Baby Wakes up in Middle of Night and Wants Nipple Through the Night

Actually...it is very normal and healthy for the baby to want the breast at night, even constant. 6 months is a time when they go through a growth spurt...they are CONSTANTLY hungry!! So it may actually be that baby is hungry! It is also a good idea to maybe get a cosleeper so that Mom is closer to baby at night verses the crib (If you don't want baby in the bed with you) It will make breastfeeding easier. Her nipples wouldn't hurt from constant feeding...it would be from a poor latch. I would suggest talking to a lactation consultant to make sure they have a correct latch. Giving the bottles may actually be causing a "lazy" latch...make sure baby opens all the way when taking the nipple...and not just taking the tip...that will make them sore! Good luck and don't give up! They do get past the growth spurts!! until then, you can do it!!! :)

Take the baby to bed with you. Have Mama lay him on the bed & give him access to a nipple all night. Then, Mama only has to wake up enough to help him latch on (If I wake up to do this, it's not enough that I remember it in the morning). If he knows he has access to Mama & is cuddled up in bed with her, he will be comforted more & may nurse a little less. Also, some of the homeopathic teething tablets can't hurt & might help. And it does sound like it's time to start solid food--that's about when my older one did--but I didn't start with cereals. I started with fruit & veggies & meat, instead. There are less allergies there than there tend to be with the grains. Mine wasn't all that interested in baby food, anyway. She wanted what we were eating!

hi - I haven't visited this site for awhile - but am looking for my some of my own mommy support and saw your post. I don't really have many suggestions. My son is now 2 and he was a pretty good eater. We chose to co-sleep and he nursed off and on through the night. One thing that was recommended to me - was to start talking to him and telling him that "mommy is tired", "mommy's nipples hurt" - that kind of thing. I know he is only 6 mos - but they understand more than they let on. I also used a homeopathic teething tablet that had chamomile in it and that is suppose to be calming - I think it helped us. I have also heard wearing an amber necklace can help with teething - you can find special "teething" necklaces online. And I hope this doesn't sound cliche - but this will pass. I know in the moment it is exhausting and all consuming - but just know in your heart that really this will be a snippet of your experience with your child. In 6 mos you will almost have forgotten this - crazy to think! But true! I look at pictures of my son when he was 6 mos! Wow! So hard to believe he was even that small. Good luck!!!! L.

Well, I went through the same thing, and after a lot of advice, I have come to this opinion, however unpopular. We committed to cosleeping, our daughter has all-night access to nursing, which sometimes means a few times per night, sometimes just once before morning, all depending on her various moods and day-time sleep habits. I feel that when she has total access to me, the battle ends and we all sleep better. I only stir enough to get her latched on, then fall back asleep. Needless to say, I've never had sore nipples, and sleep comes easily to me, so this might not work for everyone. The important thing to always remember is to do what works for you (and never feel pressured by advice) and also to realize that babies go through phases, many of them. Good luck.

Hi Vishant,

I know you say he can't be hungry because he feeds a lot during the day, but you also don't mention giving him solids. If he is 6 months old, he is probably ready for solids and if he's not getting them he may be genuinely hungry at night. Try giving him some rice cereal or some fruit (apple sauce, pureed pears) and see if it makes a difference. I bet it will.

My little boy (now nearly 2) started waking up a lot when he was about 5 1/2 months old and I was convinced he was teething, so I fed him to sleep each time only to be awakened a few hours later by his cries and we would go through the same routine again - cry, feed, sleep, wake, cry, feed, sleep wake. I was exhasuted. When he was 6 months, I started giving him solids and practically overnight he was happier during the day and sleeping better at night. Then I felt horrible because the poor little sprout had been genuinely hungry and I had been treating him for teething.

It may not happen overnight because he is in the habit of sleeping with you and eating throughout the night, which must be lovely for him, but with a little love and support I am sure you can break the habit and you'll both be happier in the long run.

Good luck. D. x

I agree with the others on starting him on solids. Teething is such a horrible process, ask anyone with a cavity. talk to the doc about tylenol, and give it to him the moment he wakes at night and bring him to bed. Then once he is sleeping, you could put him back in his crib. The teething tablets work really well for instant relief.
He needs his mommy, and the security she can only give. nursing is for comfort and he is still an infant who needs comfort. It is probably not for hunger, but I never assume that. We never know when they are going through a growth spurt, and we cannot tell the difference between comforting and feeding.
I sympathize with your wife, I have a very hard time when my son nurses nonstop. she has to do what is best for her too. Sore nipples do not help mommy or baby. If he has to cry a little while you hold him to spare her nipples, so be it. He needs a healthy mommy, not a discouraged one.
Please consult the doctor about infant tylenol if you are not giving him that already, and if you are rotate it with infant motrin. It made a huge difference for us (and I was one of those mom's who didn't believe in drugs - ha! never say never!)
best of luck.

Mom stops nursing. He cries. You comfort him.

He'll get over it, though not without some tears. Get some earplugs and be ready to hold him lovingly until he finishes.

HI!

