Night Weaning Baby: When and How | Parenting Hub
Most healthy babies can biologically go through the night without a feed from 6–12 months. Here's the gentle way to night wean.
Most healthy babies don't need night calories from somewhere between 6 and 12 months. Night weaning is a family choice, and there's a kind way to do it.
Before you start
- Baby is at least 6 months old, healthy and growing
- Establishing solids and 3 daytime feeds well
- Not in the middle of illness, teething, regression or daycare start
- GP/maternal health nurse happy with weight gain
Gentle methods
Pick ONE method and give it 7–10 nights.
- Gradual reduction: shorten the feed by 1 min every 2–3 nights (breastfeeding) or drop the bottle volume by 20–30 ml every 2–3 nights
- Dream feed shift: bring the late feed earlier each night
- Switch the comforter: partner settles with pat/cuddle in place of a feed
- Set a 'no feeds before X o'clock' window and slide it later week by week
What to expect
More crying and protest for 3–7 nights, then improvement. Stay present, comfort, don't introduce big new sleep changes at the same time.
When to slow down
Illness, teething, a regression, going to daycare. Pause and resume in a calmer fortnight.
When to seek help
- Poor weight gain — do not night wean, see GP
- Baby very distressed for >2 hours despite comforting
- Baby very unsettled day and night — check for illness
Common questions
Will night weaning hurt my milk supply?
If you replace the dropped feed with day feeds and an evening top-up, supply usually adjusts within a week. Hand-express enough to stay comfortable in the early nights.