Is my baby hungry or is it just comfort?

Question

I am soooo over my baby’s night wakes. He’s almost 11 months and has NEVER slept through the night. I breastfeed him to sleep, even his day naps I nurse him then rock him to sleep. 
My son wakes up 2-4 times in the night crying, I know I have to nurse him then rock him back to sleep. My question is is he waking up from hunger and needs to be nursed or is he waking up and crying cause he needs the comfort in order to fall back to sleep? I’m really over nursing in the middle of the night. I dontknow what else to do.

Answer

He’s waking because you feed him to sleep. He needs milk to fall asleep, so when he wakes overnight he needs it again. To stop that you need to feed him before bedtime, then do something else for 10 minutes - sing songs, read a book etc. teaching him to fall asleep without the drowsy effect of milk will take a few days but it will help remove the sleep association it’s created.

Answer

Same with my baby, I think it’s both. I haven’t stopped it because mine and weaned herself during the day, so overnight is when she gets her milk intake. But I have thought about it for sure. It’s exhausting.

Answer

Most likely habit at this point. And because you have him in the habit of nursing mad rocking to sleep, he doesn't know how to put himself to sleep without you. Your choices are to keep doing what you're doing or train him to put himself back to sleep on his own.

Answer

Following. My daughter is still only 3 months, but I'd love to hear tips on how to keep her asleep for longer at night (she wakes every 2 hrs)

Answer

Most likely at this point he is waking from habit. 
For me it was easier to nurse to sleep till my son started sleeping through the night on his own time (17 months). 
Try having your partner (if you have one) go in the first time baby wakes and have them resettle the baby. It may take a long time the first time. But then you nurse at the next wake up. Then partner takes the next one etc. After baby gets better at being resettled without nursing have the other person take the remaining nursing wake ups or you can try to resettle without nursing. Eventually, you both should be able to resettle without nursing AND hopefully sleep will extend out and baby will have fewer wake ups.

Answer

No idea, but I feel you. My son is the same. And I don't nurse him to sleep during daytime. But at night he needs nursing to sleep nothing else works. Wakes like 4 times also. And I am sure he is not hungry.

Is my baby hungry or is it just comfort?

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