Dropping a Night Feed

"Is my baby ready to drop night feeds?" is one of the most common questions that I am asked. In summary, your baby is likely to be ready if:

1. They are over 4 months old, in a 4 hourly daytime feeding routine and still waking twice or more for a feed.
2. Is on 3 meals a day, but still feeding through the night.
3. Drinks a small amount of formula or only breast feeds for 5-10 minutes at a time.

If one of the above applies then the likely explanation is that your baby is using the night feeds as a prop. How does s/he fall asleep at bedtime? If they are feeding to sleep, then that's the place to start! Change the bedtime routine so that the feed isn't the last action before bed. If s/he is waking regularly, start by maintaining a 4 hour feeding schedule and then you will be able to use milk reduction or a settling strategy from The Baby Sleep System to reduce and finally remove the other feeds. The important thing to keep in mind is that as long as the above applies, your baby will not be starving and it's as important to teach good sleep habits as to help him/her develop in other key areas.