Middle of the Night Feedings for Babies 2 Weeks to 3 Months of Age
Middle of night feeds tend to become more consistent as baby grows! So, how many night feeds should we expect and what does a middle of night feeding look like? Keep reading!
For the first few weeks, baby is fed every 2-3 hours. Once baby is around 2 weeks of age, past their birth weight, and gaining weight of about an ounce a day those first 6-8 weeks (see the book for more), then we can move up to on-demand feedings at night.
What does this mean? We simply wait for them to wake! One thing to note is that we all wake every 3 hours or so, so this doesn’t necessarily mean hunger. When baby wakes, try and wait a minute or two, soothe (see Moms on Call Soothing Technique), check swaddle or try paci, then feed.
How Many Middle of the Night Feeds to Expect:
- 2-4 weeks: 2 feeds most nights
- 4-8 weeks: 2 feeds most nights with an occasional night of one feed
- 8-10 weeks: 1 feed most nights with an occasional night of no feeds
- 10-12 weeks: Begging to get more nights of no feeds
The above expectations are for babies following Moms on Call. Your experience may be different if another method or no method at all is being used, and that is OKAY! YOU are the best decision maker for your baby and your family!
Middle of Night Feeding:
2 weeks to 3 months, middle-of-night feedings are what we call “strictly business.” Try and keep distractions minimal.
- Turn off the white noise for the feeding
- Un-swaddle baby
- Feed well
- Recommended feeding amounts can be found in Moms on Call’s Typical Day Schedules.
- Change their diaper
- Swaddle them back up
- Our swaddle blanket is designed with our no-fail swaddle technique in mind!
- Swaddling babies is an essential step in getting them to sleep!
- Only babies under 12 lbs and 12 weeks of age should be swaddled.
- Baby can have a few more sucks on the breast or bottle (maximum of 3-5 minutes!)
- Put them back in the crib
- White noise back on
- Lights off!
Middle-of-night feedings can be exhausting and sweet all at the same time! Our success is not measured by how we feed, or if our little one is sleeping through the night, or if we are on a routine or not. It is determined by the love that overflows and covers all these situations. So just remember, you are an incredible parent, whether you are feeding 3 times a night or zero!
For tips on getting the entire family back to sleep, head over to the knowledge center for our blog, “Getting Back To Sleep.”
Moms on Call provides simple, sensible parenting resources to sleep, feed, laugh, and love birth through toddlerhood. You can find tips like this and more in our books and Online Video Courses for 0-6 months, where we cover everything from feeding and sleeping to schedule transitions and typical days at each stage.
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With each and every Moms on Call Consulting experience, we have one goal in mind—to equip you with the confidence you need to become the best parent possible for your child. We are proud to partner with Certified Consultants who are uniquely trained to work with families utilizing the Moms on Call philosophy. All consultants are licensed nurses with pediatric experience who have used Moms on Call within their own homes. Book your personal consultation with one of our Premier Certified Moms on Call Consultants!
