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When a young mother has no problems with the production of breast milk, this is a joy, since the newborn baby will receive all the necessary nutrients to ensure the full growth and development of the body.

Physiology is designed in such a way that the moment of cessation of lactation comes. Most often this is due to the child growing up and the need to switch him to adult food. One of the stages is to stop night feedings. This task is difficult for young mothers.

Ways to stop night feedings

The importance of night feedings for the body of the mother and newborn cannot be underestimated. Some of the benefits of feeding at night include:

• complete nutrition;
• ensuring stable lactation due to the production of the hormone prolactin;
• formation of close contact between child and mother;
• the production of prolactin, carried out during night feeding, prevents the re-ripening of the egg (ovulation), which reduces the likelihood of pregnancy;
• If a nursing mother has a deficiency of breast milk, then night feedings can solve this problem.

At night, children latch onto their mother's breasts with appetite. If the mother ignores night feeding, the newborn becomes capricious, often cries, and his sleep is disturbed. It is important to understand that the procedure for stopping night feedings is implemented gradually, as this is stressful for the child.

The recommended period for completing lactation is 1 year from the moment the baby is born; read about how to do this correctly. By this time, the daily norm of nutrients is compensated by the introduction of juices, soups and cereals into the diet. It is recommended to gradually wean the baby from feeding at night from 6 months, when the baby receives a supply of nutrients and calories throughout the day.

By the time the baby is six months old, night feedings will become inappropriate, as they disrupt the sleep and wakefulness pattern. If at this age the baby expresses dissatisfaction about the lack of feedings at night, then this should be regarded as a common whim.

Important! Baby crying at night does not always indicate that the baby needs food. Perhaps the child is worried about indigestion or other problems. Too frequent feeding of the baby to the breast leads to overeating.

The following rules will help you wean yourself off feeding at night:

• It is recommended to underfeed the baby at the penultimate feeding, and to feed it fully before bedtime. Thus, the baby remains full throughout the night.
• It is recommended to bathe a newborn later than usual. After the baby is bathed, it is recommended to feed him. Before going to the bath, parents can give their child a light massage. All these actions will ensure the baby gets a good night's sleep.
• It is recommended to maintain a comfortable temperature and humidity in the room where the baby sleeps. The suitable temperature for falling asleep is 19-20 degrees, and humidity is 50-70%. To avoid hypothermia, the baby should be dressed in pajamas or covered with a warm blanket.
• The amount of sleep a child gets is of great importance. A child under 3 months sleeps at least 17 hours a day. Starting from six months, the daily sleep duration is 14-14.5 hours. Children aged 1 year sleep at least 13 hours a day. If a child's sleep predominates during the day, then at night the baby will be awake.
• From the very moment the baby is born, parents accustom him to a daily routine. If a child knows what time he should be awake and what time he should be asleep, then it will be easier for a young mother to wean him from night feeding.

There is a universal method for stopping night feedings, which allows you to implement a similar idea without unnecessary stress for mother and child. If a young mother decides to take such a step, then she is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

1. First of all, the mother is recommended to increase the frequency of feedings during the daytime and devote more time to tactile contact with the baby. If the baby receives enough maternal attention during the day, then at night he will behave calmly.
2. Often mothers prefer to put their child to bed earlier than they go to bed themselves. Before going to bed, the woman is advised to wake up the baby and feed him. This will reduce the frequency of night feedings.
3. If a woman has taught her baby to fall asleep together, then she needs to wear clothes that hide the mammary glands. If the baby has constant access to the mother's breast, then this reduces the chance of success in stopping night feedings. An alternative option is to place the baby in a crib.
4. A change of environment helps to cope with the task. For this purpose, it is recommended to move the crib to another room.
5. The lack of tactile contact at night between mother and newborn helps solve the problem of night feedings. If the baby begins to cry and be capricious at night, it is recommended to calm him down with a spouse or close relative who can rock the child and give him some water. After 2-3 days of this practice, the baby gets used to the absence of his mother at night.
6. The daily amount of food for a 6-month-old baby compensates for age-related nutritional needs, so if the baby demands food at night, the mother can safely refuse him without the risk of causing harm.

