6 min. read While breastfeeding can be beneficial up to their 2nd year and beyond,1 sometimes you want to drop particular feeds for your convenience or as your baby develops new routines. In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about breastfeeding to sleep including: Are you ready? Read on to discover our guide for how to stop breastfeeding to sleep in a couple of simple steps.
There are several benefits associated with breastfeeding and sleeping including: Top tip: Not everyone finds breastfeeding easy, and if you want to keep breastfeeding but need a little help, check out our advice, tips, and tricks for solving common breastfeeding problems.
Whilst breastfeeding to sleep can be beneficial, there are also advantages to choosing to stop nursing to sleep including: Top tip: If you’re wondering when you should stop nursing to sleep, the choice is yours. Whether you want to have more time to yourself in the evening or want to break the ‘feed-to-sleep’ association it’s a personal choice to stop nursing to sleep.
There are two main ways to spot the ‘feed-to-sleep association’ when breastfeeding at night:
What you need
ultra soft
Soother
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Electric breast pump
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You know that breastfeeding at night can be beneficial but breaking the ‘feed-to-sleep association’ is crucial for your baby’s development. Here’s our simple guide for how to stop breastfeeding to sleep:
The first step in how to break the nursing sleep association is to stop feeding to sleep at naptime. This will help you be more successful in dropping the pre-bedtime feed.
Top tip: Over time, it can become more difficult to breastfeed your baby to sleep, which could be an indicator that it’s time to stop nursing to sleep. With a change in routine, how many feeds are normal for your baby? Check out our guide to a baby breastfeeding schedule for more advice.
A simple way to break the cycle is to remove the association between being breastfed and going to bed. By feeding them in a different room you are saying, “We eat here, we sleep there”.
Stopping the pre-nap or pre-bedtime feed doesn’t mean getting rid of it altogether. Offer them a feed earlier than normal, then give them time to play or have a bath in between the feed and sleep.
Top tip: Your baby’s sleep pattern cannot be taught; it will develop in its own time, so be patient. If you want more information on what’s ‘normal’ for your baby, read our article on baby sleeping schedules.
Once your little one becomes tired, you will notice cues such as when they rub their eyes or yawn. Use these as an indicator that it’s time to head to bed.
Top tip: If they’re used to using your breast to comfort and feed to sleep, introduce an alternative option such as the Philips Avent ultra soft soothers which are orthodontic and BPA free.
Combining breastfeeding and bottle feeding can help to ease the transition when you stop breastfeeding at night. Here are some simple steps to start combination feeding when you stop breastfeeding to sleep: Now you know when you should stop nursing to sleep and how to stop breastfeeding to sleep. With this guide, you’ll be moving into a new routine with your baby in no time! * Based on milk flow initiation time (time to Milk Ejection Reflex — MER) results.
You now know how to break nursing to sleep, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop comfort feeding your baby. When introducing your baby to a bottle, do so when your baby is happy to make the transition easier for both of you.
Top tip: If you’ve been exclusively breastfeeding, moving to a bottle can be daunting. Don’t panic! We’re here to help with our guide on how to bottle-feed your baby the right way.
Not only will the smell be the same as when they are breastfeeding, but the temperature of the milk will also be the same. This will allow your baby to associate the bottle with the same smells and tastes they have when breastfeeding.
Top tip: Why not try the Philips Avent electric breast pump? With its quick and comfortable pumping, you can express more milk in less time* and get straight down to business introducing your baby to the bottle. Don’t forget that expressing in between feeds will help to maintain your milk supply if you are offering your baby a bottle.8
The Philips Avent Natural Response bottle range, with or without AirFree Vent, works like a breast and offers an ergonomic, easy-to-hold design perfect for you or your baby to hold on to. The soft, flexible teats, available in various sizes, help your baby to latch and feed comfortably, ensuring an easy transition from breast to bottle and bottle to breast, enabling a customisable experience from newborns to infants over 6 months.
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1 How to stop breastfeeding, NHS
2 The physiological basis of breastfeeding, NCBI
3 Association between breastfeeding and sleep patterns in infants and preschool children, PubMed
4 Breastfeeding may improve nocturnal sleep and reduce infantile colic: potential role of breast milk melatonin, PubMed
5 The Psychological Benefits of Breastfeeding: Fostering Maternal Well-Being and Child Development
6 Association between breastfeeding and new mothers' sleep: a unique Australian time use study, PubMed
7 Infant sleep and night feeding patterns during later infancy: association with breastfeeding frequency, daytime complementary food intake, and infant weight, PubMed
8 Milk supply - Start for Life, NHS
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