If I plan to breastfeed for one year, when can i plan on sleeping through the night?

Question

I'm due in December, and I bought the supreme snuggle nest to put in my bed so I can safely cosleep with my son and nurse him throughout the night without having to get up, walk over to the bassinett/crib.

I figure when he's older, I can put him in his crib in the next room (which I'm sure will be a frustrating transition for all parties involved)

My breastfeeding goal is to make it to at least one year.

Will I ever be able to sleep through the night?

At what point is baby old enough to sleep without middle-of-the night feedings?

Answer 1

all babies are different my son who is now 17 months didn't start sleeping threw the nite till he was around 7 months and he would still wakes up real early drinks milk and then goes back to bed for an hour or two. and my cousin who has a baby only 2 months sleeps threw the nite.. so every baby is different..  

Answer 2

you could just start pumping after a few months.

Answer 3

Hi, my little one woke me up at 2-3 am than 4-6 am for about a month n a half. Now it's once, sually around 6, with a quirky 4ish sometimes. I'm breastfeeding too and I have her in her room, always have. She never stayed awake all that long besides to eat.

When she gets up, feed her, check the diaper, and put her down. Start a routine, don't speak, no bright lights. It works! Mine goes right to sleep again, no problems at all, ever!! And she's only 3 months now!!

Answer 4

While you need to wake baby (if he doesn't wake on his own) for the first few weeks, once he's back to his birthweight and gaining well, you can let him set his own schedule.

And all babies are different. While, on average, breastfed babies (and co-sleeping babies) eat at night a BIT longer than formula fed and/or crib sleeping babies, it's still mostly a matter of individual differences. Some babies are sleeping 5-6 hours by 1-2 months.  Others are still eating every 2-3 hours for most of the first year.  It would be fairly uncommon for a year old baby to still need multiple night feedings, but it does happen.

FWIW, my daughter (breastfed, in a crib from 6 weeks), STTN (11 p.m. to 6 a.m.) at around 7 months.

Cosleeping babies do tend to nurse more often at night, and for longer periods of time, but since you don't have to wake up, it isn't really an issue.  

Answer 5

I have been sleeping through the night since since about the time my daughter turned 8 weeks. She's now 4.5 months. Just because you are breastfeeding doesn't mean that you wont get any sleep. Many breastfed babies sleep just fine and for long periods. It's a myth that they don't. It just depends on each baby. A friend of mine has a 9.5 month old boy and he still wakes up during the night, and he's formula fed, while his twin sister has been sleeping through the night for months. It's just depending on the baby, not the method of how they get their food or what they eat.

Good Luck and Congrats.

Answer 6

there's so many conflicting views on weather or not you should wake a sleeping baby. i breastfed my daughter for the first 11 weeks of her life and she was sleeping through the night by about 3 weeks. i think it depends entirely on the baby and if you decide to wake baby for a feed. my midwife told me when i was in hospital to never wake a sleeping baby as it disrupts their sleep pattern and makes it harder to get them into a routine. i know a lot of dr's/ midwives/ mothers and parents all have different views but it worked for me and id highly recommend letting bubs sleep through. i also found that when feeding at night try to have the lights low and don't stimulate baby in anyway to get them back off to sleep faster, and have a different area to sleep during the day so bubs can differentiate between night and day sleeping. all this combined should help to get into a routine with in the first few weeks of life. good luck

Answer 7

I am breastfeeding myself too with my 1 week old. I breastfeed my daughter and she slept with us in bed and it did make things a whole lot easier by just popping it out and feeding her. Though as she got older it wasnt so easy. It depends on each baby.

This time I just have my son in his bassinet rigth next to our bed so that way he wont get too attached. He wakes up about 3 xs at night but it could be worse.

Good luck

Answer 8

My baby is 8 weeks old and he's been sleeping through the night for the past 2 weeks.  From day 1 he's slept in his crib though.  And he is solely breastfed, no rice no formula.

Good Luck!

Answer 9

That is so individual!

I hope you get good answers!

Answer 10

when you co-sleep like that, you hardly wake up, just roll over and feed. my baby is 8 months and we still co-sleep, its the best thing ever!

Answer 11

my daughter started sleeping through the night at 9 weeks

Answer 12

If you're one of the lucky few and your baby sleeps through the night from the get go, no, you do not have to him in the middle of the night to feed.

If you're co sleeping, you and everyone else will probably get more sleep at night sooner than not co sleeping.

Answer 13

haha OMG YES! sweety, you'll be through the night at around 4 months. My sone was sleeping through the night at about 3 but thats pretty early. could be a litle later, all babies are different. the first 2 months you'llbe up every few hours but then you'll get some Zzz's.

No one would breastfeed if you couldnt sleep for a whole year haha, your baby willg et to the point where he is only breast feeding a few times a day once solids are begun (at around 6 months)

MY advise as a parent is to NOT co-sleep fro very long. I did this with my son until he was 3 months then went to separate sleeping. Waiting too too much longer than that doesnt teach them to put themselves back to sleep (my Girlfriend was still up every 2 hours with her 6 month old, when she brought it upt he the Dr. he was like "well it sb/c breastfeeding is the only way he's known how to fall back asleep when he wakes momentarilly" like everyone does)

thats my advise my sone is a AMAZING sleeper I got very lucky. Good luck with your year breastfeeding goal! its difficult but can be rewarding, MOTHERS MILK tea if your supply begins to depleat its amazing or you can go to GNC and just get the suplement fenkuo root or something LIKE that i think google it, but its a GOD send if you start to slow in ur supply (which is normal, the longer out you go)

Good luck!!!!

Answer 14

I miss the baby stage... :)  When I had my son, I let myself be pressured into putting him in a crib.  When I had my first daughter, I was a rebel and took her to sleep with me (and I did this with my second daughter as well).

There are a lot of things to be afraid of when you are pregnant... and to worry about.  The human body is an amazing thing though.  You will adapt to your child after he/she is born, and they will adapt to you.

One thing that will help you get back to sleep faster, after you feed the baby, is a diaper genie.  :))  Keep one close to the bed, with a diaper bag handy as well (just like you were traveling every night). After the baby nurses and then defecates/urinates, you do not have to wake completely to take your new baby to another room to change them.  

I think this might help you.  

Don't worry.  Most babies sleep through the night by four months of age.  :)  

Answer 15

my son started sleeping through the night at 2 months. this is when we moved him to his crib. it was a very easy transition for him... i was worried sick. but it gets better.

Answer 16

my experience was almost exactly the same as "Paisano" with my breastfed baby initially waking at 2-ish for a while and then 4-ish and now at 3.5 months he is consistently sleping through from his late feed until 7am.

He has slept in his crib in our room at night since birth and we moved him into his own at 3 months which went very smoothly and totally sealed the deal on him sleeping through, since he seems to sleep much more soundly!

But each baby is different and has their own schedule, so good luck with yours!

Answer 17

It really differs from baby to baby.  I nurse both my sons my oldest who is 3 started sleeping 12 hours at 8 weeks old.  My 6 months old started sleeping between 8-10 hours at 12 weeks.

edit....NO don't wake them in the night to feed.  The only time you need to wake them to feed every 3 hours during the day and 4 hours at night (which usually happens on their own) is if they are not back up to their birth weight.

Answer 18

It really depends on the baby.  I have friends whose baby is under 3 months (breastfed) and is sleeping through the night.  My son (breastfed) on the other hand, didn't start sleeping well at night until around 12 months.  Often he'll still wake up once (unless he's sick or teething, in which case it's more frequent) even though he was weaned completely a few weeks ago.  Just keep your fingers crossed for a good sleeper! =)