In the first months of a newborn’s life, sleep and food form the basis of its normal growth and development. Regardless of the type of food, the child should receive his milk rate every 2-4 hours. The kid is actively gaining weight, he has new skills, and food is the main fuel for the body, which replenishes the energy expended on natural physiological processes. Any mother is pleased with her baby’s good appetite, but after a hard day it’s so difficult to get up to a child even in the dark. Of course, up to a certain point, night feeding is simply necessary. To what age this is considered the norm, all caring parents need to know so as not to harm their treasure.
Do not rush
The tradition of nightly breastfeeding (or breastfeeding at the mother’s hands from the bottle) brings not only satiety, but also ensures the psycho-emotional contact of the baby with his loved one. Therefore, do not prematurely stop this action. All modern pediatricians agree that drinking milk at night is the norm for all newborns. In this case, the baby normalizes sleep, and the mother's milk arrives stably. Artificial children also need feeding at night, because, regardless of the type of food, all babies develop according to the same laws of nature. The development of the nervous system of crumbs brings great benefits to night feeding. How long to extend this process will depend on the characteristics of the baby’s development and his state of health. Of course, there are certain norms that are discussed further in the article, but do not abruptly stop giving the baby a breast in the dark. Everything should be done gradually.
Any doctor will tell mom that not only the feeling of hunger makes the newborn wake up at night. Much more important is emotional closeness with a loved one, because a long separation from a mother causes psychological discomfort. Night feeding nourishes the baby, promotes sound sleep and allows you to feel safe. Growing up, the baby will be less and less waking up for food and will gradually switch to the usual regime of wakefulness and sleep.
When is feeding at night justified?
A newly born infant needs day and night feedings. To what age this is considered the norm, you can find out from your pediatrician. Most reputable specialists in the field of pediatrics provide the following data:
- From birth to three months. Allowed up to four feedings per night.
- After four months of age. It is necessary to gradually transfer to one-time feeding at night.
- After six months. You can gradually wean from nightly applications.
Of course, the data presented are very conditional and not every infant fits into them. In fact, parents are faced with certain difficulties. Often mothers complain that the baby categorically does not want to fall asleep without a chest (or bottle) and at night constantly demands it. In this case, the parents of the artificers were a little “lucky”. The mixture is absorbed much longer, the baby is not dependent on the chest, so his sleep is most often stronger.
Is it worth it to wake up?
Feeding a newborn baby at night is considered natural. But if the baby wakes up the parents more than four times, then experts believe that this is not connected with hunger, but is a sign of sleep disturbance. In this case, consult a pediatrician.
Especially anxious mothers sometimes wake their babies, even if they sleep soundly. Do not do this. If the child is developing normally, gaining the required weight, then it is necessary to provide him with a normal sleep and not wake him up to feed him. Otherwise, you can radically disrupt the natural biological clock. Forced awakening always leads to the formation of restless sleep. It is best to follow the child's natural instincts and sleep with him an extra hour.
However, many children often keep their parents awake. A reasonable question arises: how old is it to feed the baby at night. There are no exact recommendations, all norms are approximate, which you need to focus on, but do not forget about the individual development of the baby. Yes, and parents are all different. Someone continues to feed their grown child up to three years and calmly endures night vigils. Others, by the year, are exhausted and are interested when feeding at night can finally be removed. But it is important to know how to do it competently.
Signs of readiness
It is understood that until six months of age, breastfeeding and bottle feeding at night will be inevitable. But after six months, almost all babies begin to receive complementary foods. At this time, it is worth watching carefully the development of crumbs. By his behavior, the child himself will be able to suggest that he is ready to sleep all night. This is usually possible when a child is 9 months old. But by the year it is already necessary to part with this habit, because the normal digestive system is disrupted. To make the process less painful for the baby and go naturally, a number of rules must be observed:
- In addition to infant formula or breast milk, the baby should receive other foods recommended by age.
- Gradually reduce application or bottle feeding and replace with spoon food.
If you carefully monitor the baby, then for certain signs, we can conclude that he is ready to sleep all night:
- normal weight gain in accordance with accepted standards:
- lack of obvious health problems;
- at night the milk is not completely drunk, the baby after waking up tries to play or immediately falls asleep.
When the child turns one year old, he no longer needs night feeding. If the above signs coincide with the behavior of the crumbs, then drinking milk at night is not a necessity, but a habit. Therefore, with a competent approach, you can get rid of it.
How to wean from feeding at night?
When the child is 9 months old, he begins to receive complementary foods, consisting of cereals, fruit, vegetable and meat purees. The kid’s menu is already quite diverse and it takes a long time to digest food. In this case, all pediatricians advise starting a gradual refusal of feeding at night. There are a number of recommendations to be followed.
Observe mode
Food in the dark only harms if the child is a year old. How to wean eat at night? This excites many mothers, and here a competently built regime comes to the rescue. If the child continues to ask for food during sleep, it is reasonable to observe strict intervals between feedings, increase portions and diversify the menu. Specialists are especially advised to pay close attention to the last two meals. In this case, the penultimate menu is made up of light foods, and the last - from more high-calorie ones. In this case, the baby will be satisfied and will not bother mom at night.
