I breastfed 24/7 for 15.5 months... currently night weaning!

I just wanted to share that for the past 15.5 months, I have breastfed my daughter day and night, demand feeding whenever she wanted or needed it.
A week ago tomorrow, we stopped the night feeding due to many reasons. Mainly, it was becoming too tiring for me to continue and it was making it all feel very demanding so I felt we needed some change and I knew my daughter was waking 2-3hrly at the same times every night consistently because she knew if she woke, she would get 'booby'. :rolleyes: We have also started ttc #2 and I need my rest.
I felt that it can't be a good thing when DD wakes for 'booby' and with a big sigh sometimes I would lift up my top and put her on. I didn't want that negativity around DD.

The last few weeks I've been slowly trying to get DD to night wean herself by not letting her have as much easy access during the night, ie sleeping with my back turned to her more, when she wakes patting her more often and waiting a bit more before giving it to her etc... gentle methods to do it gradually over time.....

Finally last Monday night we decided, as a family, that it was time for no more 'booby' after DD's last feed of a nighttime until 6am. She had her last feed at 7pm at bedtime and had no more until 6am the next day. I felt sad. :( Sad, because I've not known anything else for the last 15.5mths of DD's life but to night feed. But I also felt a bit liberated because it meant I could have a bit of 'me' back to myself during the night if that made sense. It's all gone quite well, DD has cried a bit when waking but she's always had us with her comforting her and holding her and she co-sleeps with us anyway so she is always very close snuggling into us. So while she may feel angry or upset that I am not giving her 'booby', she isn't feeling scared because she's not alone. She knows we are there for her.

The reason I am writing this thread is because I wanted to share how proud I feel of myself for giving DD so much in terms of comfort during the night, breastfeeding around the clock, and any mum who has done the same, for so long, knows how tiring and exhausting it is at times. To be woken 2-3hrly for months on end..... I feel we have done this gently for DD and "gradually with love" as Pinky says.

DD has her first feed of the day at 6am every morning and it's a nice long one. I enjoy it more now because she hasn't been feeding on me all night long like before therefore I look forward to that 6am feed now :D I say to her "you can have some booby now if you like?" and she says "booby" and excitedly jumps on!!! So cute.
I thought DD would feel upset with me in the mornings but she doesn't. She's happy with it all!

I am so glad I fed DD through the night for as long as I could and I feel glad that we're night weaning her at a time that felt right for all of us.
I know that just because we are night weaning DD, doesn't necessarily mean she will sleep ALL night long, and that's okay if she doesn't also. We know she still may need to wake for cuddles, security and to know we are there for her. But at least she will no longer need 'booby' therefore that pressure is off me iykwim? It's a good feeling. I am really enjoying our day feeds even more than ever now as I know that I will get a break during the night time. I absolutely love breastfeeding my daughter and look forward to many more day feeds over the course of many more months I hope!!

I do feel nervous though about questions like - What happens when she starts teething again? Do we go back to square one again? And, what about when she's sick? But i'll cross that road when I come to it....

Thanks for reading :)

Ren, you are a fabulous mummy, well done for giving yourself a pat on the back! You don't need me, or anyone else, to tell you what a wonderful job you've done and are doing........you already know it :).

As for when things crop up in the future.......you'll just deal with it, you will develop new tools to help settle Ava during the night. The most important thing is that she knows you are there, which all that any child could want!

Well done you, and maybe have a big glass of wine at 8pm to congratulate yourself :D

Well done Ren! You've done a superb job with your DD. I'm sure you will know the right things to do when the teething etc pops up again. Enjoy your longer night time sleep! :)

Congrats on a long and continuing BF'ing relationship with your DD, it sounds as though you are really reaping the rewards of your parenting decisions, and your daughter is even moreso :dance:

I agree with Janie, am 8pm glass of wine to celelbrate sounds like a great idea :D

Well done on night bfing her for so long hun!! :clap: I hope you both get improved sleep and GL with TTC. ;) I'm sure you'll still have many, many more months of bfing ahead and it doesn't sound like she's lost her enthusiasm for booby yet!

Hun, you are doing such a fantastic job. I think you are an inspiration for overcoming so many early difficulties and going on to be a champion breastfeeder! GL with everything!!

