Night weaning: gentle step-by-step plans for breast and bottle

Night weaning works best slowly, one feed at a time. The gentle options are to shorten the feed (or offer a little less in the bottle) every night or two, to offer comfort first and gradually stretch the time before a feed, or to have a partner resettle your baby. Make sure your baby is feeding well during the day first, allow a few days for each change, and pause if your baby is unwell. If your baby was premature or has any growth concerns, check with your doctor or pediatrician before you start.

This guide is the how-to. If you're still deciding whether your baby is ready, start with dropping night feeds.

Is my baby ready to night wean?

There's no set age, and no hurry if night feeds work for you. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says breastfed babies often need night feeds until around 12 months, while bottle-fed babies tend to drop them earlier, from around 6 months. Australia's Karitane, a NSW child and family health service, says babies may continue night feeds for comfort or nutrition, and that you can reduce them as your baby approaches 12 months if that suits your goals.

Signs that the time may be right include:

• your baby is growing well at check-ups and feeding well in the day
• night feeds are getting shorter or smaller
• your baby often settles quickly after only a brief feed

Talk to your doctor or pediatrician first if your baby was born early, has a low birth weight, isn't gaining steadily, or has a health condition. The AAP notes that babies who are struggling to gain weight shouldn't go too long between feeds.

How do I prepare before night weaning?

Night weaning goes more smoothly when the day is set up for it. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests:

1. Feed well before the night. Make sure your baby is well fed before they settle for the night.
2. Offer both breasts in the day if you're breastfeeding.
3. Check daytime formula if you're bottle feeding — enough in the day, made up as the instructions say.
4. Try soothing first overnight before offering a feed.
5. Make gentle changes to daytime settling, so your baby learns other ways to fall asleep.

Choose a fairly calm week to start — not during illness, travel or a big change like starting childcare. If your baby has more than one night feed, decide which one to work on first. Many families start with the feed their baby seems least interested in, or the one closest to bedtime.

What are the main ways to night wean?

The Australian Breastfeeding Association's weaning guide suggests dropping one feed every few days so your child and your body can adjust slowly, and Australia's Karitane suggests removing one feed at a time over a few days. Within that, there are three main approaches. You can use one or combine them.

1. Shorten the feed or reduce the bottle

Australia's Karitane suggests gradually reducing the time spent breastfeeding at night.

1. Note roughly how long your baby usually feeds (or how much they take from the bottle) at the feed you're working on.
2. Every night or two, make that feed a little shorter, or offer a little less in the bottle.
3. When the feed is very short, stop offering it and settle your baby with comfort instead.
4. Keep everything else the same — the same dim room, the same quiet words, the same crib.

This suits babies who feed a lot at night and families who like a clear, gradual path.

2. Stretch the gap with comfort first

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests trying other soothing and resettling overnight before offering a feed. Australia's Karitane suggests offering comfort through rocking or soothing words instead of a feed.

1. When your baby wakes, go to them and try to settle them in the crib or with a cuddle first.
2. If they settle, great. If they're still upset after a while, offer the feed.
3. Over the next few nights, gradually lengthen how long you comfort before feeding, so the feed moves later.
4. Eventually the feed may drop away or merge with the early-morning feed.

A small 1993 trial by Pinilla and Birch used a similar idea with young breastfed babies — gradually lengthening the time between night feeds with other caretaking — together with a late-evening feed and a clear day–night difference. Babies in the study group fed less often at night and more in the early morning, and their total milk intake over 24 hours didn't change. It was a small study of much younger babies, so treat it as encouraging rather than proof.

3. A partner or another adult resettles

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests partners take turns with night wakings, and the Australian Breastfeeding Association says a partner might help settle a waking child with a cuddle. Babies often expect a feed from the parent who usually feeds them, so a different person can make the change easier.

1. Agree beforehand who goes in and what they'll do.
2. The resettling parent uses a cuddle, patting or quiet words.
3. If your baby is still very upset after a reasonable time, the feeding parent can step in — and try again the next night.

Responsive approaches

All three methods can be done responsively: you stay with your baby, respond to their cries and offer comfort, rather than leaving them to cry alone. Australia's Karitane suggests trying responsive settling strategies alongside reducing night feeds. Our responsive settling guide covers techniques, and check and console and gradual retreat are other options some families use.

What does a night weaning plan look like?

Example plan — adjust to your baby. This shows a baby with one night feed using the shorten-the-feed method.

If your baby has two night feeds, finish the first one before starting on the second. If a stage isn't working after a few nights, stay there longer or go back a step.

What should I expect over the first few nights?

Some change in your baby's behavior is normal while they adjust.

• Some protest. Many babies cry or fuss more for the first few nights as they get used to settling without a feed. Staying with them and responding helps.
• Waking may continue for a while. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby notes babies also wake between sleep cycles and may need comfort to resettle, so wakings don't always stop when the feed does — see night wakings.
• More interest in daytime or early-morning feeds. That's the milk moving to the day, which is what you want.
• Clinginess. The Australian Breastfeeding Association notes children may be clingy or cross during weaning, or may sense your feelings and ask for more feeds.

Your breasts may feel fuller in the night or early morning. Australia's Karitane suggests reducing feeds gradually, expressing only enough to relieve discomfort, and using cool compresses. Slow down if you're getting uncomfortably full. If you notice a painful lump or red area, or feel feverish, see our mastitis guide.

If you keep notes, jot down each night's waking times, how long or how much your baby fed, and how they resettled. Comparing a week of nights makes it easier to see progress — or to show your pediatrician what's happening.

When should I pause night weaning?

Pause and feed your baby as they need if they:

• are unwell, have a fever or are off their food
• seem genuinely hungry — taking a full feed eagerly and settling straight afterwards
• are going through a big change, such as a move, travel or starting childcare
• have fewer wet diapers, or you're worried about their weight

You can restart once things settle. Going back a step for a few nights won't undo your progress. Talk to your doctor or pediatrician if you've paused several times, or if night weaning is affecting your baby's feeding or your wellbeing.

Safe sleep while night weaning

Settling without a feed doesn't change safe sleep. Safe to Sleep advises the back for every sleep, a firm, flat surface in your baby's own crib or bassinet, nothing soft or loose in the crib, and room sharing for at least the first 6 months. Sofas and armchairs are never safe places for babies to sleep. If you fall asleep while feeding or settling in an adult bed, move your baby back to their own sleep space as soon as you wake.

When should I get help?

Call 911 now if your baby is struggling to breathe, has blue, gray or blotchy skin or lips, is floppy, difficult to wake or can't be woken, or has a seizure. The NHS guide to serious illness also lists a temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher in a baby under 3 months as an emergency.

See a doctor today if your baby is refusing feeds or has fewer wet diapers than usual, or if you have a painful red area in your breast and feel feverish or unwell.

Talk to your pediatrician, doctor or La Leche League or a lactation consultant (IBCLC) if night weaning isn't working after a couple of weeks, you're worried about your supply or your baby's growth, or the nights are wearing you down. If exhaustion is affecting your mood, contact your pediatrician's office. If you ever feel you might harm yourself or your baby, put your baby down safely in their crib and call 988 (call or text) or 911.