Does a Bfed Baby Ever Sleep Through the Night?

Well, none of my kids 'were on a schedule'. I followed their cues, and they fell into their own routines. One slept through the night at 3 months, the next at 12 months, and the third at 7 months.

None were given cereal in a bottle or formula to 'make them sleep through'. In fact most doctors and scientists who have studied sleep in babies, say that it has nothing to do with fullness and more to do with their own personal development. That's why some kids sleep through and some don't, regardless of feeding.

Some good things to try: a bedtime routine that is consistent, perhaps doing a bath each night. Sound machine or white noise CD. A great book is The No Cry Sleep Solution.

Good luck!

My son was breast fed and was sleeping through the night at 8 weeks. He was also on a schedule, which I think was very helpful.

Mine slept through the night at 4 then 3 months respectively. Hang in there babe. You are very close!

My breastfed baby slept through the night from 6 weeks UNTIL I went back to work at 3 months. Then she "reverse cycled" and got her nursing in at night when I was available.

She is 21 months and will give me 6 hours at night without nursing, but around 4 or 5 am wants to nurse to tank up for the day.

In short, my baby used to sleep through the night and now isn't too bad.

Yes, they do sleep through the night, but that should only be construed as a 5 hour stretch. Your baby is still very young and needs those overnight calories in order to grow well. Both of my babies stayed in my bed with me until they were night weaned. My 11 month old is still not night weaned, but she doesn't have a big interest in table foods yet, so she still needs the calories my milk gives her. In any case, I hardly wake up for night feeds as she just latches right on and we both go back to sleep. Also, my baby has reverse cycled herself to where she nurses more at night than in the day. Because we cosleep, this isn't a problem. Formula has noting to do with the other babies sleeping. Even some formula fed babies wake at night a lot for feedings if their bodies are cycled that way. You're doing a great job by following your baby's cues and not giving in to the well meaning, but misguided advice of your mother in law. Perhaps you can ask your doctor for something to tell her the next time she says something? Like that breastmilk is all the baby needs for the fist 6 months of life and formula has nothing to do with sleeping patterns. Please do not give bottles even if they are with your milk. This will lead to a decrease in your supply and is a setup for early weaning, which it seems you are opposed to. I was fiercely anti-bottle with both of my girls and am still nursing my 3 year old once a day (for the immune benefits) as well as my 11 month old. You also might try wearing your baby in a sling or other carrier if you're worried about her getting enough sleep. This also makes breastfeeding during the day much easier as you can do it hands free. If you're not getting enough sleep for yourself, then take a nap with the baby during the day. Making naps for you a part of your routine will help you get enough sleep, especially when your husband is on duty or deploys.

I was just at a lactation class this week. My baby is about the same age. The answer is yes, but she may either be going through a growth spurt or teething. The "magic weight" is 10lbs. Before that, they just can't go that long. My baby tends to sleep 5 hours at a stretch, which is "sleeping through the night" for a young infant. She tends to feed extra before she sleeps - one hour between instead of two. That said, your baby may follow her father's pattern.

Is your daughter a "snacker"? Maybe a longer feeding (if you can get her to do so) will help. You can also try feeding her pumped milk which will help her get more of the fatty milk.

Hope that helps.

I breastfed my youngest for 9 months. He started sleeping through the night at around 6 months, when I moved him to his own room. Of course, every child is different, but once a baby is around 6-7 months old (and there are no health or weight issues)there is no reason why they NEED to eat in the middle of the night. I know from personal experience (and confirmation from my pediatrician) that older babies often wake up out of habit. If you feed the baby every time he/she wakes up, they will start to expect it. I'm referring to older babies > 6 months old. Your baby is still young and you should feed on demand, but there is no way that a 14 month old would need to be fed every 2 hours. You've made an excellent decision to breastfeed, so keep up the good work. I know it can be tiring and challenging, but it does get easier as the baby gets older and starts solids. Just remember that you can change your mind about breastfeeding. Weaning should start whenever your baby or YOU decides that it's time to stop breastfeeding.

My 20 month old STILL does not sleep thru the night! I still nurse him for comfort only at night time, but he gets out of his toddler bed, and gets into bed with us, opens my shirt and nurses on his own. I wake up to him doing this every night. For him its not a hunger thing, its a comfort thing. He's NEVER slept more than 6 hours straight. I did give in and gave him some formula when he was about 6 months old, but it didn't work. When my older son was a baby, I breastfed him for 14 months, but he would sleep thru the night. I guess every child is different! Good luck!

