Pediatrician Says Stop Nightime Feedings

Mine is 3 1/2 and still wakes up in the night....!!! LOL Doctor told me to stop giving her vitamin D milk and start 2%. Bottom line is, I raise her how I want. I still get the whole milk (sometimes I will get both and switch it up). I take thier advice into consideration, but its my kid, my decision whats best for her. She is not over weight and I think the vitamins are good for her and her bones/growing. I grew up on it and I'm fine. Sometimes you have to take it with a grain of salt. But you should probably start trying to ween off the breast. Most do around 1 yr old...

Sometimes we take dr's advise as just that when really we forget they are human and sometimes their advise isn't really that other then it truly personal opinion. My children during their first year of life and now (ages 9,7 and 6) have always had periods when they would gain weight and times when they are just leveled out with no weight gain. I think that before your child's 12 month (1 yr birthday) there will be a weight gain. My oldest child got taller then would gain weight still grows in this fashion. My middle and youngest children seems to gain weight then get taller.

I wouldn't panic just keep a close eye on the weight gain and be patient give nature a chance. I am betting that he gain weight in the next month. Part of parenting is following your feelings do what you feel is best for your child. Not every dr suggestion works for every child. To be (I also breast feed) it sounds like you are doing fine.

Feeding your child is causing his weight gain to go down? Does that even make sense?
*Increasing* solids when every reputable breastfeeding reference says in the first year that breastmilk is optimal nutrition & the greater concern is that too many solid foods will mean he's not getting enough breastmilk? (or formula).

Not to be catty, but may I ask who this doc is? (You can reply in a private email - no need to publicly bash her.)
But in your short description, she gave you 5 bits of advice that completely contradict recommendations from breastfeeding experts (and I've had several appointments with IBCLCs and read tons of their "recommended reading".)

Frankly, I would switch pediatricians - in fact I have switched for similar reasons and the difference is night and day. It's a terrible feeling when you don't trust your pediatrician's advice - you never know what's safe to ignore and... you *want* to follow their advice, but it just doesn't feel right or make sense.

I have met soooo many pediatricians (when interviewing for my 2nd child) that claim to be "pro-breastfeeding" and then dispense the most atrocious breastfeeding advice! Had I not found such great breastfeeding help for my first child, I never would have known the difference.
Once, my pediatrician (now ex-pediatrician)advised the absolute OPPOSITE of what my lactation consultant recommended THAT SAME DAY!

When you hear something inane like what you posted, PLEASE fact check with a source that knows breastfeeding. Online the most comprehensive is www.kellymom.com, but
La Leche League has volunteers that will answer question over the phone for free, or you might be able to call an IBCLC (lactation consultant) and just ask a few questions or check out Dr. Newman or La Leche League's website.

Regarding your infant's growth: breastfed babies gain weight differently than the standard growth chart (the data for the standard charts was collected when the breastfeeding rates were VERY low in this country). Babies who are breastfed tend to gain weight a little more rapidly during the first 3 months, and then slow down between 3 and 12 months. If your doctor didn't mention this, she's probably not aware of it.
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/chart1.html

For instance, the 1977 growth charts for babies under 2 years old, which are STILL used by many doctors, are based on a study conducted in Ohio from 1929 to 1975.The babies in this study were primarily fed formula or a combination of breastmilk and formula AND often started solids before 4 months.
As a result, the 1977 growth charts are not a reliable indicator of the growth of children who are breastfed only OR have had soled delayed until around six months, as is now recommended by most health organizations.

Now as far as the "sleep issues" - if you're lucky enough to have a child that's still nursing at night, that's the BEST THING for your milk supply and for your baby's well-being. And it's COMPLETELY normal and healthy to have a 10 month old (and for that matter an 18-month old, 3-year-old, even an adult) that wakes up in the middle of the night. PLEASE check out the articles here about "Nursing to sleep and other comfort nursing" and "Sleeping Through The Night." You'll feel a lot better about your baby waking up in the night when you read what "normal infant sleep" really is.

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/index.html

Sorry to write dissertation here, but your doctor's advice was just so... disturbing. You sound like you have a lot of good sense, though. Good luck.

I would research a pediatrician in you area that is more open minded to the different ways of raising an infant. You are doing EVERYTHING right. Breastfed babies grow at different rates and gain differently than formula fed babies. He is allowed to fall asleep at your breast because it is comforting to him. My daughter just turned a year old and for two naps a day and to go to sleep at night nurses in addition to at least one middle of the night nursing and sometimes more often. Follow your instincts and look to a local LLL or breastfeeding support group in your area to find a better pediatrician. Don't do any of the cry it out methods or make him learn to "self soothe" to get past wanting to nurse. He will gradually wean himself down the amount of nursing he does. Keep up the great job and you are doing the best thing for him by nursing him this long and beyond as it will allow him to develop a security knowing you will always be there to help him through anything.

