Your newborn’s small stomach and rapid growth spurts will drive frequent night wakings for milk. Night feeds will be more prominent during the newborn stage and typically start to decrease in frequency around 5-6 months old.
What's typical for newborn night feeds:
0-4 months old: During these months, it’s common for newborns to wake anywhere from 2-5 times for milk. Formula-fed babies tend to need less frequent feedings, while breastfed babies need to be fed every 3-4 hours.
How to manage this demanding season:
Evaluate your sleep space. Many new parents design a separate nursery only to find that it’s not practical to get up and walk into the nursery to feed. One way to maximize rest is to room share for the first six to 12 months, as the American Academy of Pediatrics outlines. *Room share is not the same thing as bedsharing. The AAP recommends room sharing, or having baby next to you but in their own sleep surface like a bassinet. You’ll still be waking to feed, but it can feel far less disruptive when you eliminate trips between separate rooms.
Re-evaluate shared nighttime duties: If possible, take turns with your partner for nighttime care. If you are establishing breastfeeding and have not yet tried bottle feeding, there are still other duties you can share like diaper changes, sheet changes, and holding and rocking baby back to sleep after a feeding.
Hang in there! Nighttime parenting is often the most hands-on during these early months. Soon, your baby will consolidate their sleep and feeding cycles, which will reward you with longer sleep stretches.