In our little breastfeeding community we recently realized that somehow we ended up with the short straw when it comes to our babies sleeping through the night. Our bottle feeding friends seem to have very few sleepless nights or even any disruptions at night. How unfair to follow nature's way and then get nocturnal stress as a pay back.

Perhaps it's a developmental stage thing – most of our babies in the group are now between 7 and 10 months old. Even the ones who used to sleep through the night have started waking up frequently. It's the age of pain and gain for babies. On the one hand they have to put up with a lot of pains (teething, digestion, bruises) and on the other hand there are exciting new ways to explore their environment now (crawling, walking, rolling). Maybe that's why they just can't sleep at night – or not as long as they used to. On top of that there is the attachment to the breast and closeness to mum for comfort and nourishment. So what to do to get a peaceful night? ... read more >>