The question of night feeding/night waking is one that comes up frequently
among breastfeeding mothers.  Responding to the needs of our babies and
young children is an important aspect of building a foundation of trust.
When parents are there to respond to those needs, our children will feel
secure in their world.

When I am sharing information on night feeding with a young mother, I
often say, "If my feet don't have to touch the floor to meet the needs
of my baby during the night, then I feel as if I am getting a full night's
rest."  My babies slept in bed between my husband and I and nursed during
the night for a long time.  I always had a glass of water on the nightstand
to meet my extra needs for liquids as I cuddled and nursed my children at
night. My babies really were "sleeping through the night", just waking every
3 hours or so to fill their tummies and enjoy feeling close to mom and dad.

In our society, new parents are frequently asked, "Is your baby sleeping
through the night yet?"  My favorite response to this inquiry is, "My baby
is sleeping very well, thank you."  That usually ends the conversation on
that topic, even though my baby may still be waking at night to nurse.  I
find that if a mom feels O.K. about night nursing, and is confident in her
mothering skills, she can handle these inquiries with ease.

My children have all graduated from the family bed now, but I am still not
able to sleep without being awakened occasionally.  The teenagers must
always come in and wake me up when they return from a late night out with
friends or a babysitting job.  They tell me what time it is and that they
are home safely.  Becoming a parent is a life-long committment with no
guarantees about how much sleep you will get.

Janet Talmadge, IBCLC
Naperville, IL