What to do if the child is one year old and still asks for the mother’s breast? In this case, it is recommended to use the following tips:

• The husband of a nursing woman is directly involved in this issue. It is recommended to delegate the process of putting the baby to bed to the father of the child.
• The mother should constantly talk to the baby, explaining to him that children sleep at night and eat only during the day. Over time, the baby will begin to understand the situation and stop asking for the mother's breast.
• It is recommended to soothe a newborn on the first night in every possible way. Parents can carry him in their arms, talk to him, read fairy tales to the child, and distract him with some activity. The baby is offered a drink of water.
• A one-year-old child’s routine is structured in such a way that the baby realizes all his energy during the day. Active games in the fresh air are useful, as they promote comfortable falling asleep in the evening.

Replacement for night feeding

To prevent this process from turning into stress for the child’s body, a young mother can use tips to help fill the gaps in feeding:

• If the newborn is fed breast milk, then the last feeding before bedtime is recommended to be replaced with an artificial formula. Baby food contains more calories, which will keep your baby full all night.
• If a child wakes up at night and is naughty, then the mother can give him some baby tea or water.
• Waking up at night is not always a sign of hunger. If the baby wakes up, the woman is recommended to take him in her arms, rock him, and talk to him in a calm tone. When the newborn calms down, he is placed back in the crib.

Important! If the child’s age allows him to finally stop feeding at night, then parents are not recommended to look for an alternative to night feeding. The baby must develop the habit of sleeping at night.

The ban on breastfeeding at night is being introduced gradually; for more information about weaning your baby from the breast at night, read the article at the link. It is very important to monitor your child’s behavior. If children's whims reach the point of hysteria, then the mother is advised to postpone such an idea and seek advice from a breastfeeding specialist.

Common mistakes

Having the idea to quickly stop night feedings, young mothers often make a lot of mistakes.

There is a whole list of actions that aggravate the situation:

• Having refused nightly breastfeeding, the mother must insist on her own, even if the newborn expresses dissatisfaction. Young children are very sensitive and can manipulate their parents' feelings.
• When talking with a child, it is strictly forbidden to use other children as an example. Young children very quickly absorb information, which later leads to the development of complexes.
• Even a small child deserves an explanation of the reasons for refusing food at night. The young mother is advised to talk calmly with the baby, trying to convey to him that such actions will benefit him.

It is recommended to decide on stopping breastfeeding at night together with your doctor. The guideline in this case is the child’s behavior. If the baby expresses obvious dissatisfaction and also begins to move away from his parents, then the mother is advised to postpone the issue of stopping night feedings until better times.

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Night feedings play a big role in the development and growth of the baby. Regular feedings at night in the first weeks after the birth of a baby help to establish lactation, strengthen the emotional bond between mother and baby, and also avoid digestive disorders in the baby.

The benefits of night feedings for women are also obvious: regular emptying of the mammary gland prevents the development of lactostasis, mastitis and other inflammatory diseases that often develop as a result of stagnation of milk (if a woman is breastfeeding).

Despite the obvious benefits, you should not delay weaning from night feedings. Many mothers do not know at what age they should begin the weaning process, so they ask more experienced friends and acquaintances for advice. It’s better not to do this, because each child has individual growth and development rates, as well as physiological needs, so it is recommended to resolve this issue with a pediatrician.

Experts do not advise delaying the process of weaning off nighttime meals, as this can negatively affect the child’s neuropsychic development.

The habit of eating at night is one of the strongest attachments of a child of the first year of life, so you need to fight it as early as possible (provided that the child is gaining weight well, is healthy and is developing in accordance with his age).

Important! Early weaning from night feedings (as well as delaying the process) negatively affects the functioning of the baby’s nervous system and can cause neuroses and depressive disorders in older age.

