When baby wakes up at night, parents feel tired and it's a source of stress that we could do without, right?
It is always difficult to be woken up at night by your baby's cries and to have to make a bottle with a formula based on powdered milk (or breast milk if you are breastfeeding ). How can we survive the days that follow in these conditions? If the first months, we accept the situation willingly, we would like it not to drag on for too long.
Question of survival requires
This article offers helpful tips for parents looking to gently wean their baby.
SUMMARY :
- Understand why baby asks for a bottle at night
- Reduce the quantities of milk gradually to wean baby gently at night
- The solution to weaning baby at night: the training cup!
- The final word
Understand why baby asks for a bottle at night
First of all, to stop bottle-feeding at night, your baby must be 6 months or older and weigh at least 6kg to be physiologically capable of going through the night without asking for food. First of all, try to understand why baby wakes up at night to ask you for a bottle.
- Is he hungry?
- Does drinking a bottle while everyone is asleep reassure him?
- Is it in this case a simple habit that he struggles to break? 🙄
Respect meal and bedtimes as much as possible
It is recommended to keep a decent pace for your child. Meal times should ideally be the same every day.
Avoid “shifting” your child’s schedule too much. If you have an event planned, plan the meal outside to eat at a set time. If this is not possible, do not wait several days to recover the usual rhythm .
The evening meal should not be too close to or too far from bedtime.
- If you feed him too early, he will be hungry in the middle of the night.
- If you put him to bed without delay, just after dinner, his digestion may be disrupted by the horizontal plane, which will encourage the appearance of acid reflux and nighttime awakenings.
Make sure baby is not hungry
A baby who is struggling to wean and asks for a bottle in the middle of the night generally indicates to his parents that he may be hungry. It's best to make sure this isn't the case. If you notice that your baby is drinking from his bottle with good appetite , in one go and without leaving a crumb, it is likely that hunger has awakened him from his sleep.
Reduce the quantities of milk gradually to wean baby gently at night
If your baby is used to drinking a certain amount of milk at night, try gradually reducing the amount .
The solution to weaning baby at night: the training cup!
If you think that baby is not really hungry, and that the bottle at night is only a way for him to reassure himself, then you should gently initiate the separation for smoother nights!
Do you know the learning cup?
This is a bottle that baby can easily grab with their little hands. The training cup is distinguished from the baby bottle by its leak-proof pouring spout . This system allows your child to help themselves to a drink and be comforted, even in the middle of the night.
Yes, but the pleasure of suckling is not there, you will tell us! No problem with the Elhée training bottle.
A training bottle and interchangeable bottles, you say?
You can perfectly adapt a physiological pacifier (available in sets of two in our store) to your Elhée training cup if necessary. If you already have a bottle from our brand, know that you can simply purchase our duo pack of leak-proof suction nozzles. They are compatible with our innovative BibRonds in medical grade silicone.
But since the objective is to gradually stop the child's need to suck at night, the ideal is to keep the pouring spout in place.
If baby is thirsty, he will be able to drink alone without waking you or risking wetting the sheets thanks to the anti-leak system. Teach him how to use it during the day to get him used to it by going step by step.
You can, if necessary, add a pacifier to your baby's bed equipped with a secure pacifier clip which will satisfy this desire to suck perfectly. 👌
The final word
It takes time to successfully wean at night. This sometimes delicate process requires first ensuring that the established bedtime routine includes calm activities (warm bath, stories, lullabies, cuddle session, etc.).
The key to weaning is consistency . If you've decided to stop bottle-feeding at night, make sure you're consistent in your approach. We recommend ensuring a smooth transition so as not to affect your baby.