My son is 3 months old and I breastfeed him. he is a great sleeper. He normally goes to bed between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Most nights he sleeps until about 4:00 - 4:30. I feed him and then he goes back to sleep until I have to wake him up around 7:15 to take children to school.

But there are nights when he is up at around 1:00 AM and then again around 5:00.

It really all depends on the baby. Give your baby time and she will sleep thru the night.

I don't think there is a difference between a baby being breastfeed and formula feed for sleeping thru the night.

I gave birth to two children and breastfed them both. My daughter awoke in the night for a feeding until she was a year old. My son slept thru the night when he was only two weeks old and from then on. I am convinced children have their own sleep habits regardless of what they are fed. AF

I have three sons. The two oldest started sleeping through the night by 6 weeks and have always been good sleepers. They never woke unless they were sick or had a nightmare. They were exlusively breastfed for 6 or 7 months, and weaned at about 1.5 yrs. My youngest is just a terrible sleeper. He did fine the first 7 months and started waking regularly. I nursed him for just over 2 years. He still wakes most nights at 2.5 yrs.
I think each child is different, even in their sleeping patterns. The most important thing for you to keep in mind is that you are doing the BEST thing for your child by breastfeeding her! Follow your instincts and don't worry about what other people say. No one knows your baby like you do ;-) Best of luck to you!

Hi K.,
I'm having the same problem only my baby is 6 months already and I am getting NO sleep. He wakes up each time (at least 4xs) wanting to bf and uses this and his binky as a crutch to fall back asleep...I also tried feeding him a bottle of formula before bedtime to see if it would prolong his sleep...it did not. My peditrician said whichever time you want to eliminate to feed less minutes each time until you gradually eliminate it all together. OR if it goes for longer than 1-2 weeks, then it may be a bad habit and not a gwth spurt like my child. I am going to try to use the Ferber method which means letting him cry it out...with reassurance from me. It's just so hard since my husband travels a lot and I am on my on with this. My bf 4 yr old daughter slept through the night at 8 weeks. So, it's back to square one for me. Some people have suggested giving him 1 oz of camomile tea or star of anise tea right before bedtime. I am going to try it tonight...but check with your pediatrician first. good luck and please let me know what worked for you...
M.

one of my almost 2 and 1/2 year old twins still nurses once nightly. for the most part we all love to nurse still and many of my friends and family think i'm nuts to keep it up! i do have some people around me who think it's great too, which helps. good luck!

I have a 2 yr. old and a 5 month old. I breastfeed my 2 yr. old for 11 months and am currently breastfeeding the 5 month old. If your baby is good weight and in good health, then he/she should be sleeping for longer stretches on time. Feeding he/she every 2 hours throughout the night can create a habit you may not want to do! Just this week with my 5 month old I had to lay down the law. As of last night, she sleep, without waking up for 11 hours! Keep in mind she is 2 months older than your baby. However, I think by 3 months, at least 8 hrs. is expected.

I am not big into books (I only use 3) but my lifesaver has been "Good Night, Sleep Tight. The Sleep Lady's Guide to getting your baby to sleep" by Kim West. It is from birth to 5 yrs. old. I know it is at a few of the local libraries or your can buy it at Barnes and Noble.

It has really helped me with my second baby. Also, I was setting up a bad habit of always feeding my baby would she would wake at night.

Good luck and stick with it. It is best to start them NOW. Don't wait until your baby is older, it is much harder to break. You can do it!

I have a 13-mos old who continues to nurse at night several times. On occasion she sleeps through the night. If I have a similar experience as your mother-in-law's, that would be awesome. As my baby got older the nursing also became much easier so it wasn't as much as a big deal. We just co-sleep most of the time. Offering the breast at night just let the both of us go back to sleep quite easily.

ALL four of my kids were ALL breastfed, and started sleeping through the night (meaning about 6 hours or more at night) before they turned a month old. I don't know exactly what I'm doing to have them be that cool about sleeping, but it wasn't on purpose:) And they each were VERY different and had their own separate "schedule". If you have any specific question about sleeping -cause I must be doing SOMETHING right(haha)- just ask, send me a message!

I DON'T think what the babies are eating has any bearing on whether they sleep through the night or not, but I could be wrong.

