When will my baby drop a feed

My Sweet Sleeper - How and when to drop a night feed

Some of the most precious and bonding moments we have with our babies are the moments we spend feeding them, but as time goes on, getting up multiple times per night to feed may not seem quite as precious as it did in the newborn stage.

At 3-6 months of age, your baby probably only needs 1-2 feeds per night: one at the beginning of the night (could be a dream feed), and one in the early hours of the morning. Unless there is a concern with their weight, they are unlikely to need more than that.

By 6/7 months, your baby likely is ready to drop the night feeds completely. However, keep in mind that many babies still need a early morning feed (between 3-5am) until 12 months!

For babies that are waking more than that, chances are that they are not actually hungry, but just wanting to be soothed. If this is the case, it is definitely time to teach your baby to self-soothe, but it also may be time to drop a night feed.

If you’re ready to drop a night feed (and so is your baby), here are a few ways to do that...

Adjust daytime calories: Anytime you are getting ready to drop a night feed, you want to ensure that your child is getting adequate nutrition throughout the day. This means that if your child is currently relying on calories overnight to make-up for missing feeds during the day, you want to work on shifting those calories. This may mean waking up your child from a long nap, or timing naps differently so they don't interfere with feeding times. Newborns should have a feed every 2.5-3 hours during the day, and for older babies, that stretches to every 2.5-3.5 hours during the day.

Keep your baby awake for the last feed before bed: If your child is struggling to get full feeds, especially right before bed, you may need to turn on a dim light, take off some of their clothes, or rub their feet to try to keep them stimulated. While we typically recommend night feeds happen in a dark environment, feeds right before bed can be done in a brighter environment since we want to ensure a full feed. If your baby falls asleep during a feed, chances are they did not get the calories that they need for the night. While you don’t want to stuff your baby before bed, you do want to ensure your baby gets a full feed to help them get a good long stretch of sleep.

Gradually decrease ounces or time spent feeding each night: If you are in the process of dropping a feed, commit to decreasing time spent breastfeeding, or if you are bottle feeding, decrease ounces in the child's bottle. Do this gradually over the course of one week, one ounce at a time, rather than making a sudden change in one day. For many breastfeeding moms, they may only offer feeding only on one side or cut down by about 1-3 minutes each night. Your baby will adjust to the change in caloric intake by getting fuller feeds during the day.

Bring in other soothing methods when baby wakes up: If feeding is the only way your child has been put to sleep or back to sleep, then you may be nervous to drop the night feed for that reason alone. But instead of immediately feeding your baby upon their wake-up, try pausing for five minutes to see if they will self-settle. If not, try soothing your baby in other ways, such as using a pacifier, shushing, or rubbing your baby's head/back, and cycle through these methods. Always soothe your baby while keeping them in the crib before picking up (ie. to rock or bounce). Your baby will eventually catch on after consistency with this! For more information, see Five ways to teach your baby to self-soothe.

When and How to Drop a Milk Feed — Malina Malkani

Timing is everything...

Once a baby has more or less gotten the hang of eating at meals, it can start to feel like you’re feeding constantly. No sooner than one milk feed ends, it’s time to offer solids at the table, and once the table meal is done, it seems like time to prep a bottle or breastfeed again!

If a baby is eating and growing well but you feel that you are feeding around the clock, it may be time to drop a milk feed, although many parents are unsure how. There is no right or wrong way to approach this very personal process; this post is meant to provide information about the choices and considerations that can help guide you while you decide what’s best for you and your baby.

The transition from breast milk or formula to primarily table foods can be seen as a progression of phases or steps which can look different from baby to baby. In general, these steps usually begin at around 6 months of age and end around 12-15 months, but every baby develops at his or her own rate and on his or her own timeline.

It is not wrong to start dropping milk feeds later, nor is it wrong to take plenty of time to move toward the end of the progression. Parents of babies born prematurely also need to take corrected age into consideration. And there are often backtracks during the process. For example, you might find a couple weeks here or there where baby seems to want to eat less solid food and breastfeed or formula feed more as a result of sickness, teething discomfort, or a variety of other reasons.

The 4 phases of weaning:

During the first phase, baby begins trying different solid foods. This phase is mostly a time of exploration, so milk feeds usually continue normally.
In the second phase, baby begins to swallow more food. If the meals offered are balanced and nutrient-rich, parents can consider dropping a milk feed. It is also perfectly fine to keep milk feeds at the same amount.
In the third phase, baby’s feeding skills are developing and he or she starts consuming more solid food at meals. For many babies, this happens at about 9 months of age. Meals start to feel more like actual meals as opposed to mostly exploration and play. Babies at this stage usually start filling up more from food and as a result, taking in less milk. Dropping a milk feed or two often happens naturally.
In the fourth phase, baby is getting most of his or her nutrition from food, and if 12 months of age or older, he or she can transition to cow’s milk or a quality plant milk in lieu of formula. Toddlers can also absolutely keep breastfeeding after turning one year old. In fact, the World Health Organization supports breastfeeding up to age two and beyond. Do what works best for you, your baby and your family!