Dr. are not know it alls. It sounds to me your 10mo old is doing just fine. As far as sleeping the night, mine did not until about a year when they were done with formula/breast. My nephew slept the night at 7mo. Every child is different and grow differently. Do what you think is right for your child and your family. If you think it best to stop the night feeding, try it and see how it works out for you. You could always have your spouse go in at night to sooth baby back to sleep. I wish you luck and dont listen to the dr in this case. My own opinion of course.

I breastfed my 3 y.o. daughter until she was 15 months old and my son is still nursing once before bed at 15 months old. They both started sleeping completely through the night at 12 months on their own. They both sleep 10-12 hours/night. They also both plateaued in weight gain (gaining 1-3 ounces only) from 9-12 months but caught up from 12-15 months. Do what you think is best!

I breastfed both children to around 15-mos., and neither one stopped nightime feedings until around 1 yr old. Breastmilk metabolizes so quickly, I didn't think anything about it.

Both children were in the 50% for weight, and ate much more than yours by 10 mos -- usually 3-4 large jars of babyfood, and 4 bottles 6-8 oz before bedtime.

Perhaps keep the nightime routine until you both are ready to wean, but up the intake during the daytime. Don't worry about fats for you or them -- your milk will be more hearty and fats and oils are good for the baby, just not too excessively or too sparingly.

Good luck:)

I don't think I'd take the Drs advice on this one.
My youngest didn't sleep through the night until about a year which is pretty average. My oldest that was much more high strung and high needs didn't sleep through until she was 3yrs. raised both the same way except he breast fed longer than she did.

edited to add: Breast milk has all the nutrition your baby needs already in it, solids at this age are purely for texture and to get them used to eating something more than milk.

Sounds like you've already been given lots of good advise. My year old still breastfeeds at night, sometimes. I think he's going through a growth spurt right now cause he's doing it more but some nights he sleeps all night.
I would go with what your baby needs not what the Dr.s book says. Time flies so fast your going to miss nursing so enjoy it!!

I have breastfed two kids and now working on my third. All of my kids nursed through the night until they were about 18 months old. I continued to nurse them for a few more months during the day. My oldest is now 5 and what I would call a bit chunky. He is fine with his height. My 3 year old is tiny. He just doesn't like to eat. And my baby- 13 months is right on track. So three kids who nursed through the night and on demand during the day and three kids at different places on the chart. Do what feels natural!!!

Your pediatrician's concerns don't make sense to me. A baby may stop gaining a lot of weight because he is getting a lot more exercise and not because he is drinking milk during the night. It literally does not make sense. It sounds to me like you and your son are doing a great job! I would encourage you to attend your local LLL meeting- La Leche -. Oh the support! And I might suggest looking into a different doctor for your son. Our pesiatrician is Dr.Kute and she is truly a gift.
I commend you for breastfeeding and doing it on-demand is the bonus for your son! What a lucky boy he is!

Pure and simple, it's normal for weight gain to slow after 6 months of age. It's also normal for them to go through periods of very little or no weight gain (they'll probably still gain height), especially if they're mobile. My son gained half a pound between 9 and 12 months... he also started walking and is super active. Then between 12 and 18 months he gained 4-5 pounds, and he still breastfeeds at night. some kids just aren't as big as others, and some don't gain weight as quickly, which could be good, because it means they're only gaining what they need to, and not extra "fluff." If he eats when he's hungry, seems satisfied after meals, sleeps when he's tired, is happy and meeting his milestones, you have nothing to worry about. There is no weight gain issue. If you still have concerns, I'd talk to a pediatric nutritionist, one who is intimately knowledgable with breastfeeding long term. Good luck!

Ana,

I breastfed my daughter for the 1st year and part of our routine was to breastfeed her as she fell asleep for the night. She did start sleeping through the night at about 6 months. If it were me, I wouldn't change your breastfeeding routine until you are ready to wean him. Breast milk is so much better than anything else you can give him!! Maybe you could try some soft lullabye music when he wakes during the night and even include it in your normal night-time routine. It worked great for my baby but I know all babies are different. I hope this helps!!

K.
http://www.balterbaby.com
We help you parent naturally!

Wow, it sounds to me like your baby is doing great! Keep it up mom! I am breastfeeding my second child who is 7 1/2 months and I breastfed my first till he was 2 1/2! (your doctor would probably go ballistic on me!) All babies' weight gain begin to slow down as they get older. I think it's just important that your baby is gaining some weight as he grows, but this is going to vary from child to child. Your doctor doesn't sound breastfeeding friendly to me. Most doctors receive little training in this area anyway. She is comparing your breastfed child to a formula fed one. You can't compare the two! They develop so differently! And she is telling you to stop night feedings because he believes the baby will eat more of other foods during the day. Has she even read the AAP's statement on breastfeeding? They recommend that a baby be SOLELY breastfed for the first six months of life, and that they don't even require solids until they are at least ONE YEAR of age! Your milk is providing your baby all the nourishment she needs. My baby is mostly breastfed and MAYBE finishes a jar of baby food a day. The last thing I would do in your situation is give up night feedings, unless you and your baby feel ready for that. Your baby will get the rest he needs. Sorry to rant!