Rebecca

I breastfed my daughter twice in the middle of the night until she was 4 months old and then only once in the night for a while and then, by 6 months, my daughter would wake but I would not breasfeed her. I would give her a pacifier and would fall back to sleep on her own. Every baby is different. My ped said she shouldn't wake to feed after 6months. Hang in there!

Hello fellow mil spouse,

I bfed my daughter until her 1st bday. Typically I nursed her every 3 hrs until she started eating other foods. She did start to sleep through the night at 8 weeks. It got better and better from there. She was sleeping 8-11 hours a night by the time she was 8 months, maybe sooner.
Your baby may be going through a spurt, so don't worry just yet. Your baby is still little. Congratz to the whole nursing and not giving up. Both of my children were nursed for the 1st year, and they are very rarely ever sick. It has been such a great thing for them.
Don't get frustrated from some of the stories you hear. It does get better, especially once your baby is eating other foods at about 6 months.
Good luck, you can send me a mssg with any question you may have... :-)
`M

I breastfed my daughter (actually we are still nursing and she turned 2 a couple of days ago) and she slept through the night at around 4 or 5 months old. She was a really good sleeper from then until she started teething. She is an okay sleeper now but typically gets up once a night to nurse. I know some bf babies who sleep for 6-7 hour stretches when they are a few months old and others who take a little longer to figure that out. We asked our pediatrician about how big her stomach was and how long we should go between feedings (when she'd actually be hungry rather than nursing for comfort, etc.) and kind of followed that as a guideline. Growth spurts were a different story though -- my daughter would occassionally be up and feeding every 40-90 minutes! Thankfully, they only last a few days at a time! Good luck!

Yes-they will eventually sleep all night. It often relates to when they gain enough weight to keep them comfortable for a longer time. Every 2 hours til 14 months is definitely a learned behavior--no healthy baby that age needs to be fed every 2 hours!!! :) My 1st was transitioned to formula very early & he slept through the night @ 3 months. My 2nd refused to take a bottle period, so once I returned to work, he was missing a feeding during the day (I fed him at lunchtime), so he was up once in the night until he was 11 months old to make up for the missing feeding. My 3rd was very petite, but she managed to sleep all night by 5-6 months. Hang in there...the breastfeeding is very good for the baby & this period won't last forever (before you know it, you'll have tweens like me & then you're losing sleep for other reasons! :) Good luck & rest assured that you will be sleeping better in the near future.
K.

Hi K.,

Hang in there, you are doing the BEST thing for your little one by bfing!!! WAY TO GO!!!! It does get better, promise!!! It really helps to sleep whenever your baby is!! Let the housework or whatever go and just get yourself on babytime :) Here are a few good websites for more info: www.llli.org, www.mothering.com, www.kellymom.com, www.askdrsears.com.

Good luck!!!
S.

Hi K.,
I haven't read the other responses you've received so this may have already been answered. First off congratulations for making it this far in bfeeding, my son is 5 months old and I'm still bfeeding, but there were times that were tough where I wanted to give up. Keep it up, it gets better.

Not sure if this has been brought up, but Bfed babies tend to eat more often than formula fed babies because they digest breastmilk much more quickly. My son has been sleeping through the night (8pm-7am) since he was about 3 months, but I think I'm also lucky. When he first started sleeping through the night, I made sure he got a strong (not falling asleep, full time spent at breast) feeding right before he went to bed.

also be aware that there are times that your son may wake up in the night, but he might not be hungry, he just wants you to comfort him. My son went through a period of time where he was waking up every 3 hours, but wasn't hungry, he just wanted to be held. I didn't let him cry it out, but I found that if I didn't run to him right away he would whine and fall back asleep. A book that helped me with this was the No Cry Sleep Solution, it's not all great, but it explains a babies sleep cycle which was interesting.

Also, all bfed children are different and each woman's milk supply is different. I'm not sure if you've tried bottle feeding with breast milk just to see how much he's eating. Maybe you're not making enough for him? does he eat alot during the day and still seem hungry? If you're not producing enough you may need to supplement with formula or pump to increase your milk supply. OR like you said maybe he's just hitting a growth spurt which will pass and you'll wonder how you made it through :) If you have any questions just send me a message. Keep up the good work!!
H.