Many parents want specific ages for this developmental progression, but as with many questions regarding weaning, the answer is, “it depends.” Specifically, it depends on the baby’s development, whether baby was premature, and how much exposure to solid foods baby has had, and more. A baby’s exposure to solids can be increased by parents and caregivers, but the amount of food a baby eats is dependent on different variables such as level of interest in solids, development of feeding skills, and specific medical concerns.

That said, many babies are ready to drop a milk feed by around 8-9 months given that they are usually in phase two or three at this point. The dropped milk feed can come at any point in the day that works best for you. Many parents find it easiest to drop a midday milk feed and replace it with lunch. There’s no right or wrong way to go here!

As far as when to offer solid foods versus when to offer breast milk or formula, a general rule of thumb is to move toward feeding milk after meals, rather than before. This way, baby feels hungry for mealtime and begins to associate solid foods with satisfaction. Note that drinking a lot of milk right before a meal can reduce interest in foods, even in older children.

Many parents are worried that if they offer milk after meals or drop a milk feed, the baby will get too hungry. This makes perfect sense given how concerned we are as parents about nourishing our little ones and keeping them comfortable. However, if we feed the baby too many times throughout the day, he or she may never truly feel hunger, which denies him or her the opportunity to connect solid foods with satisfaction from hunger. As babies develop, it’s okay to let them go longer periods of time between meals and milk feeds. The key is timing meals and finding that sweet spot where baby is hungry enough to enjoy the solid foods, but not so hungry that he or she has a meltdown.

I’m often asked if it’s okay to wean “cold turkey.” In general, except for some medical reasons, it is better to take a gradual approach if you can. If mom is breastfeeding, stopping abruptly can increase the risk of engorgement and mastitis, and baby may intensely resist the sudden change. If immediate weaning is necessary, however, this link has some helpful information about how to avoid severe consequences.

In the same vein, gradually transitioning from formula to cow’s milk is also often more successful than abruptly switching from formula to a bottle of cow’s milk right at age 1, which can sometimes result in a baby who refuses all bottles. Instead, gradually mixing in small amounts of cow’s milk or another nutritionally adequate plant-based milk to breastmilk or formula can help ease the transition gently.

However you decide to drop a milk feed and move toward full weaning, know that there is no wrong way to do it. Take comfort in the fact that babies are incredible at meeting their nutrient needs when we let them lead the way!

If you are looking for specific nutrition guidance for your babies, kids or for yourself, I’m always happy to schedule a virtual consult!

And if you’re getting ready to start your baby on solids, or if your baby has recently begun his or her feeding journey and you need guidance on food sizing, balanced baby meals, introducing the top allergenic foods, and making sure baby is getting the important nutrients needed for growth and development during infancy, check out my new online course for parents, based on my best-selling book which will walk you through the whole process of starting solids using a baby-led approach.

Thank you to my dietetic intern, Annie Hanes for her research and contributions to this post!

Should I feed my baby at night?

Restful sleep and nutrition

Each child has his own individual rhythm of sleep and nutrition, as well as an individual need for them. Just in newborns in the first weeks of life, the ability to distinguish between day and night has not yet been developed. The child is simply not used to going without food for a long time. Indeed, in the womb, he could satisfy hunger at any time of the day or night. Therefore, at least in the first weeks, he will certainly wake you up at night for feeding.

If you are formula feeding your baby, unload yourself and take turns with your partner for nightly feedings. It is also possible if you express milk in the evening and store it in the refrigerator (from +4°C to +6°C, closed for no more than 2 days).

After three months, the baby can go without food for longer, so he has a longer nighttime sleep than daytime. Starting at about 6 months old, babies no longer need to feed at night, because at this age the rhythm of hunger and satiety in a healthy child stops at daytime.

Before going to bed - milk porridge

Milk dessert with biscuits

Milk porridge at night is more satisfying than milk food. HiPP milk porridges are available both in instant form for easy dilution with water, and in ready-made form, for example, our Good Night milk desserts. You can give milk to your baby first from a bottle and later from a cup. It goes without saying that with the introduction of complementary foods, the child should get used to the spoon, and his diet should contain a sufficient amount of solid food.

Weaning from night feeding

Night feeding can become a habit that your baby will only reluctantly say goodbye to. If your baby keeps waking up during the night, try offering unsweetened tea or boiled water, but don't feed him. Night feeding even interferes with uninterrupted sleep and can damage the first teeth of the child, since after a nightly meal, the child's teeth, as a rule, are no longer cleaned. Of course, it will take some time to wean your baby from night feedings, but in the end you will definitely reach the goal!