Another reason why it is necessary to follow age-specific recommendations for weaning off eating at night is dental problems. After the baby has its first teeth, it is important to keep the oral cavity clean.

After feeding with breast milk or formula, milk sugar remains on the surface of the teeth and gums, which negatively affects the health of tooth enamel and can lead to the development of caries (dental caries are increasingly common in children aged 1 to 3 years).

Do not forget that night snacks interrupt the baby’s appetite, as a result of which during the day he eats less of the main food that he needs for proper development and full growth. To prevent this from happening, you need to wean your child off night feedings in accordance with the age-specific recommendations of pediatricians.

At what age can you wean?

In some publications you can find information that the optimal age for weaning from night feedings is one year of age. Most pediatricians believe that by 12 months a child’s diet should consist of cereals, soups, pureed vegetables and fruits, completely excluding breastfeeding or formula feeding.

There is no single standard that would suit all children without exception. If your child is not gaining weight well, is sick, or is teething, you need to wait a little while weaning. A consultation with your local pediatrician will help you determine the exact time when your child is ready to go without a breast or bottle during sleep at night.

Some psychologists argue that it is easiest for a child to tolerate weaning from night feedings after 2 years, but doctors are categorically against this approach, since it negatively affects the health of the oral cavity and disrupts the daily routine, which in the future will make it difficult to adapt to kindergarten and the routine established there .

How to wean: effective techniques

One of the most popular methods today is instant weaning from the breast or bottle during the night. That is, the mother stops feeding the baby immediately after making a decision.

It should be noted that this method is suitable only for parents with “iron” nerves, since in the first few days the baby can actively protest against this order, expressing his protest with loud and prolonged crying.

To minimize the negative consequences for the child’s psyche, it is important to behave friendly and calm during bedtime. If the child wakes up at night and begins to demand the breast or bottle. You definitely need to approach him, but this should not be done by the mother, but by another family member whom the child knows and is not afraid of.

Babies under one year of age only need 3-4 nights to understand that screaming won't achieve anything else, and by the end of the first week, most of them begin to sleep through the night without waking up to feed.

Important! Psychologists consider this method not the most humane in terms of its impact on the child’s psyche. You can minimize negative aspects by increasing the time you play and communicate with your baby throughout the day.

Soft method

This method has many supporters, because it is not inferior in effectiveness to instant weaning, but the baby does not experience stress and tolerates changes in the daily routine more easily. Its essence is to increase the total amount of food consumed during the day. This means that you need to increase your daily calorie intake or replace your vegetable dinner with milk porridge.

In some cases, you can give your baby complementary foods immediately before bed (30-50 minutes in advance) so that a feeling of fullness will allow you to sleep through the night without the need for snacks.

Doctors do not approve of this method, as it has many serious disadvantages:

• the eating schedule is disrupted;
• problems with appetite appear;
• a full stomach can cause discomfort and sleep disturbances;
• a bad habit is formed (eating before bed).

Important! After the evening meal, it is necessary to brush your teeth to prevent the growth of germs and bacteria in the sweet milky environment.

Sears method

The Sears family has 7 children, so the problem of weaning off night feedings in this family was very acute. Over time, my mother was able to adapt to the difficult conditions and needs of her family and developed her own weaning technique, which includes 11 points. All of them are equally important, but if you wish, you can limit yourself to only a few and combine them with each other.

• If a child sleeps with his mother, it is recommended to limit his free access to the breast.

Mom can sleep in pajamas with a high stand-up collar (no buttons or zippers) or a cotton T-shirt. It is recommended to move the crib away from the parent's bed if the baby is already 6 months old.

• If the mother goes to bed later than the child, you can wake him up before going to bed and offer him something to eat or drink some water (compote).

It is important not to offer the baby milk or breasts, since the essence of the method is to distract and switch attention to something else.

• During the day it is important to communicate a lot with the child and play with him.