My strictly breastfed baby slept through the night for the first time at around 3.5 months, and started to do so consistently around 4.5 months. He does not sleep through the night all the time right now (9 months)- teething, milestone waking, etc. And they do go through a growth spurt at 3 months and again at 6 months. But he has not breastfed during the overnight hours since he finished the 6 month growth spurt. So, I can provide hope on 2 fronts: Yes! breastfed babies sleep through the night ! And even when they aren't consistently sleeping through the night, that does not mean that they're still feeding during the night. The one thing I've learned about sleep as a first time mom is that just when you think you have it down, something changes (teething, new skill, growth spurt) to throw it off. But, the baby will sleep through the night eventually!

Oh, by the way, I have lots of friends with formula fed babies who didn't sleep through the night until they were 3 or 4 years old. So, it also partly depends on the baby.

Hi!
Don't worry, it's pretty rare to need to bf every two hours til 14 months of age!! And truth be told, that's probably more comfort nursing than nutritional need!

One thing I can tell you that helps my one month old sleep longer at night is cluster feeding in the evening time. Starting around 5:00 I start waking her up and feeding her every hour! What a bf baby doesn't get nutritionally during the day, she will make up for at night. When I feed the daylights out of her in the evening, I usually get a good four hours when I put her down, and she's only a month old. My other two kids I never thought to do this with, and I fed them more often at night. But honestly, every baby is different, so who knows!
Yes, some bf babies do sleep through the night, but more than likely your baby will start waking up much less frequently first.
Good luck to you, and I'm glad you're sticking to your guns about bfing! If you need an online bf resource, check out www.kellymom.com.

Have faith, all babies are different and she will sleep through the night eventually. All three of mine were different, but generally by about 6 months they were all sleeping a good 8-10+ hours without waking.

Hi - My 4 month old is the same. I feel as though he has been in one constant growth spurt. He has slept 5 hours at the most TWICE in his life. Usually it's 3 or 2.5 on bad nights. I thought that supplementing with formula would be the answer so we have recently tried to "top him up" but that has not worked!!! He is VERY active, big and hungry! Recently we got permission to mix rice in his breast milk (at day care) or formula when he gets it, but this does not seem to keep him any more full. I feel the same as you - when will I EVER get a real night's sleep!

K.! I proudly breastfed my daughter till she was 20 months. But I was lucky with her...She was sleeping for 9 hour stretches by the time she was 3 1/2 months old. And she stopped waking up to eat during the night completely at about 5 months. She'd still wake every once in awhile and I'd nurse her for comfort, but that wasn't very often.

Keep up the good work and hang in there! You're doing the best thing you possibly can for your baby!

When you start solid foods at 6 months, what you can do is give him cereal with either breastmilk or formula (warm milk whichever you choose; my son never took formular so I pumped for this) about an hour before bed time. Then nurse before bed time. At the most, he'll wake up once during the night to nurse. But most likely he won't need to nurse if you give him baby cereal with milk or formula. Not all formula fed babies sleep through the night and it's just a myth. At 3 months old it's too early to expect more than 5 hours without nursing and even that is a bit much. It will get better at 4 month except for the occasional growth spurt and then again at 5 months and so on and so forth. At a year old, if he still wants to nurse at night, try to give him water instead and see how it goes. It took about 2 weeks but my son finally agreed to take water instead of nursing at night. Another thing you can do when he's older is say you put him down for the night at 8? Then slightly wake him up when you go to bed to nurse him and put him back down. Lots of luck!!! It gets easier and please thank your husband for us.

Yes! My son is almost 6 months old and he went through a growth spurt at about 3 months where he was eating all the time and it was really tiring. Then he started stretching out and would sleep for 6 hours nurse and then sleep for 6 more. Eventually he was sleeping for about 8 hours at a stretch without needing to nurse. Now we are teething and he wakes up several times in the night again, but doesnt need to nurse just be soothed back to sleep. However I miss the good night of sleep I was getting for about a month and a half......

