To feed or not at night?

[maddymoo]

My ds of six months is still waking me up during the night. He wakes at around midnight then again around four. Sometimes he sleeps through the midnight feed but always will wake around 4am.
I don't know wether or not i should give him the midnight feed. Does he still need it? Is giving it to him encouraging him to wake up?

waking up twice during the night is'nt so bad, but after six months of it I've had enough. I feel as if i'm wondering around the house all night as I have a dd2 who talks in her sleep and wakes up at 5:30am Something has got to change for the better very soon What should I do?

[maddymoo]

Oh and I have just started him on solids thinking that he is hungry but he's not really interested yet.

[Mell]

Is he breastfed or bottle fed?

DS2 is breastfed and he is 11mths old and he is still waking during the night for feeds.

[allysophia]

9months. Bf. Coslept and still wakes 2-3times.

I don't really mind to be honest. I obviously never get out of bed for him, sleep topless, and he just helps himself.

I really feel this is the way nature intended (eating off a sleeping mum at night) so yes, I think the meal is benefical at night. Makes him happy Thats what being a parent is all about, making em happy

[maddymoo]

He is bottle fed

[alanasmum]

I can only advise from my personal experience. I would continue to feed your bub at night. I dropped DD's last night bottle (2.00am) when she was 7 months old instead of letting her drop it when she was ready and I think this was a mistake. She continued to wake at night and still does (she just turned 1). I battled with her for hours sometimes trying to get her to sleep without the feed and I don't know why I did. It would have been much easier to feed her and put her straight back to bed. But I think I read too many books that said at 6 months they no longer need a night feed. With our next bub (if I'm ever convinced to have another one!) I'll let him/her guide me rather than the books. Just my opinion. Do what you think is best for your bub.

[~Candy~]

All my kids have woken at night till about 2 yrs old..I just get up, get them a bottle, change their nappy and back to sleep again..it doesn't bother me. If I tried to get them back to sleep with out the bottle..I'd be up for ever and so would the other kids too..lol

[cwsmum]

DS still woke for night feeds til he was around 12mths old. He would have a bottle around midnight then wake at about 6am and have either breakfast or a bottle, depending on if I was ready to get up for the day or not. DS was still having a midnight bottle til he was over yrs old, tho I think it was more habit than anything else after he was 18mths.

[KLM1975]

so nice to hear there are other 'softy' mums out there like me. my son who is 10 mths old now, still wakes at 12 and 4 for a booby. i too have thought about stopping this and being more 'strict' to make him sleep all night. then just as i think that i think, oh bugger it...he will only be little for such a short time that i think i should keep getting up and cuddling him and feeding him back to sleep because when i do he just looks so damn peaceful it breaks my heart. i think everyone should do what is right for them!

[jamb]

My boy was bottlefed from 4 months and he had a bottle overnight up until at least 18 months from memory, around that time we changed it to half milk/water and he still goes o bed with that at 2.5yrs, just doesnt really drink it, more a comfort thing i think.