How to feed your baby formula at night
Babies usually get breast milk on demand during the first 1-3 months, and formula feeding is mainly managed on a schedule. Every baby has his or her rhythm of sleeping and eating and an individual need for them. It is just that newborns in the first weeks of life have not yet developed the ability to distinguish between day and night. The baby is just not used to going without food for a long time. It is also super important to feed your baby with the very best formula available, such as HiPP Dutch Stage 1 for example – to provide necessary and high quality nutrients. After three months of age, the baby can go longer without food resulting in longer night sleep than the day sleep. From about six months on, babies no longer need night feedings because, at this age, the rhythm of hunger and satiation in a healthy baby stops in the daytime.
But how do you dispense the daily amount of formula – only during the daytime, or will you have to feed at night as well? Will feeding before going to bed at night helps the baby sleep better, or will it burden the digestive system and cause restlessness?
Nighttime formula feeding
During the neonatal period, that is, in the first four weeks of life, the formula-fed baby should get milk at regular intervals – every 3 hours.
Babies in the first 4-6 months of life are fed exclusively with formula. But even after introducing complementary foods, the formula should be left as the last feeding before bedtime. It will not overload the digestive system and give the baby the necessary nutrients.
When the baby gets older, the portions of baby food become larger, and the intervals between feedings become longer. If your baby puts on weight well, feels good, and eats nicely during the day, night feeding may not be necessary. The right amount of formula and number of feedings will enable your baby to stay satiated and keep the nighttime feedings interval.
For safe formula feedings at nighttime, Holle formula can be an excellent option for babies from the first days as well as for toddlers. Manufacturers take into account the age requirements and digestive peculiarities of growing babies. Therefore, new moms do not have to think twice about replacing the infant formula at bedtime during the first and second years of a baby’s life.
When do I take away my baby’s nighttime formula feeding?
The feeding routine of an infant under 12 months usually includes night feedings, and it is not a problem or pathology. Often there are parents who want to wean their baby from feeding at night, which is simply impossible. It is necessary to understand adequately whether the baby is ready to give up night feedings.
A baby between the ages of 1 and 3 years is allowed an additional feeding before going to bed at around 22:00-22:30 if there is such a need and the best and most practical option is to give your little one a favorite bottle with formula milk.
Up to a certain age, night feedings will be a part of scheduled feeding. You should not remove them early – it may be harmful to your baby. As your baby grows older and the diet expands, he or she will start to get large enough portions to cover the nutritional needs during the day and need to eat less and less at night.