Hi K.,

I feel your pain, especially in those first few months I know it can be soooo exhausting. YES, a bf baby does sleep through the night eventually. And NO, (even though you're not asking) just by feeding a baby formula it does not mean that the baby will sleep through the night sooner. My little one was about four months old when he first slept through the night, for a week straight, and then went back to waking up at night for food. It was not until he was nine months that he has slept consistently through the night 12 hours. It takes time, but making the choice to bf your baby is so an excellent one. I would suggest a few things. I'm assuming that you are near Vienna, VA, so that's what my response is based on. If not, feel free to contact me directly and I can offer other tips. First, consider going to a bf support group. There's one a INOVA Fairfax hospital that I went to from the time Josh was 8 days old until he was 6 months old, here's the link: http://www.inova.org/health_info/support_groups/breastfee... and then there's a La Leche League International group I joined. (there's a yahoo group that sends messages about meetings and also you can ask for advice. Go to yahoogroups.com and then look for the nursingmomsofvienna group). Having support from a group of moms going through the same stuff, or those who have already weathered the storm is priceless. Right now, in my opinion, your baby is still to little to be "abusing the system." In your mother-in-law's case, it sounds like there was some manipulation going on there. Once babies are 6 months plus (but every baby is different) you might notice that they have a slightly different cry. There isn't just the usual cry you've come to know, but also a sort of "I've-learned-that-this-gets-your-attention" cry. Around 6 months is when I realized that my son was waking up more of habit with the second type of cry, rather than actual hunger. How you handle that is up to you, I decided at that point to actively try to encourage him to sleep longer and avoiding waking up as much. I tried to read a ton of "sleep books" (as much as my sleep deprived self would allow), and I think the one that helped me most was "Twelve Hours' Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old: A Step-by-Step Plan for Baby Sleep Success" by Suzy Giordano. But I started it when he was 6 months. I don't think it would have worked for us earlier, and I didn't follow it exactly but adapted it to what worked for us.

Okay, I know this was really long, but I want to make sure that you are encouraged that this is a wonderful gift you are giving your son. I know that it is difficult right now, but it's worth it. Make sure you surround yourself with people who tell you that, and, if it helps you feel more active working toward the future, maybe pick up a sleep book. Good luck!!

My first son I woke up every two hours for ages to breastfeed - bf him for 17 months. My second son I thought I would let him lead and he sleeps through the night. I bf him before bed at about 7 and then he will normally sleep until 5 or 6 the next day. There are times when he does wake up once during the night but not always. Every child is differnt. It is very tiring at first and I know I felt like I may never get sleep but you will - I promise. Just remember you are doing a great job and are doing something very beneficial and special for your baby.

K., first off you are a great mom and I know how sometimes overwhelming/demanding it can be with your first child and with a husband on active duty. My husband is too. I am a mom of 2, a 3 yr old and a 19 mo old. I breast fed both of my children and I am still nursing my 19 month old. I am also a Registered Nurse. At 3 months babies do go through a growth spurt and the reason why they are nursing so often is because they are increasing your breast milk supply. This is good because when your body responds to this and you start making more milk then he should go longer periods and not be nursing so much. It takes at least a week for your supply to increase and maybe up to a month for some. Make sure you are drinking more water and eating well to help this time as well. Take naps with your child so that you are getting enough rest too. It will get better. I don't know any moms that have had to breast feed every 2 hours the whole time. They will start to go at least 5-6 hours at night without waking up very soon. around 5-6 months they should be able to sleep through the night. At nighttime with my second child I would lay her down drowsy but still awake at night so that she would learn to get herself to sleep. Also, I have always had a routine for the girls and stuck to it for bedtime. That way when you start the bedtime routine they know what to expect and I was able to lay my younger child down around 5-6 months age and walk out of the room with her still awake. Also, a book that would help is "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp, MD great book. I used it with both children! Also, just remember your body knows exactly what your baby needs and will respond to your baby. You are doing the best thing for your child (health benefits) that formula can't provide. Breast milk is the best for your baby. There is also connection between you and your baby that is very healthy for both of you even if it is exhausting at times. Also some of the older generation (like my mother's age group) will tell you that they started feeding cereal at 3 months to help their child sleep. Some will tell you that they put it in a bottle and cut a slit in the nipple to give to a baby. This is a no no. Babies could choke and they will overeat because they don't know that the rice has more calories. This doesn't help and in fact Pediatricians are saying to wait until 6 months to start rice cereal because of allergies. A great baby food book is "Super Baby Food". I made all of my baby food for my girls. We will bought some in the jar but we saved a ton when I started making it! Just know that this too shall pass and when it does you will know that your hard work and dedication was worth it! I hope this info helps you! Take Care

Good for you for breastfeeding! It is the best thing you can do for you and your child. Are you sure that you are drinking enough water so that your milk supply is high? You should be carrying a water bottle with you at all times. Do you co-sleep with your child? I had a co-sleeper bed that attached to the side of my bed and during the night I could reach over, have them latch, and go right back to sleep. At 3 months they need to eat alot and every child is different. There is no guarantee that even if she was formula fed she would sleep through the night and it could in fact introduce a whole new set of problems with gas and stomache distress which would have you losing sleep listening to screaming. No man made product is a good as your breastmilk. In fact they try (unsuccessfully) to mimic the milk you make on your own. Don't be discouraged. What you are doing is the very best thing and in the process you are building a lasting bond with your child.

