Breastfeeding is a wonderful way to bond with your baby while giving them the nourishment they need to grow and develop. While this can be all rainbows and unicorns during daylight hours, the situation can do a 180 when your baby wants to breastfeed constantly and is not sleeping at night. All of the bonding and sweetness can turn sour when you’re constantly not sleeping.
Is your baby falling into this pattern? If you’re nodding your head in agreement while reading this, know that there are many reasons why this can be happening, all of them pretty common. Understanding why this is happening is key because it can help you determine your next steps and eventually help get you to sleep.
The good news here is that as a certified pediatric sleep consultant, I’ve seen this happen so many times before and I have different techniques and ideas I can share with you to help your family get the sleep you so desperately need!
Why Does My Baby Want to Breastfeed Constantly?
Hunger
This is the simplest reason why your baby may be breastfeeding constantly. This can happen frequently during the newborn stage, and even as they get a little bit older. You can’t sleep when you’re hungry, and you can’t expect your baby to either. If your baby goes on night-eating binges, you need to figure out if your milk supply might be low or if you need to change their feeding schedule.
Looking for Comfort
While some babies are breastfeeding constantly because they’re hungry, others are latching on for comfort. This comfort nursing provides emotional security for babies. They typically do this during growth spurts, so this type of nursing shouldn’t last for too long. Nevertheless, it can be so tiresome for moms who are not sleeping (and for everyone else in the house). Knowing the difference between comfort nursing because a baby wants to nurse and breastfeeding because a baby needs to nurse can help you determine your next step to get on board the sleep train!
Low Milk Supply
Your baby may want to breastfeed constantly because they’re not getting enough during each feeding. A low milk supply may be to blame. If you suspect this is the problem, you can check in with a lactation consultant for tips on how to boost milk supply.
Reverse Cycling
If you’ve never heard of this before, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Reverse cycling happens when your baby is taking in more milk or calories during the night than during the day. This causes them to have a reduced appetite and less feedings during the daytime. So, they wake up more at night, wanting to eat more.
Reverse cycling can happen if there is a change to your baby’s routine or if they are experiencing a sleep regression. Another cause can be due to the fact that your baby is sleeping too much during the day. Too much sleep equals less eating. They can still have their naps, you just need to make sure they’re eating during the day too.
How to Handle Constant Breastfeeding & Minimal Sleep
If you think you know why your baby is constantly breastfeeding, congratulations! That’s half the battle. Now, you can try a few things to limit the nightly binges and get everyone to sleep.
Explore Supplemental Feedings
If you have a low milk supply, you may want to look into supplementing some of the feedings with formula to help your baby get the full tummy they need to sleep. This can help your body replenish before the next feeding, and help you get the sleep you desperately need! But of course, you’ll want to check with your Pediatrician first!
Look Into Latch Problems
Latch problems can also cause constant breastfeeding if your baby can’t get what they need when they need it. Don’t worry, this is very common and can often be remedied. When latch problems are to blame, your pediatrician or lactation consultant can show you ways you can get your baby to latch on better. Once this improves, you should see your baby eating more during the daytime hours and hopefully wanting less during the night.
Feeding Schedule Change
Look into making a switch in your baby’s feeding schedule. While you don’t want to get them in the habit of nursing to fall asleep, be sure they have enough fuel to get them through the night. Some parents find that nursing at the beginning of the bedtime routine works well. This way, you can still have a story or lullaby before it’s time to say goodnight.
When you feed your baby too early before bed, they may get hungry during the night. Feeding them until they fall asleep, may cause them to wake up in the middle of the night looking for you to help them to fall asleep. While this can fall more into the comfort nursing category, it’s still waking you up and disturbing everyone’s sleep.
Also, look into more daytime feedings. As I mentioned above, if your baby is napping too much during the day, they may not be eating like they should. Slipping in a few more daytime feedings can help to reduce the middle of the night hunger.
Look for Other Things to Comfort Your Baby
If your baby is looking for more comfort nursing, help them find other ways to soothe themselves that don’t involve any part of you. White noise machines or pacifiers can be the magic potion for some. Others find that playing relaxing music can help. Some babies just need to find their sweet spot in their crib that gives them the green light to fall asleep.
If Your Baby Wants to Breast Constantly and is Not Sleeping I Can Help
If you’ve tried some of these things and your baby wants to breastfeed constantly and is not sleeping still, I’m here to help. I have sleep training techniques that are proven to work and are scientifically backed. I have helped countless families get their babies back to sleep, now let me help you! Explore my Sleep Packages to see which is right for you!