Children over one year old can be taken with you when a woman does household chores. Washing floors, dishes for dolls and other “adult” activities will give the baby a lot of positive emotions and satisfy his need for contact with his mother, which will significantly reduce the need for mother’s presence at night.

• You can try changing your usual styling procedure.

For example, add a massage or listening to muffled classical music. A change of environment will help you gently overcome the habit, which most often has nothing to do with a true feeling of hunger.

• If your child is ready to move to a separate room, you should take advantage of this.

According to pediatricians, a child is ready to sleep alone in a room from 6 months, but some children require a little more time for this (up to 1 year).

• If a child understands speech, it is important to tell him more often about what night and sleep are.

It is necessary to mention that everyone sleeps at night (including the “titi”). If the child wakes up, you can show him the chest covered with clothes and remind him that everyone sleeps until the morning. “The morning will come, titi will wake up, and I will definitely feed you.”

If all the methods and persuasion do not help, the Sears family advises to be persistent and firmly tell the child “No.” Hysterics in this case usually do not last long (no more than a week), although they exhaust the parents.

If the mother decides to use this radical method, it is important to be firm and not give in to emotions. The sooner the child weans the habit of night feedings, the better for his development, since in this case it is easier to adjust the daily routine and establish a food regime.

Jody Mindell Method

This method is suitable for bottle-fed children. A child psychologist advises reducing the volume of formula you drink by 10-20 ml every night. When the amount of formula in the bottle reaches 20-30 ml, it is necessary to give the child strictly this volume of milk for a week.

This promotes the development of an associative connection (“there is little milk at night”), so the child quickly understands that it is not worth waking up at night. It takes about 7-15 days to wean off the bottle at night using this method.

Richard Ferber Method

Ferber suggests a weaning method based on stopping feeding if the child begins to fall asleep. The effectiveness of the method is still in doubt, but in some cases the method really helps to cope with the problem of night feedings in a fairly short time, although it will not be possible to do without prolonged hysterics.

Breastfeeding and artificial feeding: how to wean correctly?

Formula fed baby

If a baby eats formula, it is usually easier to wean him off night feedings. To do this, just use one of the following tips:

• increase the amount of formula in the evening feeding;
• add a little more mixture than indicated in the table on the package to increase the thickness of the product and its nutritional value;
• if the child wakes up at night, instead of formula it is necessary to give a bottle of water;
• At the first stage, you can greatly dilute the mixture with water to eliminate the usual taste, smell and consistency of milk.

Breastfed baby

It is more difficult to wean breastfed children from night meals, since in most cases the habit of waking up at night is not associated with hunger.

The baby gets used to the presence of his mother, whom he associates with breast milk, so persistent crying at night is often the result of a lack of communication and contact with the closest person.

You can solve the problem by increasing the time you spend with your baby during the day. To wean the habit, mom will most likely need the help of other family members (father or grandmother).

Night feeding: what can be replaced?

If your baby wakes up at night and starts looking for the breast with his mouth, you can try a few distracting maneuvers, for example, offering the baby baby tea, unsweetened fruit compote, or water at room temperature. If the baby doesn’t want to drink, you can rock him in your arms, sing a song or tell him a fairy tale.

Some pediatricians recommend replacing the last feeding with formula milk (for children on breastfeeding), as it is more high-calorie and filling. Not all mothers are ready to give their children artificial formula, so you can replace it with liquid porridge or cottage cheese (if age allows). If the habit of eating at night is associated with hunger, it should go away within 1-2 weeks.

What does Komarovsky say?

The famous pediatrician Komarovsky advises paying attention to the conditions in which the child is during sleep. First of all, this concerns the air temperature - it should not exceed 18 degrees.

Many parents make the mistake of trying to wrap their child up as best as possible, but they forget that thermoregulation in children of the first year of life differs from that of an adult, therefore, at temperatures above 20 degrees, the child may wake up from banal thirst, and not from hunger.