Hi K.,
I breastfed three kids (not all at once!), and the first one, of course I had no idea what I was doing. At about three months, I read the Baby Whisperer book, and the idea I got from her was to feed my daughter right before I went to bed, usually 10 or 11 pm, rather than let her sleep until she woke up hungry. (She wouldn't wake up all the way, but I could get a good feeding in her anyway.) This helped a lot because it bought me a few solid hours of sleep before she woke up hungry. The number of times they'll wake up will eventually decrease as they get older and can go longer. I did this with my other two kids and they are all EXCELLENT sleepers to this day. It also gives you confidence in knowing, when they wake up during the night, whether or not they are hungry or just looking for comfort.

Incindentally, I also think that if the baby is sleeping in your room or if you have a baby monitor, you're more likely to wake up and feed the baby. Not that I would encourage you to put the baby to sleep in it's own room at three months, that's a personal (hard!) decision, but I can speak from experience and say that we slept a lot more when the babies moved to their own rooms.

Congratulations, and keep up the good work!

Keep up the good work. Breastfeeding your baby is such a gift you are giving to her. Yourself as well, as your risks for certain cancers is drastically reduced because you bf! Human milk is digested quite easily, thus the reason bf babies seem to eat more than formula fed. Perhaps your daughter is going through a growth spirt, as you already suggested.

K.: I BF my son until he was 13M old. I finally had a moment that I knew he was controlling his eating habits instead of me being in control. So what I was advised to do by my pediatrician. . .at around 5 and 1/2 or 6M. . .I pumped breast milk and gave him a solid meal right before bedtime. . .5 oz or so. That way I would know he sufficiently fed since it is so hard to tell when he BF solely. Then I did the crying method. I know it isn't always looked at positively but it worked. Within three days, he no longer cried. I would go into the room every 10min. to let him know we were still there and hadn't left him. First night I had to check in every 10 minutes for a full hour. . next night 30 minutes and third night once or twice max. Here is what I figure, babies realize if they cry they are going to be fed. I just broke the cycle. It was the hardest thing I ever did. . .sitting right outside his door all three nights until he feel asleep but it was time. I was loosing my sanity waking up so often during the night. And I knew he didn't need it or if he did it was because he wasn't taking his last feeding right before bedtime seriously because he knew if he cried he'd be fed. And that is exactly how it was. . .every three to four hours. . .on the dot.
I wish you luck. I know it is frustrated. This worked for me. A variation can work for you. Listen to all the advice you get and I pray you'll find something that works for you that you are comfortable with. Good luck.

They all do it in their own time - whether they are breastfed or get formula. My personal experience was that my first daughter was sleeping through the night at 8 weeks and my second daughter at 7 weeks (I know I was very lucky!!!), and both were exclusively breastfed. Hang in there, it does get better - if it didn't, no one would have a second child:-)

My exclusively BF baby slept throught the night at 4 months. Many other friends that BF their babies had them sleeping through the night around that time too....some before, some after. When I say sleeping through the night, I mean 6 hours at a time at first. The trick for me was to get my baby on a 3-4 hour feeding schedule. Try to get him/her to stretch out the time in between feedings and it will get much better. Once you get to 4 hour feedings, your baby should start to drop the night-time feeding. Obviously, you need to be flexible if baby is growing, teething, sick, etc.

Good luck!

Every baby is different, but yes, she will eventually sleep through the night.
Around 6 months she will stop needing the nutrients to get through the night, so around then, if she wakes up, let her cry herself to sleep. I know it sounds mean, but the way my son's pediatrician put it, you are teaching them the sleep habits they will keep for life - and unless you want them waking up every 2 hours for the rest of their lives, and not knowing how to get themselves back to sleep, you have to let them cry it out.
A bit of encouragement: Even if you breastfeed for 2 years or more & are waking up every 2 hours, what you are doing for her by breastfeeding is more important than sleep, anyway! :o) My sister put it that way when I told her I didn't feel like I'd ever get any sleep again -- it made me feel better, so I figured I'd pass it on!

