Successfully weaning breastfeeding at night

Your baby has now been breastfeeding at night for several weeks. Fatigue is building up, your return to work is approaching, and you’re considering night weaning. Rest assured, you’re not the only mom feeling apprehensive about this step. However, night weaning usually takes just a few weeks. In this article, we explain how to identify the right time for night weaning and give you some key tips to support your child through this transition.

What is the right time to start night weaning?

First of all, the right time is the one you (and your baby) choose. Not all children sleep through the night at the same age, and some moms wish to stop night feeds sooner than others. Moreover, there are no specific signs that a baby is ready for night weaning. Generally, babies are able to go a full night without feeding between 4 and 6 months.

Night weaning represents a significant change in routine for a breastfed baby who has always been in contact with their mother during the night since birth. To help your baby through this transition, we recommend choosing a time when your baby is in a good state. Not all moments are necessarily ideal for making a change in your baby’s life. This is especially true if:

• Your child is facing another major change in family life, such as the arrival of a sibling, starting daycare, moving to a new home…
• Your child is sick.
• They are going through a sleep regression.

If you are in one of these situations, weaning may be more complicated for both you and your baby. Want to learn more? Feel free to download the May app, where you’ll find plenty of resources to support and guide you throughout your pregnancy.

Independent sleep: the key to night weaning.

Contrary to what you might think, when your baby wakes up asking for the breast, it’s not necessarily because they’re hungry. It’s entirely possible that your baby is capable of going 5 or 6 hours without eating but continues to ask for a night feed. Why?

• They’re used to it and don’t know how to fall back asleep any other way. Like adults, babies sleep in successive cycles. Between each cycle, your baby experiences a brief period of wakefulness. If your baby is used to falling asleep at the breast, they may ask for the breast during night awakenings because they need it to fall back asleep.
• They’re trying to make up for a lack of affection accumulated during the day. Night feeds can also be an opportunity for you and your baby to reconnect emotionally.

From a certain age (on average between 4 and 6 months), a baby asks for the breast at night more out of habit than out of real physiological need. Since birth, your baby has fed at night because they were hungry, and they’ve ended up associating feeding with sleep.

Guiding your baby toward independent sleep can therefore be the key to gradually weaning from night feeds. How your child falls asleep does have an impact on night awakenings. When they wake up at night, your child may call for you to recreate the same falling-asleep conditions. It’s important to help them find their own sleep tools at bedtime so they can reproduce them during night awakenings. This will make weaning easier.

Gradually moving toward nights without feeds

For every change you want to introduce in your baby’s routine, the key is to support them gently to avoid rushing them. Unfortunately, there’s no magic formula, but some tips can help you in this transition toward nights without feeds.

You can start by establishing a bedtime routine that doesn’t include breastfeeding. During night awakenings, your baby will then have other tools besides breastfeeding to fall back asleep. For this, you could for example:

• Offer the evening feed in another room than their bedroom and avoid letting them fall asleep at the breast.
• After feeding, place them in their bed while staying by their side to reassure them. Feel free to touch them, caress them, talk to them, or sing a song until they fall asleep.

It’s important for night weaning to be gradual because stopping suddenly can have an emotional impact on you or your baby. It’s therefore important to anticipate weaning to give yourself time to make this transition smoothly. Don’t hesitate to talk to your baby and explain the reasons behind this choice. Even if they don’t speak yet, they understand the emotions you want to convey. No longer breastfeeding at night can affect the mother’s milk supply. If you experience issues like breast engorgement, you can relieve your breasts by expressing a little milk. Fewer night feeds can also reduce milk production. If you want to continue breastfeeding during the day, you can express milk before going to bed. If you’re doing mixed feeding, a bottle works just fine too.

How to handle crying and night awakenings during night weaning?

During night awakenings, we recommend following the same routine. You can offer the breast in the early stages while trying not to let your baby fall asleep during the feed. Then, help them fall back asleep in their bed by reassuring them with your presence. The first few nights, your baby will likely express their frustration. This is completely normal since you’re changing their habits! Little by little, as their reaction softens, you can stop offering the breast during night awakenings until they’re able to fall asleep on their own. We suggest giving them time to gradually adjust to this change: breastfeeding is also a form of cuddling and closeness that they might miss.

Kindness is essential to get through this stage

This transition isn’t easy, neither for them nor for you. Kindness toward yourself and your baby is, as always, your best ally. It’s normal for your baby to feel frustrated at times since a change in routine is never simple. On your side, it’s also natural to feel some guilt. If you feel that you or your baby aren’t ready for this step, that’s okay—you can absolutely take a step back. You can always try again in a few weeks when you feel more comfortable with the idea. As you’ve understood, night weaning requires a lot of patience and kindness. You will get there, for sure! If you need more advice or have further questions, feel free to contact our team of pediatric nurses available 7 days a week from 8 AM to 10 PM on the May app. You are not alone ❤️. This text was translated from French by an artificial intelligence. The information, advice, and sources it contains comply with French standards and may therefore not apply to your situation. Make sure to complement this reading by visiting the May ES/UK app and consulting the healthcare professionals who are supporting you.