Expert: ruth kraft - 3/31/2010

Question
My 5 mo old is exclusively breastfed and eats 3-4 times a night (first time from a bottle, then I nurse him). I feel exhausted and I can't keep up this schedule any more. He weighs 16 lb and has no health issues. Can I cut out some of the feedings? How should I do that, gradually or cold turkey? I am ready to supplement with formula too or start cereal, or do anything to make him sleep longer. Between the stress of pumping at work and getting enough milk, and the lack of sleep, I am not the best mom that I could be and loose my patience easily. Help!

Answer
First let me say that if it isnt a food issue and it doesnt sound like it is, then supplimenting with formula or rice cereal won't help the baby sleep longer. and you will still have to get up to feed formula :) then it adds more steps cause you'll have bottles to warm up and clean. Plus his digestive system might not like them. However, that doesn't mean that you can't get relief and still breastfeed :)  Cold turkey is not usually a good idea as you will get LOTS of resistance... So, I recommend that you wean out the feeding he doesnt seem to want as much as the others. then a week or two later wean the next one, and go from there. How to do that can vary and theres hundreds of ways to do that. I suggest going to your library and checking out a book called the no cry sleep solution by Elizabeth Pantly. She gives many many ideas, the night time parenting book by dr. sears is helpful too for many women.  Definatly wean over time, and get ideas that would work for you ( far too many to cover in this forum ) from that book...

Good luck and have lots of restful sleep :)

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