It sounds like your son is not actually "sucking" on mom's breast, but is being soothed all night by her breast. In this case, mom needs to try to "feel" the difference, so she can remove your son from her breast when he is finished eating. If he needs to be soothed, then we need to get him on a pacifier. That will take patience, I know, my son didn't want a pacifier only my breast, too :o)

At 6mos. old your son still a precious baby, but is beginning to develope nurturing habits. You don't want to deny him of nurturing, but you don't want to continue to expect "The impossible" either.

If/When your wife is ready to switch to the bottle, Playtex has a great bottle nipple that was shaped more like a mother nipple and was easier for my son to take to and transition to. And I eventually did get my son to take a pacifier. It took alot of work, but he took it because he wanted to "suck" on something.....that is very normal. While your son is trying to take the pacifier, simply gently "brush" his little cheek with your soft finger. This will act as a gentle distraction and help not to "fight" the pacifier as much :o)

Congratulations on your new baby boy. How wonderful for the both of you.

~N. :o)

If he is hungry, he'll take the bottle. If it is comfort, that's a different story.

I realize babies need the support and comfort of parents, need to know they are there for them. They also need limits. If he is hungry, give him the bottle. Mom needs her sleep. Once he is in your bed he'll stay in your bed. Mine is 7 1/2 YEARS old and just moved out of my bed. Yes, I am finally getting a full nights sleep with no one kicking, pushing, pulling, and tugging on me. It's wonderful.

Give him the bottle to feed and put him to bed. If dad can do this middle of the night feeding, mom's nipples won't be around. They'll be in bed with her asleep.

Stephanie

It sounds like he is hungry. Try putting a little rice cereal in his bedtime bottle. Make it very thin. The doctor may not agree. I did this with mine and my daughters did it with my grandchildern. They are all healthy and slept through the night. He may be going through a growth spurt and need more nutrition right now.
Mother of three, Grandmother of seven.
J.

Vishant, my daughter is in the same position now at 5 mos old with a slight difference - for the last month my daughter was doing the same as yours - snacking on everything and anything (food, pacis, etc.). The problem we are now facing is that she has developed a nighttime hunger she didn't have before (she has started relying on the nighttime feeds). The only thing I can say is don't get caught in this trap! We now have to break her nighttime hunger AND her dependency on sucking comfort...AND she is teething hard as well (hence the extreme dependency on sucking). Our doctor recommended a harsh Ferber method of breaking her but we just can't do it - it breaks my heart to hear her sobbing! I don't have the answer for all of it but just wanted to recommend not to feed a lot because you will just add to the problem you have to break. It's a hard road to break the dependency, we are right there with you!

My daughter did that for a little while and we just decided to truly break her of it. I believe it was a habit and not true hunger. They become dependent on routine and your baby is not in the habit of nursing at night. Your baby sounds very healthy and well fed, and I don't believe they need that night time feeding. It took us about three nights to break the habit. Babies are easily trained (and untrained). It was a couple nights of lack of sleep and some crying, but it was worth it. My baby went back to sleeping through the night, and in her own bed. She is now a fantastic sleeper because we trained her to sleep on her own. Good luck. I know someone mentioned the sleep book by Ferber. I also used the book "Baby Wise" and it was so helpful to me to see the typical sleep patterns of babies. I say: break the habit now. :)

You might not think he is hungry but he very well may be. I would try a little rice cereal mixed with breast milk before bed. Might help and certainly won't hurt. The others have given you good advice. Don't be afraid of a pacifier, however it may take a week or so for him to get it. Don't wait until bed time to give it to him. Let him play with it off and on all day. Then it won't be a weird shock in the middle of the night. The bottle from Dad at night is an excellent idea too! Good luck from an Old Mom and a Young Grandma!

I am going through the exact same thing with our 6 month old daughter. Rice cereal did nothing I hate to say although I know some people swear by it. What has worked for us on occasion has been to give her tylenol before putting her down at 7pm. This seems to help her sleep more soundly becuase her teeth don't hurt as much. I hate medications for the sake of them and was very reluctant to do tylenol but it turns out it helped her. I could tell the nights she would likely be worse as she was fussier going to sleep initially. However she too has gone from sleeping through to 4am to waking up at 1am and no longer wanting to be put back in the co-sleeper. I feed her on my side and she latches on several times during the night after she comes into bed with me. I am going to see whether this is the 6 month growth spurt and whether it wains on its own and if not then we will try something else. I'm not sure I have anything to offer re the sore nipples except I would make sure the latch is good and maybe just cuddling him after a point would make him feel ok?

Speak to your pediatrician about when to start giving him some rice cereal. Maybe he is really hungry and going through a growth spurt. When my son couldn't be soothed by anything but me (rather my nipple), I decided enough was enough. I hurt too much. I broke down and took the recommendation by a friend that if I put a "tiny" bit of sugar on a pacifier (Nux turned out to be his favorite) and gave the pacifier to him, he took it. That little bit allowed him to accept the pacifier and get used to it. It seems that the latching on may be just a comfort for your son, and hopefully you can get him to latch onto something else.