Concerns about reducing/eliminating night feeds

[Bouncer]

I'm looking for some advice on eliminating or at least reducing the night feeds for my healthy 9-month old. She is firmly on solids and gets them for breakfast, lunch and supper first and than followed by breastmilk (lately is taking very little after the breakfast meal), and she gets 2 snacks between meals. In addition she currently gets breastfed to sleep for both morning and afternoon naps and before bed at 7:00. She is usually up again at 11:00, 3ish (this one often varies) and than around 5:00 most mornings - each time is breastfed back to sleep. I want to start working with her to fall asleep independently, which means reducing the breastmilk intake and I'm concerned about how to do this without risking the amount she needs, and my supply. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

[jana224]

Hi there,
It sounds like your baby is BFing for comfort at night and not for hunger or need.  It also sounds like she's taking in only a small portion of her BM during the day and getting most of at night, which of course, is opposite of what you want.  I encourage you to get away from night feedings, at least 2 of them.  Your supply should be well well established at this point, there shouldn't be any problems if you discontinue night feeds at this point.  For example, my DD has been sleeping 12 hours, with no feedings, since 2 months, and I am still BFing her during the day regularly, and she is now almost 12 months.  I never lost supply as a result of not feeding at night. 

What about offering milk before solids during the day?  That would make sure that a) baby gets more milk before taking solids in, and b) keep you from BFing her to sleep before nap time.

Here's what our routine looked like at 9 months, of course all babes are different...
8am - wake and BF
9am - breakfast
10:30am - nap
12pm - BF
1pm - lunch
3pm - nap
4:30pm - BF
6pm - dinner
8pm - BF and bed

Best of luck!

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Great suggestions from Jana.

I agree that breastmilk before solids would be a good idea to encourage her to switch more of her milk into to daytime.  Her suggestion of a routine was quite close to what I did with my girls, although we had a much earlier wake up and bedtime.

Have you also thought about trying to wean the nursing to sleep association?