https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:58:33 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1085300 Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:58:36 +0000 wheres_c 1085300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@78h2o: @MaisyMay: my LO is also 99% in height, used to STTN, and now is waking once or twice between 1am and 4am.<br /> I am so.tired.</p> <p>He is FF and when he wakes, he eagerly drinks but then Falls asleep in my bed.</p> <p>I have tried mild CIO (not a fan as a rule) but he just stands in his crib and cries.</p> <p>I'm going to try @scg00387 s suggestion </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1085178 Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:18:04 +0000 78h2o 1085178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>THANKS everyone!</p> <p>@Beehive: I don't know if she's drinking all her bottles but that is how daycare is marking her sheet ("all" vs. a specific # of oz).</p> <p>@scg00387: thanks for sharing - I hope J does that too! That's a good point - the late night nursing is good for my supply - and I much prefer it to pumping!</p> <p>@Mrs. Bee: I haven't tried water - that's a good idea.</p> <p>@hilsy85: She goes to bed around 7:30-8. Lately, she has just be waking up one time, between 11-12:30. Last night she woke up at 11:45pm. She then sleeps until until around 7am, but sometimes as late as 8am. If she doesn't wake in the late evening, she will wake/nurse around 4-5am. A few times she has gotten up both times, but that is not the norm.</p> <p>I asked the pediatrician about it at her 9 mo appointment today. He said because she is 99th percentile for height and 86th for weight, it is basically up to me. He said that she is taller than she is chunky, so it would be okay to feed her if she seems hungry. He does think it sounds like habit and said he thinks it might be easier to break earlier rather than later, but again, it's up to me.</p> <p>I think for now I will continue with the late night feed, but I'm going to try initiating it at 10:30 as a "dream fed", right before I go to bed... I've been staying up for that late night wake up so that I can have solid sleep afterwards, but I think I'd be more rested if I could go to bed earlier. I get up at 5:45 or 6, so sleeping from 12:15-5:45 and then working 10+ hrs. is challenging. I also want her to get the best sleep possible. If that doesn't work, I think I will keep nursing for the time being...I do enjoy visiting with her in the night.* I don't think I want to have her CIO if I can help it, so I'm going to wait until 1 yr to see if she dropsthe wake ups on her own...</p> <p>*I'm confused about whether she's waking up and crying because she wants comfort/connection or food in part because she doesn't want to stay in my bed with me... I've tried to cosleep and she will toss and turn... she prefers sleeping on her tummy in her own bed. But she does like to be held/rocked, so I'm not sure... it's probably a little bit of both </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084717 Fri, 13 Sep 2013 08:45:36 +0000 hilsy85 1084717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Personally, considering you know how much she's eating during the day, I would try to get it down to 1 night waking, and only feed at 1 waking at first. That's where we're at right now at almost 11 months (and honestly I don't even think he needs it, but I'm too scared to sleep train for it). What time does she go to bed? If she wakes before 3 or 4, I would not feed. And then once she's consistently sleeping at least til 3, you can decide whether to tackle that feeding. I keep hoping my LO will drop it on his own! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084456 Fri, 13 Sep 2013 05:38:58 +0000 Kemma 1084456@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lots of developmental and physical stuff going on at this age (teething, growth spurts, crawling, walking, standing etc) so it's quite probable that your wee girl is really hungry.</p> <p>My eleventh month old is still waking once or twice a night, most of the time I nurse her but if the wakeups are close together or soon after bedtime then I attempt to soothe without nursing but nursing is a great tool to have available when dealing with night waking! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084346 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 23:32:46 +0000 lepamplemousse 1084346@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think with the amount of milk and food she's eating in the daytime the nightwakings are out of habit too. My son did the same thing and I night weaned. It was a combination of gradually reducing each night feeding and a bit of Ferber CIO. If she's that high in the percentiles, she's getting a lot of extra calories with the night feedings and may not need them anyways.</p> <p>BTW my son was similar to your LO and ate three 8 oz bottles at daycare too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084305 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:55:10 +0000 winniebee 1084305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It seems like she is eating more than plenty. I don't know your child but it sounds like habit. At 9 mos they don't need overnight calories. At that age if my son woke up crying he would pound a bottle and go back to sleep. But if we let him cry he would go back to sleep and sleep all night. We decided not to feed him unless he was sick and around 8-9 months is when he became a much better night sleeper and slept all night. It's all a personal choice I know parents that will still nurse older babies but for me helping him learn to sleep uninterrupted was a skill we wanted him to learn. And we wanted sleep!