Another important indicator is humidity. It should be in the range of 50-70%. If the room is small and there are heating radiators in it, it is important to humidify the air by any available means - from hanging wet towels to purchasing a humidifier. The room in which the child will sleep should be ventilated 5-6 times a day - airing should be at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

There should be no dust in the room - dry dusty air not only disrupts the quality of sleep, but also contributes to the spread of pathogenic bacteria and microbes in the nasopharynx. It is advisable to remove carpets and toys from the children's room.

If this cannot be done, you need to vacuum the carpet every day (clean and ventilate outside at least once a month), toys should be processed every 1-2 months. In addition to airing, it is important to wash floors and wipe dust from surfaces an hour before bed.

Other tips from Komarovsky:

• provide a hearty dinner at the last feeding;
• use only high-quality diapers made of breathable materials to prevent discomfort;
• at night, put the child on clothes made from natural fabrics (100% cotton without any additives);
• Do not breastfeed every time you cry - first try to soothe in other ways.

The doctor is confident that compliance with these conditions will help provide the child with healthy and complete sleep, which will automatically help solve the problem of night feedings.

Parents' mistakes

• You cannot deceive the baby and come up with various stories on the topic “Where did the milk go from the titi?”

It is enough to confidently and calmly explain that mom wants to sleep, because everyone sleeps at night, including small children, and no one wakes up at night to eat.

• You cannot yell at your child or show him your dissatisfaction.

If the baby wakes up to be with her mother, such behavior can negatively affect the personal relationship between mother and child and traumatize the child's feelings.

• You should not compare your child with anyone.

If the baby understands speech, such a comparison can contribute to the development of complexes and complete refusal to eat even during the daytime.

• You cannot wean your baby off feedings at night if he is teething or is sick. In this case, you need to wait until the baby has fully recovered and gotten stronger (at least 2-4 weeks).

A newborn baby spends 80% of his time sleeping and wakes up only to feed. With age, the ratio of periods of sleep and wakefulness will change; the baby wakes up less at night and stays awake more during the day, exploring the world.

Most mothers are faced with the problem that as the baby grows older, it continues to demand milk or formula several times a night. At the same time, regular lack of sleep can affect the well-being, performance and attention of the mother, which is so necessary for caring for the baby. Parents face a serious problem and at this stage it is necessary to decide how to wean the baby from night feedings painlessly.

Night feedings have an important function in breastfeeding processes. However, they are not mandatory. If a child has a need for night feeding, it is important to satisfy it. Feeding at night supports lactation, as at this time more of the hormone prolactin is released, which stimulates milk production.

It is possible to wean a child from night feedings no earlier than six months, says Komarovsky. A six-month-old baby is able to sleep 10 hours without interruption, begins to become acquainted with nutritious adult food, and the baby is actively interested in the world around him while awake. At the same time, Dr. Komarovsky believes that breastfeeding is necessary for babies at least until they are one year old.

Before you stop breastfeeding at night, you need to understand the necessity of this step. It is important to understand that waking up at night is normal for a 6 month old baby. If they do not interfere with the mother, she sleeps normally, is full of strength and energy during the day, then she can eat 2-3 times at night for up to a year. When parents are incapacitated during daylight hours due to anxiety at night, abolishing night exercise is a necessity.

Remember! It is possible to give up such intensity and carry out one feeding per night, but it is important to know how to replace the schedule with a more convenient one so that the baby does not experience stress.

Some mothers sacrifice themselves, believing that the baby will grow up and refuse to eat in the dark. This happens with some children; the baby sleeps peacefully all night, allowing the mother to rest, but there are also situations when the little one is accustomed to using the mother’s breast as a pacifier or a means of calming.

It is believed that a one-year-old child should not worry and wake up at night to eat. If this is not the case, you need to take measures to wean your child from unwanted snacks at night. However, this recommendation also does not take into account the individual factor. Perhaps the baby is not yet psychologically ready for such actions and the child needs not so much feeding as contact with his mother.

How to wean your baby off night feedings

P The cessation of night snacking is carried out using a smooth or fast technique. When choosing one method or another, it is important to take into account the individual characteristics of the current situation.