I am one of the lucky ones. My bfed baby slept through the night starting at 9 weeks and has never looked back. At that point, I was feeding him every 2 1/2-3 hrs during the day so he was getting enough calories during the day. His bedtime and last feeding by that time was 11PM and he starting sleeping 8-10 hrs a night. He is still a great sleeper and great eater at 15 months. I read the book Babywise and followed it pretty close and I believe that helped with his sleeping habits. (Along with the fact that he just loves to sleep, and I am super lucky :))

My son was bottle-fed breastmilk and began sleeping through the night (at least 6 hours) at 8 weeks. By 12 weeks he was sleeping 8-10 hours at night. He slept in our bed for the first 3 months and then transitioned to his crib in his bedroom. He is still a sound sleeper today at 4 yrs old. My daughter nursed at the breast but had TERRIBLE reflux so she slept in a swing in our room for the first three months. She also slept 6+ hours by 8-10 weeks and transitioned to belly sleeping in her crib at 3-4 months. She never woke more than once for feedings, usually at 1-2 a.m. She slept through the night entirely at 5-8 months, then began one night waking again. Sometimes I nursed her to sleep, sometimes just comforted her. She is 18 months and nurses in the morning and at bedtime with almost no night wakings. Don't assume that nursing patterns at 3 months will continue, although they might. I agree with the other poster that cluster feeding in the evening helps tank them up for the night. Babies will only take a certain number of calories a day, so nurse as much as you can during the day to meet those requirements. Do not supplement with formula or thicken feeds with rice cereal. It won't help your baby sleep longer and rice cereal before 5-6 months is linked to diabetes.

Hi K., my breastfed 3 month old just began to do 5-6 hour stretches during the night, so it does get better eventually. I hope you continue with breastfeeding if you can !!

Good luck,
M.

My BF DS starting sleeping through the night around 3 or 3.5 months but stopped almost all of month 4 when he was learning new things and becoming more aware. He started again by month 5 going down around 8:30 and waking between 5:30 and 7. He would nurse and go back down on the days he woke on the early side. He is now 8 mo and still STTN though he now also eats 3 solid meals a day. He is my first so I don't have much comparison but from what I've read and experienced I think it's more a developmental thing than a bf one. I introduced a lovey which helped A LOT. He would wake and cry for it instead of needing to be nursed. HTH! Good luck.

Every baby is different. Both of my boys (6yo and 13mo) were/are breastfed. My first one for 2 1/2 years and my little one still nursing. My older son didn't sleep through the night until he was moved to his own bed shortly before weaning him. I guess I can't say exactly what normal is since I am a co-sleeper, but my advice would be to not stress over "normal" at all. And don't compare a breast baby to a bottle baby. The differences are pretty apparent. Good for you on not compromising on breastfeeding. So many new mothers will switch to the bottle just for convenience's sake and I think that's a tradgedy. They're only babies once and you only get this chance once with each child. Make the most of it.

Don't worry about what other babies are doing or not doing. I learned with my first that the fastest way to make myself crazy was to compare my children to others. Just focus on doing the best you can by your baby and the rest will sort itself out.

Good luck and God bless!

Hi K.,
I always wondered the same thing. I have an 11 month old now, turns 1 yr on 11/15, and she is breastfed and she is not sleeping through the night...never has. It's not that she's hungry, not at 11 months, but more for pacifying and habit. She wakes up about 3-4 times a night so I haven't had a good nights sleep in over a year. I hope it ends at 14 months, that's just around the corner:-). She is getting more and more attached to the boobie everyday, she pulls at the neck of my shirt when she wants to feed. I'm in for a rough, rough weaning process. Does your little one take a pacifier? If not, now would be a good time to give her one. That's one thing I'm going to change with the second one, I'm giving him/her a pacifier. My daughter doesn't take one, just the boob.

Hi
It could be a growth spurt, however it could be that your milk supply is lower than it should be, the latch is not so good, or you need to feed more during the day so there is less of a need to feed at night. Feel to call us at Mothering Mommies, LLC ###-###-#### for more help. We are based in Towson, MD. We can do a weigh-feed-weigh and see how much your baby is getting from the breast.

