Night Weaning has made such a difference

[Naked Camper]

We're now in week two of night weaning. It's going so well!! DS has gone from waking every 2-3 hours to nurse to now the longest he's gone before waking is 8.5 hours! :jawdrop We're doing the "no more nursies until Mr. Sun wakes up" deal and he gets a bottle of water if he wakes up before Mr. Sun does. He still gets really mad for about a minute or two before he agrees that a bottle will work instead. It seems we're having one really good night, one okay night - back and forth. Like two nights ago he woke up after 8.5 hours, then 3 hours. Last night it was 4 hours, 4 hours and then 2 hours. But, before we night weaned he would wake up at 4 hours, then every 1.5 after that.

Ahhh....it's so nice to be getting some rest. My hope is that he'll be sleeping through the entire night by the time the baby arrives in May. That way I'm only having to parent one at night opposed to two.

[abbzchld]

Nightweaning was a huge help for all of us, too. Norah slept so much better (as did the rest of us!). I'm glad it has been a gentle and positive process. :heart

[abbiroads]

that's what happened for us too. I guess he just needed to realize the resteraunt was closed and it wasn't worth waking up for.

[milkmommy]

same here.. I've had to help Cecilia with almost all these mile stones its like s shes ready totally ready but can't quite cross that last hurdle alone and needs my help. Because shes been ready (night weaning total weaning potty training ect) the transation has been very simple.

Deanna

[musicmama]

That's awesome, Morgan! :heart

[Naked Camper]

You described it really well Deanna. Malachi has been very ready to night wean - it was obvious because of how easy this transition has been. He just needed a gentle nudge to get there. I'm wondering if that's typical of HN children, that they need that nudge to move onto the next stage. I've emotionally committed myself to nursing for at least the next three months until he's two. I'm secretly hoping that he weans during this pregnancy, but I don't think I'm going to force him to wean until after the baby arrives. I don't think he's ready for that transition yet. More than likely he'll still be nursing at age three :rolleyes :heart

[TuneMyHeart]

I'm glad it's working for you! Does he have all of his teeth? We tried nightweaning and it didn't go so well, so we put it off for now. We'll probably try again once she's done getting teeth. I may have to pick your brain for tips. :shifty

[Naked Camper]

I tried a couple times before he had his teeth in too and I just couldn't bring myself to telling him 'no nursing' when his teeth started coming through. He is still working on dropping down all of his teeth, but they have all just recently (as in about a month ago) poked through and most all are in place.

[milkmommy]

More than likely he'll still be nursing at age three roll eyes heart
;) Mine nursed for 4 years ;) We night weaned completely at 19 months (partially at 9 months but that was when I returned to work and was diffrent)

Deanna

[homesteadmama]

You guys got me thinkin! Should I think about doing this with DD? She's only 8mo, and I didn't consider it, but what if it will help her sleep better. I plan to nurse her forever. Ok, maybe not for-e-ver, but for a really long time...until she's ready to stop or another baby comes along. But maybe she would sleep better if I night weaned? :shrug She nurses every 2-3 hours around the clock right now. I'm curious to know what age most of you night weaned. :scratch

[milkmommy]

Unless its causeing resentment I'd hold off I'd not wean at all for the first year at least.. We weaned at 19 months by this time shes was sleeping through the night but would wake just because. Nursing would wake her up even more and then shes wanted to play :shrug We also did the nummies go night night till sun comes up and shes had a water cup if thirsty. She fussed lightly for a day or so but it was hardly noticable she just needed the boundry..
I partially night weaned at around 9 months because I returned to work and didn't really havea choice. That was harder it was doeable but as shes wasn't fully ready it was harder. Took about two weeks and I had to take it slower. I worked from 6pm to 2am So I nursed before I left DH would give formula while I was gone and I did a dream feed when got home and then again around 5am...

Deanna

[2sunshines]

You guys got me thinkin! Should I think about doing this with DD? She's only 8mo, and I didn't consider it, but what if it will help her sleep better. I plan to nurse her forever. Ok, maybe not for-e-ver, but for a really long time...until she's ready to stop or another baby comes along. But maybe she would sleep better if I night weaned? don't know/shrug She nurses every 2-3 hours around the clock right now. I'm curious to know what age most of you night weaned.

I definitely advise against considering any form of night weaning before one year. When they're that little, there are so many things going on with their bodies, unless they do it on their own, I just don't think that they're ready for night weaning. And chances are, if you try to take on that battle right now, it will be just that, a battle.

[2sunshines]

I remember someone telling me that Dr. Jay Gordon recommends waiting until at least a year to nightwean. I looked it up and found this:

I don't recommend any forced sleep changes during the first year of life. Probably the only exception to this would be an emergency involving a nursing mom's health. There are many suggestions in books and magazines for pushing "sleeping through the night" during a baby's early months or during the first year. I don't think this is the best thing to do and I am quite sure that the earlier a baby gets "non-response" from parents, the more likely he is to close down at least a little.

http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/ap/sleep.asp

[Naked Camper]

I would suggest after your DD has all of her teeth in. I also waited until DS was old enough to comprehend the sun going ni-night and the sun waking up in the morning. It hasn't been until recently (20 months) that he was able to understand that concept.