1. The essence of the gradual technique is reduced to increasing the proportion and calorie content of daily feedings (especially dinner, afternoon snack). At the same time, the share of breast milk in the baby’s diet decreases. A significant advantage of this method is a gradual change in the schedule and a natural decrease in milk in the glands, which is important for the prevention of lactostasis. The downside is the time it takes to implement the method. In addition, the baby can adjust the mother’s plans, not wanting to consume the offered product and ask for the usual valuable milk. The success of the method largely depends on the baby’s readiness to complete feedings and the ability to painlessly adapt to the new regime.
2. A quick method can be rightly used in emergency situations: in case of sudden illness of the mother, unexpected separation, etc. A possible advantage can be considered the rapid achievement of the goal. However, the negative aspects are also significant: the baby can receive psychological trauma when using this method. It is believed that you should not resort to rapid cessation of feeding before the age of one. The mother may need additional pumping, medications, and other measures in order to get rid of excess milk in the glands.

To complete the night meal correctly, you should follow a number of rules and recommendations:

• Feeding should be reduced gradually; a sudden transition can negatively affect the psycho-emotional development of the baby.
• It is best if the baby is already receiving complementary foods in the form of cereals and fermented milk products. By giving more nutritious food, such as kefir, before bed, you can be sure that your little one will sleep most of the night.
• It is necessary to involve dad in waking up at night. Let him rock the baby, stroke him, give him some water. It doesn't smell like milk, so the little one will calm down and fall asleep faster.
• Increase your calories during the day. Nutrition should be healthy and satiate well, meet the body's needs for vitamins and other substances. Swimming and walking promote increased appetite and healthy sleep.
• You should not feed your baby in bed. It is better to do this while sitting in a chair or using a sling.
• Children over one year old can be put to bed without their mother, in a crib or even in a separate children's room. But if the baby is afraid to spend the night without his parents, there is no need to insist on sleeping separately.
• They explain their actions to the older kids (the milk has run out, that all the kids and toys are sleeping, and they will eat in the morning).

By having a late bath in cool water, feeding your baby well, and providing cool, moist air in the room, the chances of your baby waking up during the night are reduced.

It is easier for bottle-fed babies to stop eating at night than for breastfeeding babies and this is due to the fact that the mother does not smell of food, such children have an approximate feeding schedule, and the amount of formula in the bottle is easy to control.

What not to do

It is necessary to finish meals at night if they cause serious inconvenience to the family, and the baby is already ready to sleep without food for 7-10 hours. However, it is important that parents do not make mistakes during the weaning process:

• Do not start weaning in a new environment or unusual situation, for example, when your mother goes to work or after moving to a new apartment.
• The baby must be confident in himself and the surrounding atmosphere, only then will he accept the changes in a calm manner.
• You can stop feeding at night only if the baby is healthy, cheerful and active. Babies with acute respiratory infections, fever and nasal congestion, teething, and other diseases should be taken care of and the innovation should be postponed.
• Don't push too hard if the desired method doesn't work. Watch your little one during the day. If your baby becomes restless, requires more attention, or cries, change the method. Perhaps the changes are untimely and the baby is simply not ready for them.
• Don't be nervous or yell at your child. Only a calm, confident mother is able to influence the baby and convince him that the new schedule is necessary and useful for both.
• Do not smear your breasts with brilliant green or mustard. Firstly, the components of the substances can negatively affect the skin of the nipples, and secondly, the child may be afraid for his mother.

Whether to stop eating at night is a decision that is made in each family, taking into account individual circumstances. It is worth remembering that sucking is not so much for food as for the feeling of maternal closeness. It is equally important to stop snacking and devote more time to the baby during the day: it is important for the child to feel the mother’s love, her care and willingness to help.

Before the age of six months, children need regular and nutritious nutrition, since insufficient intake of nutrients into the body leads to the formation of developmental abnormalities. When the child turns 1 year old, parents should take care of the timely transition of the baby to daytime feeding, excluding night meals.

