Resettling Techniques for Babies 3-6 Months

When your baby is a newborn, a feed is usually offered for every night waking as the first option. Our midwives tell us or we read about how babies tummies are tiny and they need regular feeds. So any time our precious newborn squeaks, our first option is to feed, day or night!

However, as your baby moves beyond the newborn stage, it's well worth knowing that not every night waking automatically means your baby is hungry. There are many reasons babies are awake or unsettled in the night, a hungry tummy is just one of those reasons.

Yes, your baby will always be happy to take the breast or bottle and for many parents, they are happy to use feeding as their go to resettling technique. Babies often settle most quickly with a feed and everyone is back to sleep pretty quickly.

...as your baby moves beyond the newborn stage, it's well worth knowing that not every night waking automatically means your baby is hungry. There are many reasons babies are awake or unsettled in the night, a hungry tummy is just one of those reasons..

Is a feed what is most needed?

There are lots of reasons babies wake in the night, including the physiological changes that happen around 4-5 months when babies start to wake fully between every sleep cycle.

Have a read of our article on Why is My Baby Waking in the Night for some of the other reasons your baby may be awake in the night.

What if my baby is hungry?

A hungry baby is highly unlikely to go back to sleep unless they are fed. So read your baby’s cues and see if they are showing hungry signs.

And if you try a cuddle or another settling technique and baby still won't go back to sleep, it's likely they do need a feed.

This article is not suggesting you don’t feed your baby if they are hungry! It’s more about awareness for new parents that there are many reasons that babies wake. And that other reasons for waking can often be settled with techniques other than feeding!

I'm happy feeding my baby every time she wakes

Awesome! Babies need feeds in the night and it's a quick way to get everyone back to sleep.

If you are want to feed your baby in the night as your first option for settling, that is absolutely fine and the choice of many parents to feed immediately rather than look at whether other resettling techniques may work.