[WI Mama05]

:heart I'm glad it's working for you guys :rockon. My first was really easy to nightwean (at 19 mos) and I have it on the calendar to nightwean Kaitlyn next month :nails (once swimming lessons are over and I have nowhere I *need* to be first thing in the morning :yawn :lol). I'll be looking up these tips again in a few weeks! :heart

[homesteadmama]

Thanks for all that info. I will hold off on it until I feel a need to do it, or see that DD might benefit from it. I have no reason to do it now, no need. And I don't want to create a battle....no need for that!

:heart

[Rabbit]

I have never quite understood nightweaning. Mostly because neither of mine wakes up unless they're hungry. I do start scooting down a bit on the bed from them, and making sure that their little hands don't caress my bare flesh in the night, because otherwise, if they find skin, they start rooting and then they start crying if the mouth doesn't find nipple fast enough.

I start out naked at night with a newborn, then add in a shirt when they seem to be spending way too much time wanting to sleep latched without nursing, then add in moving away and stuffing the blankets between us to get some space between us. Now at 17 months, Josh is beginning to take over more of the cuddling at night, when Simon really wants a warm body but against me he'd also want a warm body and a nipple. I guess in a way that is night weaning, but Simon doesn't have a clue and doesn't wake up crying.

Some mornings, we get out of bed a bit early, because Simon is restless and nursing every twenty minutes without getting re-settled. He eats a big breakfast and takes an early nap those days.

[WI Mama05]

I have never quite understood nightweaning. Mostly because neither of mine wakes up unless they're hungry.


;) I'm SOOO jealous reading that. Both of my girls were/are nurse-aholics!

I nightweand Rachel because I couldn't function after 19 mos of waking up to a twiddling nighttime nurser every 45-60 minutes! It worked great at the age we did it! :heart

Tried everything I could differently with Kaitlyn, but she wakes every 45min to 2 hours all night long. I can't do it anymore :no2 and she's old enough now where I don't feel she *needs* it anymore. She was pretty slow to warm up to solids and still doesn't eat a TON of food, but she will drink water and juice now pretty freely, so that helps some! I have her night weaning "on the calendar" because we have swim lessons going on right now and we need to leave the house at 7:30 to get there. They are over in three weeks, so I'll be able to be not-functioning if necessicary for a few days. :lol

If either of them had only woken 1 or 2 times a night, it wouldn't have been an issue :shrug, but both were frequent night-nursers for me. It's SOOOO exhausting! :yawn

[Rabbit]

That would drive me crazy, too. Only pain or illness will make mine nurse like that during the night.

Laying in bed last night, it occurred to me that my post may have come across wrong, because I was sort of thinking through my own stuff at the same time. My conclusion was that I do night wean, slowly and over a long long period. I don't have the experience to understand how night weaning could happen any other way. My babies make it extremely easy on me.

My point in posting at all was for anybody else contemplating night weaning to maybe first look for small changes they could make that would improve the situation, and to consider whether this is a permanent problem with nursing and sleep, or if it's a bout with milestones, teething or something else going on that's affecting a toddler's behaviour. I agree that only with a toddler should there be any contemplation of night weaning, and only after thoroughly checking out other causes of disturbed sleep. Which by the time a baby gets to toddlerhood, has already been done anyway.

[Naked Camper]

Natalie, I thought your post was great because it shows that all babies are different. You were very blessed with having two that were good about gradual limits. My son - HA! he pulls up the shirt and DEMANDS to nurse at night :giggle He too is a nurse-a-holic :yes

Last night....9 hours and 45 minutes before he woke!! But then he wanted to be up and play :pout I'm so NOT a morning person :no I did make him lay in bed and watch cartoons for awhile before we got up to play so I could snooze a little longer.

[MtnMama]

You guys got me thinkin! Should I think about doing this with DD? She's only 8mo, and I didn't consider it, but what if it will help her sleep better. I plan to nurse her forever. Ok, maybe not for-e-ver, but for a really long time...until she's ready to stop or another baby comes along. But maybe she would sleep better if I night weaned? :shrug She nurses every 2-3 hours around the clock right now. I'm curious to know what age most of you night weaned. :scratch


I don't think anyone would say what you *should* do. Night weaning isn't for everyone. My DD is 21 months old and still wakes from time to time for a comfort nurse. :shrug It works for us and so in that sense, this is what we *should* be doing, KWIM?

[WI Mama05]

:hugheart :hugheart Natalie - I didn't take your post wrong, but I am truly jealous :heart :P~. I do not want to go through nightweaning with Kaitlyn! Everytime I try to convince her to snuggle or let me pat her instead it's "NO NO - Na Na Na Na!" very loudly followed by crying. This should be really fun, but totally necessicary! I totally wouldn't worry about it if it were only once or twice a night, but it's CONSTANT and I need a break! :shifty. Someone tell me how to grow a nurser with self control next time-please!?!? :smile :shifty

:heart

[Rabbit]

Mine don't have self control. If they wake up, I'm doomed. They would NEVER go back to sleep without nursing. They wake up if they feel my skin, or if they roll over and find the sheets bothersome, or if somebody makes a noise. We have to keep the temperature just right or Samantha wakes up because she's hot, or Simon wakes up because he's cold. We have a white noise machine to keep the noise level consistent and odd sounds blocked out.

I can't keep them from nursing, but I can keep them asleep. I'd be lost if they didn't sleep. (I say they, because I nursed them both, but Samantha is already completely weaned. Simon is my only night nurser right now. He nurses 3 to 4 times in a 10 hour night, deep real fill the belly nursing, not flutter sucking.

[Naked Camper]

Isn't nighttime parenting wonderful Natalie?! :giggle