Learn more: Tips

Video: Weaning advice - OB tips Video: Baby massage Diet planFood and drinkDigestion for your babyOn vacation with your babyAllergiesSleep

Video: Baby sleep - important tips from the OB Proper nutrition before bedSafe sleeping position for your babyHow much sleep my baby needs baby? Do I need to feed my baby at night? When will my baby start sleeping at night without waking up? Tips for improving your baby's sleep

Baby crying Motor and speech

Choice of complementary foods

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puree from 4 months - Vegetable puree from 5 months - Vegetable puree from 6 months - Vegetable puree from 7 months - Vegetable puree from 8 months Fruit puree - from 4 months - from 5 months months - from 6 months - Fruit purees in soft packagingMeat purees - Meat pureesMeat and vegetable menu - from 8 months - from 12 months Fish and vegetable menu - from 9Soups - from 6 months - from 7 months - from 8 months - from 12 months - From 18 months "Good night" in jars - Cereal cereals with fruit in jarsDrinks - Health drinks - Granulated teas - Tea bags - JuicesSnacks - Snacks

What to do if the child does not eat well

April 14, 2019LifeEating

How to feed children with a selective appetite and instill in them a love for wholesome food - we explain together with "Maloyezhka".

Why babies are so picky about what they eat

Children's appetite and eating habits are influenced by the timing of the first meal, metabolic rate and lifestyle.

First solid foods

Doctors refer to the age between four and six months as the "window of tolerance" - this is the time when children should be given their first solid foods. The longer a child is not introduced to a new food, the stronger his attachment to one type of food is formed. This affects appetite later: children refuse vegetables, ask for cookies and agree to eat soup only if there is ice cream later.

Metabolic rate

The child may eat little because he has a slow metabolism. This is a normal feature of the body, not a pathology. To understand how this works, you can draw an analogy with the fuel consumption of cars: one car needs 5 liters per 100 kilometers, while the other “eats” 20 liters under the same conditions.

Lifestyle

Selective appetite or refusal to eat is largely a matter of upbringing and lifestyle. If the child does not want to eat, then he did not spend enough energy and did not have time to get hungry. To awaken the appetite, you need to increase energy consumption: walk in the fresh air, ride the slides or offer classes in the sports section. The more energy children expend, the better their appetite.

How to understand if a child is eating enough

Traditionally, parents, grandmothers and neighbors from the stairwell determine the health of the baby by his fatness and appetite. "The child must eat," and the more the better. If it doesn't, then something is wrong with it. Do not rush to panic.

It is believed that among children aged 3-6 years, only 18% are "babies".

Malnutrition is not defined by portion size and appetite, but by a lack of nutrients in the diet.

Here are the criteria to determine this:

The child does not gain weight for a long time, growth and lags behind in physical development. Calculate your baby's weight, height and daily nutrient requirements using the calculator.
A child older than 1.5-2 years does not eat certain food groups. For example, refuses vegetables, meat or cereals.
The child bites and eats mainly junk food: sweets, fast food and processed meat (sausages, sausages).
A child older than one and a half years old eats only liquid homogeneous food (for example, milk, formula or puree).
The child refuses any food and goes on hunger strikes.

Keep a food diary and record everything your baby eats in it. After a week of observations, analyze the records, or rather show them to a pediatrician or gastroenterologist. Remember that the main indicator is the balance of nutrition, and not just the amount of food eaten. You won't be happy if your child eats a whole pack of cookies - what's the use of "empty" calories?

What should be in a healthy diet for a child?

Nutrition should be balanced, consisting of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

In the recommended diet for children 2-3 years old, proteins make up about 20% of all food, fats - 30-35%, carbohydrates - 45-65%.
For children 4-18 years of age, the recommended diet is 10-30% protein, 25-35% fat, and 45-65% carbohydrate.

Healthy nutrition is especially important for children as they grow and develop. They need protein for muscles, calcium and phosphorus to strengthen bones, iron to deliver oxygen to organs and tissues, including the brain. To gain the right amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, a balanced diet should include six food groups:

Meat, fish and eggs.
Vegetables.
Fruit.
Dairy products.
Complex carbohydrates (whole grain bread, cereals, durum wheat pasta).
Legumes.

At least 2-3 products from each group should be among the products for the child.

Nutrient deficiencies can be filled with PediaSure Maloezhka drink for children 1 to 10 years old. It contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates, 29 vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics and is proven to be effective. After a month of regular use, the baby's appetite and activity improve, after two months he begins to gain weight (if he was underweight), and after three months his diet expands - the child eats more varied.