It is important to include obligatory walks in the fresh air, active games and full communication in the daily routine. However, before going to bed, it is better to exclude any emotional overload (noisy guests, watching funny cartoons, excessive laughter) and provide a calm atmosphere. Bathing in a decoction of soothing herbs can provide a sound sleep.
Shift priorities
From what type of nutrition has been established, it will depend on how to wean the child from night feedings. HB is clearly associated with sleep. The newborn after suckling sweetly falls asleep. But if up to four months of age this is considered the norm, then at an older age it is necessary to make it clear to the baby that food does not combine with sleep. To do this, you should clearly distinguish between both processes, and after eating, change, for example, a diaper or carry out other hygiene procedures. Only then can you put the baby in the crib. The task of the parents is to ensure that the baby falls asleep on its own, and not "hangs" on the chest.
The child’s night sleep should be complete. If food gives energy for physical development, then rest - for the mental. But sometimes mom feels that one feeding at night is still necessary. In this case, it is necessary to pick up the baby from the crib, turn on a dim nightlight and feed. So the child will understand that sleep and food occur in different environments and are not interconnected.
The child wants to eat at night
If the baby stubbornly wakes up and asks to eat, then experts advise him to offer a breast or mixture in the interval between twelve o'clock in the morning and five in the morning. At other times, you need to give some water. At the same time, you can not replace it with sweet tea, compote and other sweet liquid. It is also important to pour water into the drinker, and not into the bottle with a pacifier.
Doctors advise that if a child is already five months old, then he should not run to him at the first call. In practice, it often turns out that the mother herself wakes the baby up when he just whimpers in a dream. It is recommended to wait a few minutes, perhaps the child will fall asleep. Of course, not always the nerves of the parents withstand crying at night, but then the efforts are usually justified.
Features of Artificial Kids
Feeding a newborn baby can occur from birth from a bottle. It is believed that such children sleep better and wake up less often at night. This is partly true, because they have no affection for the chest, and the mixture is absorbed longer. But in fact, everything is much more complicated and mothers of such crumbs sometimes have even harder.
When feeding artificial children, it is important to strictly follow the regime so as not to overload the unformed digestive system. There are clear standards for how much a baby should eat at a certain age. If a large share falls at night, then it is gradually shifted to daylight hours, bringing the remainder to 50-30 g. This part can no longer be offered, limiting ourselves to a little water from the drinking bowl.
Sometimes you can resort to a little trick. If the child stubbornly wakes up and asks for food, then the mixture is gradually diluted with water, until there is only one water left. Often children on their own refuse such a treat.
Problems of older children
Newborns just need night feeding for normal growth and development. At what age should breast or milk formula be offered? It depends on health indicators and weight gain. But in any case, it is important to completely stop feeding the baby after a year. If, after a year and a half, the child endlessly asks for water, tea, juice, compote at night, then we can talk about the habit (if everything is in order from the health side). In a conversation with a doctor, it usually turns out that mom offers liquid (any) from a bottle, not a drinker, and the baby is used to the nipple. Sucking helps them relax, and children get used to falling asleep only this way. In order to wean the baby from night vigils, it is necessary to replace the bottle with a drinker, first with a soft nose, then switch to normal. Such a device for drinking is very different from a nipple, and many babies themselves refuse food.
If the child is used to drinking tea or compote, then it is necessary to gradually breed them until only water is in the bottle. Sugar is very harmful for children's teeth, and such food at night significantly harms digestion.
Sometimes mothers of older children put a drinker near the crib so that the child himself can reach if necessary. In this case, the kids learn to fall asleep on their own.
We observe the rituals
In order for the child to fall asleep calmly and not cry at night, it is necessary to ensure that he goes to bed calmly. In the evening, a calm atmosphere should reign in the family, mobile and too noisy games are excluded. The room should not be hot and dry. If necessary, you can use a humidifier. Quiet games, a hearty dinner, swimming in warm water and a lullaby before bedtime will help the baby fall asleep quickly, and he will not wake his parents with crying.
Summary
Young and inexperienced mothers are always keenly interested in whether to feed a baby at night. If the baby is not even four months old, then breast milk or a mixture is required. But by the age of nine months, you can gradually wean from the habit of eating during sleep. However, it is difficult for some mothers to take such a crucial step, and they continue to run up to the child with a bottle at the first call or even practice a joint sleep. But the children develop, grow very quickly and their body is already ready for change, while the mother is not yet. Most often, it is the parents who need to rebuild, and not their beloved treasure.
It should be understood that for the harmonious development of the child, he needs a full sleep. Therefore, do not indulge in fears that the baby will remain hungry, and disrupt the natural night's sleep. Some mothers scold themselves for allegedly torturing the baby in order to sleep more. But doctors say that in this case, work is underway to establish a normal regimen for the baby. In addition, a slept mother will be able to pay more attention to her child and the whole family.