The Ferber Method For Breastfeeding Child (Complete Guide)

If you are a sleep-deprived parent and struggling to establish a healthy sleep pattern along with breastfeeding your little one, you are in the right place.

In this blog, we will talk about breastfeeding and the Ferber method collaboration.

You will be able to know all the pros and cons along with the potential challenges a mother might encounter if her baby is breastfeeding but going through the Ferber method for sleep training at the same time.

Let’s talk about ferber method of sleep training while breastfeeding:

Is it possible to sleep-train a breastfeeding child using the Ferber method?

Yes, you can use the Ferber method to sleep-train a breastfeeding child.

The main principle of this method is to gradually reduce parental intervention and help the child learn to fall asleep independently, but it doesn’t mean you should deny necessary care, such as feeding.

If you pump the milk, then there is no problem. You can feed the baby at night using a bottle.

But if you are exclusively nursing, you just have to be careful that you keep the child awake while nursing and put him to bed while he is drowsy (not sleeping).

The goal is that your little one doesn’t associate nursing and sleeping.

Pros and cons:

Combining breastfeeding with sleep training through the Ferber method may have both advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

1- The child would feel reassurance from time to time when he breastfeeds.

2- It gives comfort to the child to go back to sleep quickly.

Cons:

1- A child might associate breastfeeding with sleep training.

2- Breastfeeding kids get hungry frequently as breast milk is lighter than formula.

3- Maintaining a consistent sleep routine might be challenging if the baby relies heavily on breastfeeding to fall asleep.

Challenges of breastfeeding during the sleep training:

1- There can be a conflict with the feeding schedules and progressive waiting intervals.

2- Breastfeeding babies get hungry frequently compared to formula-feed babies, so it might be difficult for the mother to figure out which one is a hungry cry and which one is a comfort-demanding cry.

3- The milk supply could be affected due to sleepless nights and stress.

4- There could be a challenge in finding a balance between breastfeeding and sleep training.

5- Breastfeeding children face more sleep regression than other kids, so keeping up the sleep regression and sleep training might be difficult if both clash.

Things you need to fix before starting the training:

If you’re interested in combining breastfeeding with sleep training, you can adopt a flexible schedule that works for you and your baby.

Here are points that you need to figure out before you start the journey.

• Before starting the Ferber method, you must take notes of your child’s feeding time/schedule. Make a chart of the number of feedings and note the time for one week. So that you know how many feedings the child demands at night.
  
  
• It is best to drop the number of feedings at night by the time your baby is 4-6 months old. Nursing more during the day and feeding some solids (according to age) will help the child to sleep better (and for longer) at night.
  
  
• Make sure that the child has a routine of sleeping through the night so that it can be a bit easier for you to apply the Ferber method. By the age of 6 months, most babies are capable of sleeping at least 6 to 8 hours at night.
  
  
• Start a consistent bedtime routine and bedtime rituals before implementing the Ferber method.
  
  
• I suggest reading the sleep training book written by Dr. Richard Ferber to get a better understanding of the process.

Step-by-step method of breastfeeding a child while implementing the Ferber method:

1- Put the child to bed drowsy and not sleeping:

On day 1, after doing all the bedtime rituals, breastfeed the child and put him in his crib/bed, and leave the bed. Make sure that he must be awake but drowsy. There is a big possibility that he might end up sleeping while having breast milk because it gives comfort too. 

If your child sleeps while feeding, what you can do is pick up the child to give him a burp and in this process try to wake him up a little so that he goes to bed drowsy.

You can also, breastfeed the child before the bedtime rituals so that there is a gap between the breastfeeding and the sleeping time. In this way, the child would not associate breastfeeding with sleep.

2- First Progressive Waiting Interval:

Leave the room once you are done with feeding, there are chances that your child feels that you are not present in the room and might cry the moment you leave the room, but now wait for the progressive waiting interval to over then go inside and comfort the child but dont pick him up.

Here is the progressive waiting interval chart.

3- Feed the child on his designated hunger time you have noted.

Till now you must have taken notes on the possible hunger time of your child. Set alarms and feed the baby before he gets up by himself. 

Go to the child’s room and take him out of his bed and breastfeed him on a comfortable chair. Try to wake him up a little bit, feed him, give him a burp to be safe from reflux, and put him back in his bed. Leave the room. The child should be awake when you put them to bed.

4- Next progressive waiting interval:

If your child instantly cries after you feed him and lest the room then wait for a progressive waiting interval to finish.

5- Keep posted on the feeding time chart you made before the training:

There is no doubt that the breastmilk digests so fast, but by looking at the feeding chart you made, you can figure out the average timings of your child. He might need 3-4 feedings at night till the morning.

You can also mark the time and number of feeds on the chart for your record.

6- Go and feed the baby if it’s about to be his feeding time:

If you hear your child crying and it’s about to be his feeding time, then you can shorten the progressive waiting and enter the room because hunger should not be neglected.

But if you have fed your child some time ago and he starts crying then wait entirely for the progressive method to be over as it can’t be a hunger cue.

Signs of hunger in babies: 

1- The most common hunger sign of breastfeeding kids is they turn their heads to the side searching for breastmilk.

2- Some kids suck their fists/fingers in sleep when they are hungry.

3- Some also try to hunt with their hands and open their mouth in sleep.

4- The baby might look restless when he is hungry.

5- The hunger cry is different from other cries, which can be differentiated by the parents.

Read more: What if the baby is hungry during the Ferber method?

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Summary:

You can sleep train a breastfeeding child using the Ferber method. The method will remain the same. Just make sure that your baby doesn’t go to sleep while nursing. If he does, wake him up during burping and put him to the bed drowsy but awake.