Wait till u get them to bed and they come out of their room every 10 min cuz their “thirsty” or need a “snack” cuz they didn’t eat all of their dinner. Some of these comments are messes up. Don’t CIO and don’t just not nurse.
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Baby cereal before bed. And put him/her in a different room. When our 1 year old slept in our room he was up frequently. 1st night in his own room, he cried for a few minutes, then fell asleep and slept almost 12 hours, and very few incidents after that. That’s what worked for us anyway.
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feed more the first time
Some babies just take longer to sleep through the night.
Self soothing is developmental, sounds like she isnt ready
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I always used CIO with both my kids. Nothing wrong with them learning how to soothe themselves. You make sure they are changed, fed and warm and put them in their crib. They will cry a little while and then eventually they fall asleep on their own. A parent needs sleep and rest too. Its unhealthy to coddle and hold them every time they cry. As long as their needs are met, there should be no reason to not sleep at bedtime. And i am an extended nursing mother…my daughter is almost two and still weening. But she sleeps at night. At 18 months i remember she had a sleep regression, but i would go in and change her, cuddle and kiss her, and then place her back in bed. There is no reason an 18 month old should be nursed through the night. Maybe give her/him a healthy snack before bed to ensure they are full, then do the bedtime routine. Check when they cry, change and back to bed every time.
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Cereal had no nutritional value to it, it’s empty calories and burns fast. They need something better for them than that. As someone suggested peanut butter 
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Feed them oatmeal in a bottle. Fill him up. They wake up hungry if they aren’t full when they go to sleep
Feed her solids for supper and evening bed time snacks before bed times, wean the child of nursing. It will be tough for awhile but you need your sleep.
Does your baby do that during the daytime also?
Sleep is developmental and babe will sleep when babe is ready!
Right now, babe is still waking up because babe NEEDS you. Don’t ignore babes demands. My 27 month old still nurses 3-4 times a night, it’s the biological norm!
Do you cosleep? It’s our saving grace. She just rolls over and latches whenever she wants.
It’s honestly sad the lack of breastfeeding knowledge from woman on this page.
Congrats on making it to 18 months momma! You’re doing an amazing job!
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When you find the answer please let me know!!! 4 years straight of breastfeeding…I am so done. My 23 month old wakes all night to breastfeed and I’m done
Food will not keep a baby sleeping longer. I don’t understand how people do not get this.
Sleep is developmental.
Babies will sleep thru the night when they are ready.
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18 months? Feed it supper, give bath, put to bed.
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I’m working on this with my 1 year old right now! Best thing to do first is to remove any discomforts. Make sure baby is fed solids and nursed before bed with clothes to keep them warm (but not hot) and a clean diaper. If teething, bum rash, eczema or illness is an issue do what you can to help that as well. Minimize distracts in the room - no toys in bed, no or little light in room, etc. Wake him/her up before you go to bed. For us my daughter goes down around 7 30, she’ll starts waking up at 1 so now I get her up at 10/11 and she’ll sleep longer. When baby does get up again try getting dad to comfort him/her back to sleep, or you try without nursing. When all else fails, CIO. Not all night or anything crazy. But leave baby for a bit. 5 mins isn’t going to hurt, see if they get themselves back to sleep. Sometimes it works for us, other times I have to go back in. Good luck!
I’ve no clue sorry, my health visitor told me that my 5 month old son should be sleeping through the night and that he shouldn’t need night feeds. I have a daughter who’s almost 2 and she slept through from about 13 months. But every baby or child is different. My mum still brags to people that I slept through right from day one at the hospital so who knows xx I wish you luck mama bear x
Go in room,reassure them they are alright-give them their comfort object(blanket,animal,pacifier) and leave. Let them cry awhile. Then repeat. Continue for many nights. Increase amoun t of time between going in the room.
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My daughter has been sleeping through the night since she was 4months and in her own bed at a 15 months currently breaking her from her Passy and she’s gonna be 2 in March and let’s say she’s handling very well as well as sleeping through the night as well. Honestly the 18month old shouldn’t be nursing that much. I would be talking to her doctor about what to do. My sister had this problem with her little girl and has to give her melatonin and she is now 5 still every now and then she’s got to give her it. My daughter took it once and she wouldn’t sleep.
When my lo woke in the night my auto reaction was to bf. However, my partner took her and she just cuddled up with us to sleep without a feed in the night. Took a bit of doing to get her to settle, but in my case it was organic.
My son has been lucky as he started sleeping through the night early. I always had trouble with production and as soon as he could I added pureed sweet potato or carrot to his bottles divided so I didn’t waste milk if he didn’t finish it. These days I use formula as well as breast so I just give him a 4oz breast 4oz formula. The key for us is a full happy tired baby. We play hard before eating and always eat quietly laying down with someone. Then off to bed where he can chew on his paci until he falls asleep
I don’t understand why people say it’s developmental when really, most kids that are still nursing/taking bottles (which they should not be on a bottle at that age) at night will continue to wake while others that have either full stopped nursing or been weaned to less nursing and no bottles DO sleep through.
I’m not a professional so this is purely based on opinion, but I think it’s because it’s habitual. For the last 18 months, this is what your kid has done. If you want to change it, then you need to change the habit. Nursing is NOT always for hunger, it’s for many other reasons, comfort included.
I would suggest finding other ways to comfort your kid instead of nursing to help break the habit of them waking up multiple times throughout the night or else you’re going to end up like the lady above with a 2 1/2 year old still doing the same shit.
My daughter is 2 as well and sleeps all night long and has for a LONG time because I broke the habit of nursing/bottle feeding her throughout the night.
NO, I DID NOT STARVE MY CHILD, so don’t even go there.
I’m not suggesting you fully stop nursing unless you want to, but, your kid is not nursing out of hunger in the middle of the night. It’s for comfort.
Basically, your options are to wean a little bit or deal with it. That’s how habits work.
Nice warm bath before bedtime with some lavender oil(johnsons) or another brand. Then also the lavender baby lotion. Also instead of regular baby milk add three or four teaspoons of baby porridge to the milk as it will fill baby nicely