is it possible to night wean without totally weaning?? DD 15 months is getting worse with night sleeping and im considering night weaning her, is it possible??
We night weaned DS a few months ago. He still has one or 2 bf a day, but there's not much there any more - usually he will have a feed and then ask for a glass of milk!
However, I work full time, so "night weaning" for us was cutting out 5 night feeds and only leaving 2 or 3 day ones. He's 2-and-a-bit.
Definitely possible. We night weaned around Christmas time (DS was about 15 months). Each time he woke for a feed I just offered water, it took three nights and honestly was a lot easier than I expected. A week later he stopped waking and he now sleeps 12 hours. DS still feeds 3-4 times during the day. Good luck.
Definitely possible. My daughter stopped feeding (by her own choice) at night from 6 weeks and it never affected my supply or other feeds. The only problem was the ready to burst boobs each morning but they settled down after a week or so.
You sure can do it darl. There is no real difference to us night weaning them as them choosing to sleep through the night IMO. Is DH able to get up to DD overnight for the weaning process and offer her a cuddle and a drink of water/milk? When are you thinking of doing it? Have you had a look on the ABA website?
Hun, many mums night wean their babies and continue to feed during the day. This works better for some babies than others, but your DD is now at an age where she might be able to understand things like 'breast milk is for day time, water is for night" etc. Explaining it this way is one thing that works for mums. In the beginning it can help for the dad to be the one to try and resettle with just water or comforting when this is possible. Most parents do find that the first couple of nights are very hard. Some mums do it more gradually - for example, no feeds between midnight and 5am, but if baby wakes after that time she'll feed etc. Or another way to ease into it is to limit the length of night feeds - either by timing, or counting sucks. This might not work so well at 15 months though.
Pinky McKay and Elizabeth Pantley both have great suggestions in their books.
Best of luck to you hun I know how much you need more rest.
Hey Olive, you prolly already know this but we night weaned DS just after he turned one. Did it with DH doing all of the resettling. Last feed was at 11pm and nil before 6am to start with. He then at around the same time dropped his lunchtime feed and before bed feed and the late evening feed followed soon after (by his choice) so we went from three day feeds and two to five night feeds down to one feed a day in the early morning over the course of about a month. He is really attached to this feed (and so am I!!) even though it's quite painful for me.
He hasn't been sleeping any better though (last night being the exception!) but hopefully your DD does for you. You can definitely cut out the night feeds and still have day feeds. Take it slowly. You know your DD best but I think if you're still consistently offering feeds at particular times of the day when she most wants/needs them (like early morning or just before bed) she'll still feed.
i feel like a dill for even posting the question sleep induced haze to blame ive almost night weaned her, though that seems tobe out the window at the moment i guess i am worried taht it will cut down/out the day feeds and im not ready yet
Olive, she has an ear infection at the moment and that's going to make it very difficult (for her and for you) to night wean. I'd suggest waiting until this infection passes and trying again then.
For the record, I had a toddler who became very wakeful at about your DD2's age and took up bfing during the night for the first time since she was a small baby. I night weaned her at around 18 mths due to lack of sleep for this part-time working mum! It took a few nights with a cranky toddler and then less frequent crankiness (didn't stop the wakefulness though, but she'd settle by co-sleeping). She went on to bf during the day for another 2 1/2 years, as you know. I think if your child is committed to bfing, you won't be putting them off by dropping feeds!
BellyBelly Life Subscriber
night weaning but not total weaning
I know how much you need more rest.
sleep induced haze to blame
ive almost night weaned her, though that seems tobe out the window at the moment
i guess i am worried taht it will cut down/out the day feeds and im not ready yet
I think if your child is committed to bfing, you won't be putting them off by dropping feeds!
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