{"id":"cd882f2f9a01790039e59ca9312aebd6","slug":"8monthold-nurse-comfort-night-but-refuse-breast-during","question":"Why does my 8-month-old nurse for comfort at night but refuse the breast during the day?","answer":"Your 8-month-old's nursing pattern is actually developmentally normal at this age. Babies this age often nurse more for comfort than nutrition, and nighttime comfort nursing is especially common—your baby may associate closeness and feeding with settling down for sleep. During the day, they're typically more alert and interested in exploring their surroundings, which can genuinely reduce their interest in feeding.\n\nThe shift also reflects your baby's growing ability to self-soothe and their expanding awareness of the world around them. Daytime feeds often become more efficient and less frequent as babies develop, while nighttime feeds often retain their comfort function longer. Your milk itself may also support this pattern—it naturally contains higher melatonin at night, which can reinforce your baby's sense that nighttime is for settling in close.\n\nIf your baby is still gaining weight steadily and having plenty of wet diapers, this mixed pattern is working well. As your baby grows, you may find the daytime feeds gradually increase again, or you may find other comfort tools alongside nursing that work just as well.","sources":"[]","thread_json":null,"topic":"breastfeeding","view_count":0,"created_at":"2026-10-29T23:01:32.911Z"}