15.5 months is fantastic! i'm 5 mths behind you & it's inspiring to hear that you not only did it for so long but that you've been able to do the nightweaning in such a gentle manner.

Thank you so much everyone! Your lovely comments mean so much to me. It's so lovely to have that support because as a mum part of you thinks "should I wait until she self weans at the age of 3 or something?>?!"! but I know there is no way I can night feed her for that long..... the time now felt right to do so. Before we have another baby also. :) I have been getting way too exhausted and I've been sick all the time. Need to get better so we can fall pregnant! She still gets PLENTY of access to her 'booby' during the daytime!!! As much as she likes!!

Last night she slept total of 11hrs straight!!! :o I'm still in shock.... not quite sure if that's a coincidence or if it's the night weaning helping there.... time will tell.... not getting my hopes up just yet!! But it sure was nice to get more sleep than we usually do that's for sure!

Wow that was a ripper sleep!!!!! She is doing really well as are you!

It was around a similar time that I found I was getting completely drained BF'ing and I literally starting fading away, kept losing weight and couldn't put any weight back on, in the end for DD weaned fully, but I think that was supply issues as I had slowly weaned off the Motilium as well. She sucked the life out of me!

Hopefully jsut the night weaning gives you both a new lease of life and energy!

Thanks Beema! :) Yep, doesn't all that 24/7 feeding around the clock wear you out!!?! It's very tiring and draining and yeah I've lost 14kg very fast recently and most of it was because of the constant BF's!!! LOL (not complaining tho haha)

Since that night she slept for 11hrs straight (hasn't done that since she was about 8mths old!!!) she hasn't done it since but the night weaning DEFINITELY worked!! Only took 8 nights and then things were much more improved here. She only wakes once or twice, usually only once a night now and she might or may not ask for 'booby' and then realises very quickly she isn't going to get it and goes back to sleep!!!! It's unreal..... :dance:

Wow, I am inspired! I have wanted to night wean for a while now as I am also just so exhausted from being woken up umpteen times a night. Might give your methods ago as we cosleep too. You should be very proud of yourself! Glad it's worked so well and smoothly for you :)

Hun you know i think you rock and have done an awesome job!! - you SHOULD be very proud :D :hug:

Thank you girls :)

Kailani - all the best with the night weaning if that is what you want to do.... if it feels right and it feels like the right time then go for it.... you'll know within a few nights if it doesn't feel right then try again later. We stuck with it, the first 8 nights were hard as she woke crying for it and upset and it was hard hearing her say "booby" and knowing how confused she must have been but we were ALWAYS by her side the whole time and cuddled her if she wanted to be cuddled and offered water and explained that booby is no longer for night time and that booby is sleeping. We didnt get much sleep that week.... What kept me going was knowing that I really did NOT enjoy feeding her anymore during the night, it was taxing and tiring and I wasn't enjoying it anymore (only day feeds I was) and it felt way too demanding. And kept talking to her about it..... eventually she understood :D It's not easy but I certainly feel it's worth it!!!! I am not so damn tired!!!!!!! And it was just habit for DD after all! She has as much booby as she likes of a daytime!!

DD is eating better of a daytime now too which is great!!

Well done Shanti - sounds like you are doing a fantastic job and it was great to read a success story

Been meaning to reply, just not enough time to get online!

That is great that it's worked out smoothly in the end. Yes you're right - it is not enjoyable, but rather just extremely exhausting and frustrating for us to be constantly disturbed and feel not one iota refreshed in the morning. And it is pure habit/comfort for them. I haven't tried weaning yet, but I think soon enough, when I work up the courage I will be trying something similar to what you've described. Something as least distressing as possible (if it is even possible with DS being such a boobie addict).

Well done again, and thanks for replying :)

Shanti - I only just found this thread. How is it all going?

I have just started thinking about night weaning also, so your experience makes me hopeful that it can be a positive experience. I have been starting to find those night feeds hard - annoying is the best word I can think of, and I hate feeling that way with DS. I don't quite know how to go about night weaning though - when DS wakes at night he has one thing and one thing only on his mind!

Has it continued to help with her sleeping?