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084301 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:52:46 +0000 Mrs. Bee 1084301@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think she is probably waking up out of habit, and also babies have a strong shift in their sleep cycle around 4am so many babies wake up at that time.</p> <p>But it depends on how much you want to get rid of those feedings. Olive was still waking up at 9 months and I nursed her every time until 16 months when I sleep trained once and for all (I would have done it sooner but she was sick the entire winter). But with Charlie, we sleep trained at 4 1/2 months and he dropped all his middle of the night feedings and never woke up again until 12 months when he had a regression from traveling and sickness. I felt more comfortable sleep training Charlie earlier because he was a big 90% baby, whereas Olive was a preemie.</p> <p>It is a personal decision. Many babies go on to drop their middle of the night feedings on their own around the 1 year mark. Some (like Olive) do not.</p> <p>You could try offering water instead? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084290 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:48:51 +0000 immabeetoo 1084290@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsScallop: @coastmama: @MaisyMay: @78h2o: FWIW all of you who said you were in the same boat, I was there a few weeks ago: <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-didnt-self-night-wean-by-8-months" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-baby-didnt-self-night-wean-by-8-months</a> I worried about the same things, and my LO had/has no eating issues or caloric needs. Once a week or so I attempted to put him back down without nursing him, and one day it worked after he had had a few nights where he seemed like he was nursing more for comfort than hunger, and then he kept sleeping through to morning. I legit never thought it would happen naturally.. and it did. So, just some hope! </p> <p>So, with that being said, if she seems genuinely hungry, I would personally nurse her. Especially since you've had supply issues. ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084264 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:38:23 +0000 travelgirl1 1084264@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I still feed A whenever she wakes on a night but as pps have said, it isn't for everyone. If she nurses eagerly and cries if you don't feed her then I would feed her. Sorry, I know it sucks when you're tired :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084255 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:33:38 +0000 MamaMoose 1084255@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@78h2o: ugh, I worried you might say your hubs wouldn't be able to help. I'm sorry : ( M is 50th% for height and 20th% for weight. She's small but she has stayed in that percentage for some time now and she continues to gain weight consistently. I think part of the reason she is so small is that she's a busy body and never stops moving!! She averages 24 ounces of Breastmilk a day so definitely way less ounces but I'm not sure of the BM/Formula differences. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084246 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:27:38 +0000 Mrs. Twine 1084246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Such a personal choice. When I was working, I read several anecdotal accounts of working moms who breastfed having their babies wake "frequently" to nuse in the night, and they suggested that the babies were using it as a way to reconnect. Some kids also reverse-cycle. My gut says that it's not about food, but about something else, in your case. I'd say take starving her or leaving her hungry out of the equation and make your decision based on that. You can always re-evaluate after a night or two if you start to feel that her waking is really due to needing more nutrition. I'm super relaxed about night nursing myself. I never night-weaned Ellie and don't plan to with Lorelei. But that isn't for everyone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084228 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:20:01 +0000 rawrasaur 1084228@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is also 9 months and waking 1-2 times a night. If she stands up in her crib, I usually go in and nurse her back to sleep. It is so quick and painless. I think with her it is more a comfort thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084224 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:19:15 +0000 Beehive 1084224@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That seems like a lot of food to me... my ped once said that they should be getting 28-32 oz (of BM or formula) a day. Are you sure your LO is actually drinking that much at daycare, or is that how much they're giving her in the bottles (and maybe she leaves some)? If she is getting that much food, you may want to night wean. Maybe ask your ped how much milk they think babies should have at that age, to see if you're meeting or exceeding their targets? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084221 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:17:52 +0000 runsyellowlites 1084221@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@78h2o: Nursing is about more than nutrition. ;) I've never worried about P's weight (even though she's petite), we've always just nursed on demand day or night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084206 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:10:36 +0000 MrsScallop 1084206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted to feed her when she wakes if she seems hungry, but that is mostly because that is what I do right now. LO doesn't have consistent waking times, but usually wakes 1-2x per night as well. I usually just feed her because it is 1) easier/faster than trying to put her down again without and 2) I worry sometimes that she didn't eat enough during the day (she is easily distracted). Course, this is probably a bad cycle because if she expects those calories at night, eating during the day could be less important.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084201 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:08:27 +0000 78h2o 1084201@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaMoose: that's a good question, but unfortunately we can't try that out. Nights are soley my territory (DH has major sleep issues). What percentiles is your LO? Is she petite, average, big?</p> <p>I have a terrible supply, so I don't think she's getting a ton when she nurses... maybe 3 oz??? So 3oz, 24oz at daycare, 3oz when I get home, 3oz before she goes to bed, 3oz is the night. So at least 36, maybe more because sometimes I will top off a nursing session with a bottle. Some of that is formua though, which I think is not as calorie dense as breastmilk?? </p> <p>@runsyellowlites: I wouldn't hesitate to nurse her if she wasn't already eating a lot and at a high weight percentile... hmm...</p> <p>@MaisyMay: me too... J has had a couple days here and there where she's slept all night... soooo nice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084188 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 22:04:56 +0000 coastmama 1084188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're going through this at 8 months. I think I've finally just decided to nurse him when he wakes. Resisting was just upsetting everyone in the middle of the night, and I ended up caving anyway. I'm hoping that it will work itself out. Wishful thinking I'm sure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084163 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 21:56:11 +0000 MamaMoose 1084163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Whoa. Your LO is eating way more than my nine month old! M nurses in the morning, has three 4 ounces bottles of pumped milk at school, has 4 ounces of purée for lunch and 6-8 ounces of purée for dinner, and nurses before bed. So, if she wakes up in the night I don't hesitate to feed her. But if my LO were already eating 8 ounce bottles all day I probably would try to avoid feeding her more at night. If your husband goes in to her will she go back to sleep without eating? I'm thinking that having him handle night wakings is the best way to night wean. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084161 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 21:55:03 +0000 runsyellowlites 1084161@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We nurse through the night any time P wakes (17 mths)... I say just nurse her (not an option so I didn't vote) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084159 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 21:53:18 +0000 MaisyMay 1084159@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know, but I have the same problem with my 8 1/2 month old. She's 99+% in weight, 92% in height and wakes for food between 12-1 and 4-5. She used to sleep through the night...I miss those nights! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-awakenings-at-9-months-to-feed-or-not-to-feed#post-1084152 Thu, 12 Sep 2013 21:51:09 +0000 78h2o 1084152@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is 9 months old. </p> <p>Her sleep is pretty decent, but she is consistently waking up 1-2x per night, usually either between 11-midnight or 4-5am, occasionally both times. She never wakes up any other time.</p> <p>When she wakes up, she seems hungry and nurses eagerly. She will sometimes cry when I stop nursing. If I then give her a bottle, she'll drink it and go back to sleep. </p> <p>I've tried to let her cry to see if she she'll go back to sleep, but the times I tried it, she was still crying after 20-30 min and I ended up feeding her.</p> <p>Do you think she's hungry, or is she waking up out of habit?</p> <p>She is WAY above the 99th percentile for height (31-32", 20.5 lbs)... she nurses in the morning, gets 3-4 8 oz bottles at daycare, and nurses 2x in the evening. She may also get a bottle before bed if I feel like she didn't get enough from nursing. Some of the bottles are formula, others are breastmilk. She will also eat 2 x 3oz of puree and some puffs. </p> <p>WWYD? </p>