Wednesday, September 17, 2008 Night awakenings from feeding until asleep
(Trained Night Feeder)
BY definition this is...
* A child who is over 4 months old and wakes up and cries one or more times at night to be fed.
* A child who wakes up to be fed most nights.
* A child who is bottle-fed or breast-fed until asleep.
* A child who has awakened to be fed at night since birth.
* Whose parents are tired, but the child is not.
From birth to the age of 2 months, most babies awaken twice each night for feedings. Between the ages 2 and 3 months, most babies need one feeding in the middle of the night. By 4 months of age, most bottle-fed babies sleep more than 7 hours without feeding. Most breast-fed babies can sleep through by 5 months of age. Normal children of this age do not need calories during the night to stay healthy.
Causes
1. Nursing or bottle-feeding the baby until asleep. If the last memory before sleep is sucking the breast or bottle, the bottle or breast becomes the baby's security object. The child does not learn to comfort herself and fall asleep without the breast or bottle. Therefore, when the child normally wakes up at night, she has the habit of not being able to go back to sleep without feeding. Being brought to the parents' bed for a feeding makes the problem far worse.
2. Leaving a bottle bed. Periodically during the night the child sucks on a bottle. When it becomes empty, the child awakens fully and cries for a refill. Bottles in bed, unless they contain only water, also can lead to severe tooth decay.
3. Feeding often during the day. Some mothers misinterpret "demand feedings" to mean that they should feed the baby every time she cries. This misunderstanding can lead to feeding the baby every 30-60 minutes. The baby becomes used to being fed small amounts often instead of waiting at least 2 hours between feedings at the age of 4 months. A pattern of feeding every hour or so is called "grazing." This problem occurs more often in breast-fed babies if nursing is used as a pacifier. Bottle dependency leads to the bad habit of carrying a bottle around during the day. Also, giving a child a lot of liquid at night means your child will wake up more often because her diapers are soaked.
Expected Outcome
If you try the following recommendations, your child's behavior will probably improve in 2 weeks. The older your child is, the harder it will be to change your child's habits. Children over 1 year old will fight sleep even when they are tired. They will vigorously protest any change and may cry for hours. However, if you don't take these steps, your child won't start sleeping through the night until 3 or 4 years of age, when busy daytime schedules finally exhaust your child.
Helping a Trained Night Feeder
* Gradually lengthen the time between daytime feedings to 3 or 4 hours. You can't lengthen he time between nighttime feedings if the time between daytime feedings is short. If a baby is used to frequent feedings during the day, she will get hungry during the night. Grazing often happens to mothers who don't separate holding from nursing. For every time you nurse your baby, there should be four or five times that you snuggle your baby without nursing.
* Gradually postpone daytime feeding times until they are more normal for your baby's age. If you currently feed your baby hourly, increase the time between feedings to 1 1/2 hours. When your baby accepts the new schedule, go to 2 hours between feedings. When your baby cries, cuddle her or give her a pacifier. Your goal for a formula-fed baby is to give her four bottles a day by 4 months of age. Breast-fed babies often need five feedings each day until they are 6 months old, when solid foods are added to their diet. If your child is over 6 months old, also introduce cup feedings.
* At naps and bedtime, place your baby in the crib drowsy but awake. When your baby starts to act sleepy, place her in the crib. If your baby is very fussy, rock her until she settles down or is almost asleep, but stop before she's fully asleep. If your baby falls asleep at the breast or bottle, it is best to wake her up. To help your baby not think of feeding at bedtime, consider feeding her one hour before bedtime or before a nap. Your baby's last waking memory needs to be of the crib and mattress, not of the breast or bottle. She needs to learn to put herself to sleep. Your baby needs to develop this skill so she can put herself to sleep when she wakes up at night. (To be continued)
