Should You be Worried about Nighttime Feedings?
Your newborn might be up all night crying and that is never fun to hear! You probably want to do everything you can to keep your baby from staying up at night crying. Unfortunately, this is just a part of what babies do until they are at least 6 months old or even later. You might be wondering what you can do to help your baby and if nighttime feeding will calm your little one.
Your baby might only be sleeping for a short period of time during the night until he or she becomes hungry again. Your baby’s tummy is so tiny that it will be hungry after only a few hours of sleep. Then, your baby wakes up crying for food and comfort. Many babies even start waking up from habit because they are used to being fed in the middle of the night. Some babies are not hungry but rather want comfort. Therefore, they cry to eat but not because they are hungry.
Fortunately, you do not need to worry because nighttime feedings are not not harmful to babies. It is perfectly okay if your baby needs comfort at night. However, you should still try to resist those nighttime feedings as much as possible so your baby doesn’t become too comfortable relying on you at night.
Of course, this can be very challenging because you don’t enjoy hearing your little one crying at night. In order to stop these nighttime feedings, do not feed your baby right before putting him or her to sleep. Your baby’s tummy needs to begin digesting and needs to go to the bathroom before going to sleep. By doing so, your baby will sleep for a longer period of time.
Just remember that you will have several nights with your baby crying at night. Allow your baby to settle down before you run in and feed him or her. Try snuggling, rocking, and embracing your baby before another nighttime feeding.
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