K. S

Every breastfeeding expert says NOT to night-wean prior to one year. If your ped isn't the one getting up with him, what does she care whether he sleeps through? I don't know many 10-month-olds who do. When he is one year old, try following Dr. Jack Newman's nightweaning advice (no crying). Right now it's really not that big a deal that he needs the breast to go to sleep--he's a BABY!

Breastmilk has more fat and calories than most solids, so she's wrong there, too.

Remind yourself that we go to the ped when there's a health problem. Your son doesn't have one, so ignore parenting advice.

Do NOT stop nighttime breastfeeding!! LLL told me that this is when your milk has its highest fat content and babies need that. Your son could be going through a growth spurt (or developmental spurt). As long as your child isn't losing weight and is happy and alert and growing, there is not a problem. Each child has to be somewhere on the growth chart curve!

I have exclusively breastfed all of my children (ages 11, 7 yr-old twins, and 22 months), and the baby is still nursing - he occasionally wakes up at least once during the night now! Each child is different, so trust your instincts and do what is best for your child. Obviously you instinctively knew that stopping was bad advice, or you wouldn't be asking the question - so good for you! If I didn't think my kids had eaten "enough" solids during the day, I always felt relieved to know that at least they were getting breastmilk!

I don't think the peds fully understand the needs of nursing children and the benefits of extended breastfeeding. My older 3 boys all nursed until 2-1/2 years, and the youngest is showing no signs of stopping any time soon. Contact LLL if you want more reassurance for doing what is right for you and your baby. I, for one, think you are doing a super job!

I had read that night feedings should stop at 9 months, but I just didn't think my son was ready to stop. To me, he seemed genuinely hungry. My ped said it WAS time to stop, but that I should trust my instincts. I did, and he stopped on his own at about 11 months. I think you should almost always trust your "mom" intution about what to do! Make sure though that he's genuinely hungry when he wakes up and not just wanting the comfort of nursing--that could turn into a habit that will be hard to break.

You know your child better than a doctor. Do what you feel is best. My child sleeps pretty good through the night (but sometimes still wakes up from time to time), but he eats more than yours..solids that is. He eats double what yours does....6 oz of food at one sitting...sometimes 5 oz. Just thought I'd mention that in case you are trying to compare.

After my first son, I decided I would never listen to doctors about breastfeeding or nutrition. They don't have much training on these topics and are offering opinion a lot. The WHO recommends breastfeeding for at least the first TWO years. Breast milk is still very good nutrition for babies at this age. My daughter is 10 months and she's going through of growth spurt right now, I think. She's getting up every two hours at night. I know she's hungry because I can hear her stomach growling. Don't listen to the doc. Every kid is different as far as when they sleep through the night. My first didn't until he was two and a half.

that sounds weird... I do think that your child should be able to sleep through the night w/o waking up for a feeding. I'd be willing to bet it's more habit than the inability to make it through the night w/o sustenance. I'd work to get him OFF the need for nursing to fall asleep. He's going to have to learn to self soothe. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, he can't get himself back to sleep -- "needs" to nurse to fall back asleep. You'd be doing yourself and him a favor if you got out of that habit. There are plenty of books and places on the internet that talk about how to do that. As far as growth slowing down, the chart is only a reference but not the law for babies' growth.

Wow -- I just read all the other posts. Seems I'm the only one who thinks a 10-month-old should be able to sleep through the night w/o a feeding. Hmmm... Well, based on that, I looked for myself to see what I could find.

Found this: "And just when parents think that sleeping through the night seems like a far-off dream, things start to get a little easier. At 3 months, a baby averages a total of 5 hours of sleep during daytime naps and 10 hours at night, usually with an interruption or two. Most babies this age sleep "through the night," meaning 6 to 8 hours in a row." from http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/infants/breastfeed_slee...

and this: http://www.cafemom.com/answers/254549/Did_your_breastfed_...

It seems there are many answers to this question. You need to do what your gut tells you. We know our babies better than any doctor. If your child is happy and healthy and developing normally, you're doing a good job!

Hi! It sounds like you are doing a wonderful job nursing...if you are worried about his weight maybe concider omitting the extra oz. of formula and substituting another puree, it's rare that you will see a baby who is exculusivly breastfeed to be concidered "overweight" even with the solids being introduced. However many formula feed babies are "chunky" from to much feeding. I am a RN and nursed my daughter for 3+ years, she is 4 now and I do not want any more children but would do it all over in a second...she did eventually drop the night boob at a year old but it had no effect on her weight, she just needed more rest, I they all do this on there in their own time, good luck!

The pediatrician is right. The breast feeding should go. After 6 months, immunity is over with from breast feeding. If you're still breast feeding after that- it's for your own satisfaction, not his/hers. He/she needs regular foods, not breast milk; if you want him to grown like a normal child. His/her weight and health depends on you and you're not giving the 10 month old what he/she needs- sleep and nourshment.