Can I Sleep Train If I Am Breastfeeding?

Many breastfeeding parents wonder if it's possible to sleep train if they are breastfeeding. After all, isn't it important to breastfeed around the clock in order to maintain supply? 

Well, first off, I always support breastfeeding for those who want to do it. I also support bottle feeders while sleep training.

Your body, your choice. You will have a fabulous kid either way.

The advice that many parents get from lactation consultants is to feed frequently around the clock, especially in the early weeks and months.

This is excellent advice for supporting a breastmilk supply but less than ideal for sleep.

Here’s what i recommend, to optimize both breastfeeding and​ sleep. You will not get this controversial advice from your ICBLC, but with in almost all cases, I have found that it works beautifully for sleep while also preserving the breastfeeding relationship. (In those couple of cases, breastmilk supply was negatively impacted and those parents decided to supplement with formula... but in both cases, they have supplemented with their older children, too, and had planned to do so with these newer babies.)

For the first six weeks of life, or longer if your baby was born early, breastfeed around the clock, on demand. 

At age 6-8 weeks old, if your milk supply is well established, start to gently encourage a schedule of eating every 3 hours during the day and same at night. This change doesn't need to happen overnight. Take it slowly, monitor your baby's wet diapers as well as your milk supply. Consider pumping once a day or more if you have supply concerns or if you want your baby to take a bottle sometimes.

At eight weeks and older, if breastfeeding and milk supply are continuing to go well, start gently encouraging the feedings to be on an every four-hour-schedule during the day and at night. You can add in an extra feeding in the late afternoons if you have any concerns about your baby getting enough to eat. Continue to count wet diapers -- you should have at least six in a 24-hour period.

You may find that your baby starts to sleep a longer stretch at night when you switch to an every-four-hour schedule during th day. If this is the case, and if your pediatrician has no concerns about your baby's weight gain, congratulations! Please take advantage of this and get some extra sleep yourself! 

This is exactly what happened with all three of my babies, and it was glorious. My oldest was sleeping an 8-hour stretch by 8 weeks old, and my middle was sleeping 10 hours by 10 weeks. My youngest was born very small after fetal growth restriction so she didn't sleep through the night until 4 months old. In every case, there was minimal to no crying.

Want to get your newest member of the family sleeping longer stretches at night? You've come to the right place. Book a complimentary sleep consultation today and find out how you can have a well-rested family in two weeks or less, guaranteed.