The dangers of selective eating and malnutrition

Refusing healthy foods leads to nutritional deficiencies and developmental delays.

Lack of protein can cause stunting, memory impairment, reduced physical activity and weakened immunity. Children with poor nutrition may lag behind their peers in mental development. Consumption of sweets and fast food increases the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity at school age.

How to feed a child if he refuses to eat

Stimulate the appetite

The best medicine to increase appetite is hunger. To make the child want to eat, increase physical activity: walk more and send the child to the sports section.

Get creative with the decoration of dishes

For a child to want to eat a dish, it must look beautiful. Build a funny face out of boiled vegetables, lay out a bicycle or decorate a dish with vegetable sauce. Use cookie cutters to make shapes out of bell peppers, eggplant, and zucchini. Unusual "accordions" of vegetables can be created using curly graters and knives.

Cook together

Children are more likely to eat food prepared by themselves. Let the child help you and captivate the process: let him mix vegetables, rub carrots or watch potatoes bake - he will become interested in what happened and will want to try the dish.

Offer food many times

Young children may refuse unfamiliar foods. This is also true for adults - not everyone is able to try fried grasshoppers or veal brains. It takes time to overcome the fear of new food. Therefore, offer the same dish many times: the child may agree on the tenth or fifteenth attempt.

Respect refusal

Saying a firm “no” is an important social skill. Do not suppress it and respect the opinion of the child. Otherwise, he will not learn to stand his ground in adulthood and say no, including to himself.

How not to feed your child

Do not force him to eat

We strive to feed the baby with all our strength and do it with such zeal that he develops an aversion to food. He ceases to listen to the signals of his body and understand when he is full and when he is hungry. And the harder you push, the more the child resists. It's okay if he skipped breakfast or lunch - he will be more hungry for dinner.

Remember that a child's body is not used to social norms and the need to eat five times a day. If the child has no appetite, it means that he has not yet spent all the energy that entered the body with the last meal. A little patience, and the appetite will appear.

Don't make them eat up

Don't scold the child for not eating everything. Perhaps you gave him too much portion and he physically cannot handle it. The skill to “stop when you’re full” is important and will come in handy in adulthood.

Don't let your child snack

If you want your children to eat well at lunch, don't let them snack between meals. Remove sweets and cookies from the table, do not make sandwiches. If the baby works up an appetite, he will not refuse the soup.

French mothers adhere to this principle: they teach the child to eat at certain hours. "Children don't know how to snack, so they're always hungry by a certain time," writes Pamela Druckerman, author of French Kids Don't Spit Food.

Do not entertain the child while eating

Cartoons, books and dancing with a tambourine distract the child from eating. No need to stuff a spoonful of porridge at any cost. It is necessary to teach him to treat food consciously, to feel its taste and feel full. Instead of cartoons, talk about food: what does it look like? What does it look like? What does she taste like? Do you want another piece?

Talk to your child about food not only from the position of "tasty - not tasty". Food can be crispy, sour, sweet, spicy, spicy, soft. An inquisitive attitude to food will help to cope with children's fear of new dishes.

Do not focus on nutrition in the family

Do not show your child how important nutrition is to you, no matter how difficult it may be. Do not praise the baby if he ate something healthy or ate in principle. If the child notices this, he may begin to manipulate you: beg for toys, ask for a trampoline and ride that pony in the park for a spoonful of oatmeal.

Food is just food, it gives strength and energy. Don't use it as a reward or punishment. If the child is crying, it is better to hug him than to soothe him with chocolate.

How to instill in children a love for healthy food

Start with yourself

Your child imitates everything you do, including adopting your eating habits. Why does he have to eat oatmeal and steamed broccoli when you're so hungry for cakes and fried potatoes?

Double standards do not work in the family: either you all eat right (at least in front of the children), or you allow the children to eat not the most healthy food.

Don't be manipulated

You are the parent and only you decide what your child will eat. You can gradually accustom him to healthy food or indulge desires by agreeing to give him a cookie or a piece of sausage.

Stand firm, but leave the child a choice: offer 2-3 healthy meals, and let him decide what he will eat. Don't yell or force him to eat something he doesn't want. Remember how often hated semolina was shoved into you or forced to eat milk soup in kindergarten. And how you love sweets only because they were forbidden in childhood.

Show that healthy food can be tasty

There is a lot of healthy food: vegetables, fruits, herbs, legumes, nuts, dried fruits, honey. Introduce the child to different products, tell an interesting story about each and let's try a piece. Let the kid understand that the right food is not only oatmeal and cabbage soup.

The same dishes can be prepared in different ways. For example, cauliflower can be boiled, baked in the oven with other vegetables, fried with egg and tomato, added to a jellied pie.