Be patient. She will sleep through the night but it may take longer than a formula baby. The formula stays with a baby longer. Be aware of when she needs something other than bmilk, like a pacifier, back rub, roll over, rocking, etc. Relax and enjoy your time at home with your baby. It will go fast!

Don't lose hope K.! I have been in your shoes and I know it can be so frustrating!!! I breastfeed my son who is 5 1/2 months old and he has JUST started sleeping through the night. Well, he's done it the past 4 nights, so I'm hoping the trend continues! All babies are different and she WILL get there. Also, I found that the older he got, the quicker and easier the middle of the night feedings got too. Good luck!

Ask about breastfeeding or sleep patterns and you're sure to get loads of advice! I read through some comments, but not all, so sorry if this is repeat...

You've gotten great advice. I would add to read The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg. This is THE book that helped us understand our baby and how sleep and feeding work for these early months. I don't agree with everything she has to say, but her methods are good (for example, she's against pacifiers but we used them). If you do read it, there's a technique called the 'Dream Feed' that worked wonders with our second - I'd highly recommend a try!

I BF'd both our girls exclusively - the first slept through the night (6-9 hours at once, 12 overall) within her first month since she was a HUGE baby and our second did the same by 4 1/2 months as an average sized baby. Of course, there's the occasional growth spurt or illness but otherwise they've been good sleepers. Every child is different and there is a direct correlation to the baby's weight and their ability to sleep for longer stretches. I do think it's about 10 lbs. Before 10lbs they need to eat often to put that baby fat on! Once your baby starts solids around 6 months, the solids will help your baby go a little longer between feedings (maybe 3-4 hours). I feed my girls, now preschoolers, about every 3 hours or so during the day, not counting nap time, since their little bellies can't hold a lot of food at a time. It's even recommended for adults to eat about every 3-4 hours during the day, so I don't feel that's unrealistic for my kiddos.

Also, the cereal in the nighttime bottle thing is old fashioned advice. One tablespoon or two of cereal won't last a baby long enough to sleep through the night and it can lead to overweight due to the baby having to suck so hard and getting more per 'drink' than they would if they really had to work at it. To each his own, but that's what is being taught now.

Good luck - this is such a short time in life and it goes too quickly!

K.,
Your daughter is too young to sleep through the night and at 3 months even if she was formula fed, she is probably having a growth spurt. I breastfed my daughter until she was 17 months old, and she slept through the night (from 9-6) beginning at 4 months old. She had a period from 7-9 months where she would wake up once, but my hubby would go in and see if he could calm her, and if she wouldn't calm within a few minutes, I would go in. Sometimes she would want to eat, sometimes not. She has consistently slept through the night since she was 10 months old. Of course, she'll wake up if she is teething or sick or something, but generally she sleeps through.

I found that a lot of mothers "stretch the truth" about their babies sleeping through the night. A lot of parents don't want to admit that their kids get up at night, plus everyone has a different definition of sleeping through the night. To some people, sleeping through is a 6 hour stretch, to others it is a longer period of time.

So, my advice to you is don't listen to other parents when they say their newborn sleeps through (the baby probably doesn't anyway). And, all babies are different, so focus on meeting your own child's needs, even if that means getting up at night. Eventually she'll sleep through, all kids do eventually.

Your daughter is too young for this, but after a certain age (and your pediatrician can tell you when), it is best to send your husband in at night first to see if he can calm the baby. Then, you can go in if she won't calm down. But, again, your daughter is way too young for this.

Best of luck, and you'll get a good night's rest again soon!

I know this doesn't answer the question, but I wanted to let you know that my daughter is almost 9 months. She is bfed, formula fed, and eats some solid foods. She has slept through the night (a 6 hr sleep at least) 8 times since she was born. My son, on the other hand, slept 8 hrs every night since he was 2 weeks old, as well as having a 2 hr nap in the am and a 4-5 hr nap in the pm. Being formula fed doesn't really decide that they will sleep through the night; it's just another characteristic. For a while my daughter was exclusively formula fed while I was recovering from mastitis and she never slept through the night during that time. All children are different, and some sleep and some don't. We tried having her sleep in our room and that didn't help; co-sleeping didn't work, etc. She eats fine and her health is fine. It's just that for some reason, sometimes at night she decides she needs me, even if she already has a bottle that her daddy gives her. Sorry I couldn't help, but I wanted to let you know you're not alone.

Mine slept at 7 weeks, from about 10pm to 5 or 6 am at least.