Sleep and bfing

[Whitman]

Okay - for an almost 12 month old to still want to feed every 2ish hours through the night - would it be comfort or is he really hungry??....... Is my breastmilk not nourishing him enough? He is eating solids really well. I'm so over not sleeping

[Nemmi]

My boy was the same.

It didn't stop til I actively night seemed him about 3 months ago (21 months old)

I would just say no its bed time now and you need to go back to sleep, you can have a cuddle and them go back to bed

Now I have to hold him every time he wakes.

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[TimTamsandTea]

Purely comfort.
Have you tried substituting breastmilk for a bottle of water?
He may well get the hint that milk is not on offer during the night and settle for cuddles.
When you reach that point you can, if you want, wearn him off the cuddles as well.
I give you this advice as someone that parents her 3 year old and 1 year old to sleep every night.

[trishalishous]

we nightweaned at 18 months, using Dr Jay Gordons method (very gentle)
DD does wake now sometimes, but I offer her water first then a cuddle, and about 90% of the time she goes back to sleep without needing bees

[Bubbles10]

my dd was the same at 12 months, and night weaned herself at 15 months.

[Bluest Blue Box]

DS 14 months wakes 3-6 times a night for a feed. We bed share from midnight-ish onwards. I try and pat or cuddle him first but if he keeps pulling my top and not settling I feed him. It's very slowly getting better and I manage to settle him with a cuddle until about 2ish.

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[sweetums89]

Im lucky enough I co-sleep. My 18month old DD still seems to nurse every 2-3hrs during the night, sometimes too drink others just comfort, but since Im next to her I dont have to wake to nurse her. But as others said, you could try a bottle of water if you need your sleep.

[purplecat]

most likely comfort... some mums find offering a feed is the path of least resistance, and others choose to actively night wean. I actively night weaned at 18 months old using a gentle method and it took 10 nights. The first 2 were the worst and I nearly gave in, but by the third night resettles were taking less than 5 mins and on the tenth night she slept 7pm to 6am

I basically went straight in when she woke up, stroked her hair and gave her instructions 'shh, sit down (well done), lie down (well done), close your eyes and go to sleep'. Walk out while calm but not asleep. If she stood backup and yelled we started again. First wake up on first night took me 2 hours. I did not physically sit her down or lay her down as she needed to learn how to get down from a standing position herself, so I just stroked her hair and gave her instructions. We did role plays in the day time with her dolls and I also made her a bedtime book with pictures of her going to bed, then what happened when she woke up, and ended with her closing her eyes and going to sleep. She LOVED it and still asks me to read it. It does take a few nights for their digestive system to adjust to having no feeds at night time so there is every likelihood if you go down this path he will wake feeling hungry to begin with. I cut it down slowly, so night 1 I gave a feed at 10pm and 4am with resettles in between, second night 10pm then nothing to 6am, third night last feed 630pm nothing until 6am.

Your bub is most likely old enough from a nutritional perspective to go 10-12 hours without a feed at this age, if he is having lots of feeds in the day time as well as solids. If you do try it though be aware you wil probably get less sleep for the first few nights before it starts getting better. I was pretty much at breaking point when I did it though so was very determined