Night weaning

[Arimeh]

Ok, someone give me the skinny - how do I do it, and when is it recommended?

Sahti is 15 months old and has developed a bad habit of having a few sucks in the middle of the night, and then sticking the dummy in for a few sucks, and then back to me for a few more sucks. This can go on for HOURS at a time and I'm really over it, I need sleep! I wouldn't mind feeding her at night if she just fed and then went to sleep, but she just does this over and over and I'm averaging a few hours sleep a night, and its just not enough for me to deal with the other kids as well during the day.

So I thought that I could give her a sippy cup of cows milk or something when she wakes up during the night, or get DH to give it to her (I'm not sure I could express any milk out at this point)

Any tips?

[PumpkinZulu]

I night weaned DD maybe 1.5 months ago now. Basically, she wanted comfort. Would suck and drift in and out of sleep...like a dummy. So I got DH to take over. That was pretty much it, I was too tired from pregnancy and morning sickness with her waking 12+ times a night for a feed. So DH would rock or bounce her when she woke instead of me feeding her. Then I'd set a time to resume feeding her. I started with 3am and slowly brought it forward. We sat at 5am for a good while, then it went down to her feeding when she woke up for the day at 7-9am. It was toughest for DH out of all of us I reckon

[onthefly]

there are different methods, ultimately it depends on her.
You can push feeds back.
You can say not between certain hours.
You can leave your DH to settle her for a few nights and see how you go.
You can offer something else instead.

Good luck!

I night weaned DS at 14 months and we did the daddy substitute thing, plus pushing back feeds till none till morning. That worked ok, except that he still work up and asked for food instead.

I haevn't even contemplated it for DD as she is so attached to feeding during the night. Right now she's back to 90% breastmilk diet. sigh. maybe in 6 months or so.

[Heaven]

I did the same as PZ. Still in the process if it actually. Thank God for DH. I'm quite enjoying my sleep anyway, rofl.

[Arimeh]

So should I offer any cows milk or just get DH to take over?

She is on 2 cups of sippy milk a day anyway cos the others have it morning and night, and she just HAS to be like them - not that she drinks much of it.

So do I offer that or just offer nothing? She does the drift in and out of sleep thing, and then after about an hour I usually crack it cos I'm so freakin tired and then she cries so I give her the other side, she has a good feed and then goes to sleep properly. Argh, I have no idea what I'm doing.

[Nai]

I did the same and let dp do the settling. We went with offering water with dd1 but went with nothing for dd2 as the water didn't really cut it

If she is just doing it for comfort then i would go with the offer her nothing approach.

[Arimeh]

Would her pulling on and off indicate just her wanting comfort? Is this what they usually do? She feeds between 2 and 4 times a day - we're pretty relaxed around here.

[Artechim]

I night weaned both of my older kids at about that age for a similar reason. I rocked/walked/sung to them until they went back to sleep. Was a tough few nights, and there was some crying but it was an 'I want' of grizzle rather than 'I need' hysterical. I remember with DD I was feeding her around 4am when I couldn't resettle her any other way, but I figured by that time she was genuinely hungry.

My baby has been waking 4-6 times or more for the last six months I am wondering about night weaning her but she is only 9.5 months.

[Tegam]

Dd3 feeds 2-4hrly still at 18months. But most of the time it's feed and back to bed. DH works away from home so no help there so for now feeding is getting me the most sleep. I totally wish you luck.

[Tegam]

Oh and no I wouldn't express. I'd go cow/goat/rice/soya milk (whatever takes your fancy)

[Shanti]

My 13mth old DD wakes two times a night and both times, feeds and then falls asleep. I am going to start at 14 or 15mths (not sure yet!) and start by cutting out a feed so it's 1 feed a night for a week. Then I will cut out that single feed .....

Good luck! It's hard hearing them cry but usually only takes a few nights..... And you are with them the whole time reassuring them that you love them but they need to wait for a feed as mummy is tired and needs some darn sleep

[onthefly]

I think teeth-wise it's probably better to stick with a sippy cup with water if she's thirst and leave it at that.

[Santosha]

Google Jay Gordon night weaning. It's a relatively gentle method and it worked really well for us. First night was revolting, second and third a few grizzles... Fourth night... 7 hours uninterrupted sleeeep!!

If only I had faith it'd work on DS. But he wakes to feed and if food isn't offered, he just plays for 2 hours. Siiiiigh.

[Olive]

I was going to suggest jay Gordan too, we followed his method