The tactics for canceling night feedings during artificial feeding differ from the same procedure during breastfeeding. This issue requires a competent approach, so the young mother is recommended to coordinate her actions with her doctor.

When to stop night feeding

Experts agree that you can switch to daytime feeding at the age of 12 months, when the baby stops needing night meals. For your own peace of mind, it is recommended to check the child’s weight. If the baby’s weight corresponds to the age norm, and the time intervals between feedings are at least 5 hours, then parents have nothing to worry about.

It is appropriate to continue night feedings at this age only when the baby is fed breast milk. As in any situation, there are exceptions in this case. If for some reason the child does not receive a sufficient amount of nutrition during the daytime, then stopping night feedings can lead to weight loss and the development of abnormalities.

No Night Feeding Plan

In order to wean a bottle-fed baby from night feedings, a young mother is advised to follow these rules:

• The first step is to assess the child’s level of readiness for such a step. The mother is advised to monitor the child throughout the day. Particular attention should be paid to the regularity of the child’s meals throughout the day. If your baby skips meals during the day, he is less likely to ask for a bottle at night.
• If the time interval between daytime feedings is more than 5 hours, then parents can safely begin to stop feeding at night.
• The next step is to increase the time intervals between feeding the baby. This stage contributes to the development of a regime.
• It is recommended to feed your baby especially carefully before bedtime, making sure that the child eats the entire portion. Malnutrition in the evening leads to night awakenings, whims and crying.

• A child's diet should be complete and contain the amount of nutrients that corresponds to the age-related needs of the child's body.
• It is recommended to stop feeding the baby on demand. The next stage is to accustom the child to the schedule. If the mother continues to feed the child according to his wishes, then he will demand a bottle at any time of the day or night.
• The baby's dinner should be more nutritious than daytime meals, as this ensures the baby is full throughout the night.
• If a child wakes up at night and begins to be capricious, then the mother is recommended to give him a bottle of baby tea or drinking water. Perhaps the baby is not hungry, but simply feels thirsty.
• To prevent the baby from waking up at night, parents must provide their child with a calm and comfortable sleep; read about how to properly organize and improve the sleep of an infant. Low or high room temperature, noise, bright light, and a full diaper can disrupt children's sleep. Nighttime whims are often caused by the eruption of baby teeth.

A child over 1 year old is able to analyze and understand parents’ requests. The young mother is recommended to constantly talk with the baby, explaining to him that he needs to eat only during the day and that no one does this at night.

To prevent the child from being capricious and crying, the mother can read him a fairy tale, talk to him, rock him in her arms, or put him to sleep next to her.

It is recommended to involve the child’s father in this matter. The baby's dad can take on the responsibility of putting the baby to bed. When the baby gets used to this regimen for several days, he will stop waking up at night and asking for a bottle of formula.

Common mistakes

The lack of proper knowledge pushes young mothers to make mistakes related to stopping feeding at night.

When implementing such a task, the following actions are strictly prohibited:

• It is forbidden to wean a child from night meals if his baby teeth are erupting or he is sick. For information on how to help your child cut through his first teeth, read the article at the link. Additional stress contributes to the weakening of the child’s psyche. Parents need to postpone this idea for 2-3 weeks.
• It is not recommended to leave the baby with close relatives in order to wean him off night feedings. A situation like this is stressful for a child’s body. In addition, parents may lose confidence in themselves.
• It is strictly forbidden to apply mustard or red pepper to the surface of the nipple. Such experiments lead to burns of the child’s oral mucosa, as well as the formation of fear in the baby.
• When refusing night feedings, it is forbidden to raise your voice at the baby, as well as use intimidation tactics.

A newborn baby is less attached to the nipple than to the mother's breast. That is why the process of canceling night feedings with artificial feeding causes fewer problems. If a young mother experiences difficulties, she is advised to seek advice from a pediatrician or a feeding specialist.