When and how to space out baby feedings

Baby’s Milk Feedings: When and How to Space Out - Élhée

ARTICLE SUMMARY:

At what frequency should you breastfeed your baby?
Night feedings, often the first to be dropped
The most important thing? Supporting your child's rhythm

You always wanted to breastfeed your baby, and now they're here, cradled in your arms, pressed against your chest, at your breast. For a few weeks, you’ve been living your greatest joy, and yet, it’s not always simple. Between milk let-downs, nighttime awakenings, unscheduled feedings, and your baby often falling asleep at the breast, breastfeeding is not always smooth sailing and you likely wouldn’t say no to a bit of advice. In fact, you may be wondering, when the time comes, how to space out feedings and help your newborn sleep longer at night. There’s no exact science here, but a healthy dose of observation and patience to support your child's rhythm.

At what frequency should you breastfeed your baby?

As is often the case with babies, the answer to this question is both simple and complicated. Simple, because midwives, pediatricians, etc., recommend breastfeeding babies “on demand,” meaning whenever they are hungry. Complicated, because this method is less suited to bottle-feeding and requires flexibility, observation, and patience in your daily routine.

On average, depending on their appetite, a newborn may nurse 8 to 12 times every 24 hours.

Some babies, with bigger appetites, ask for the breast more often. They might squirm, turn their head, open their mouth or cry to be understood. Others, quieter ones, require their parents to pay closer attention to properly recognize and anticipate their needs. For them, after a nap, some skin-to-skin cuddling may be an opportunity for a welcome feeding they might not have requested themselves. This is called “feeding on awakening.”

Night feedings, often the first to be dropped

Let’s face it, there is no guaranteed way to schedule your baby's feedings. Each mother/child duo’s breastfeeding experience is unique, and various factors can disrupt, alter, or change the rhythm and amount of feedings (seasons, temperature, location, health, milk supply, etc.), not to mention your baby grows quickly—feeding times, their duration, and even the amount of milk consumed all change regularly.

Nevertheless, the middle-of-the-night feeding (or bottle) is often the first one to stop. As soon as your baby starts sleeping several hours in a row, allowing you to do the same, they may naturally stop needing it. Is that not yet the case for you? Here are a few ways to encourage this.

To space out feedings, encourage independent falling asleep

Often, breastfed babies fall asleep at the breast, satisfied and full. If they wake during the night, these same babies may have trouble falling back to sleep without nursing—not because they're hungry, but out of habit and because the breast feels comforting. If that’s the case for your child, to space out feedings and promote a more pleasant, restorative sleep rhythm for everyone, you can help by teaching them to fall asleep on their own like a big kid.

To establish new sleep habits, start after the evening feeding by placing your baby in their crib while they’re still awake. That way, even if you stay beside them, they will gradually understand that they can let themselves drift off and fall asleep peacefully without being in your arms. Once established, this habit will help prevent them from feeling lost or helpless if they awaken during the night. Of course, you can help welcome sleep with gentle touches, a story, a lullaby… whatever feels enjoyable and calming for your child.

To space out feedings, should you replace the last evening feeding with a bottle?

To help your little one transition toward longer nights, and thus help them “skip” the 2 or 3 a.m. feeding or bottle, you can also try the following method. If you are comfortable with mixed feeding, replace the last evening feeding with a bottle of infant formula. This could be the chance to try out a bottle designed for breastfeeding to make the switch easier. Of course, it’s possible that your baby may refuse to take a bottle. And, if you are concerned about nipple confusion, there are plenty of comprehensive resources on that topic.

But, why might giving a bottle of formula in the evening help your baby not wake as much at night? On the one hand, breast milk is perfectly suited to babies' metabolic needs and very easy to digest. On the other hand, industrial formulas, often thicker, generally require a longer digestion time. This difference might keep your baby “full” longer and reduce the number of nighttime awakenings.

Few babies sleep through the night before 4 to 6 months old

Even though we know that night feedings won’t last forever, they can be exhausting and even demanding for the mom and the couple. So, if that’s you, don’t hesitate to take naps whenever possible. While your baby is also sleeping, while someone else takes care of them, in the morning instead of ironing, or during the day instead of tidying up... all that can wait. The most important thing? You, your baby, and the health of you both.

Also, take comfort: most babies start sleeping well at night (between 6 and 8 hours in a row) around 4 to 6 months old. If that’s not the case for you, perhaps a session of pediatric osteopathy or trying an herbal “sweet night” tea that is breastfeeding-friendly might help?

The most important thing? Supporting your child's rhythm

Any transition is never easy, especially when it involves changing a baby’s habits! However, with time, over the weeks, patience, and kindness, by watching what works for you (which may not work for your friend’s baby), you’ll find the keys to spacing out your baby's feedings and, if you start with the middle-of-the-night feeding, lengthening everyone’s sleep time.

To do your best, respect your child’s needs. If they sleep better next to you, try co-sleeping. That way, you might find it easier to comfort your baby with just a gentle touch if they wake up. If, on the contrary, even the slightest sound wakes them up, gently guide them toward independent sleep in their own crib, in their room, and without feeding.

Very often, you already have all the keys within you to help your baby. You just need to trust yourself and your instincts as a mom. And if things become too difficult, don’t hesitate to ask your midwife or pediatrician for help; they can likely point you to a baby sleep specialist.

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