I am no expert but I agree with marcellus - do whatever you feel is best. I think it's great that you've cut out the first feed, the second might just take longer to achieve.
I think you're right about the heat. I have noticed DS waking more frequently and having more b'feeds on the really hot days/nights lately (and we're in a similar part of the world!). I know there is a big age difference between our kids but I have been thinking the same thing, I get thirsty when I'm hot in bed so perhaps he is too. Last night he woke every 2 hours and I fed him at most of the wake-ups cause that seemed to be what he wanted/needed. I think they were drinks, rather than feeds too ITMS? He won't drink from a sippy cup yet - hasn't worked out how - so that's not an option for me yet.
My DD still had a drink of water after I cut out all the night feeds. She still does sometimes, but it cut back dramatically after the first week or two, even during summer. LIke the others said, whatever works for you!
This thread has been really good to read. Thanks girls!
We are at the stage of about to night wean also.... needing more sleep instead of being woken every 2-3hrs by DD who wants to comfort suck (and sometimes have a drink)!
She too, often wakes around 12am! So looking at cutting back this feed first.... last night it worked, i resisted and she got upset for 30mins then went back to sleep after having some water! Not too bad..... it's hard though!!! but I keep thinking about how important getting more sleep is to me and all of us!
kelebek - how are things going overnight with your son?
Shanti - I am just starting a similar thing here too to try and stretch DS's night feeds out to at least 4 hourly overnight. The past two nights, DP and I have cuddled DS instead of one of his feeds. So far, he has taken about an hour to properly re-settle and go back to sleep. It is tough cause I know if I just feed him, he'll be asleep in 10-15mins but I can't keep waking 1.5-3 hourly and return to work in 5 weeks. Good luck!
Kaz - maybe we can both support each other then! That's good to hear you are doing the same thing..... I have also refused to feed DD for her 1130pm/12am midnight feed she always wakes around that time so as usual we are bringing her into our bed and then just cuddling and giving water. Last 3 nights its worked! She gets upset and whinges (not cries though) for about 30mins then falls asleep..... so far so good.... just going to do it gradually.... as Pinky says "gradually with love!"
Yeah I am adapting Jay Gordon's approach and I've read Pinky and Elizabeth Pantley. I am happy to feed overnight but just not at the frequency we're doing. So I will do the 11pm feed and then we play it by ear a bit after that. I'm trying not to feed again before 3am because I think that's more than reasonable at his age!! I think it's just habit now left over from teething so I'm really just trying to space out the feeds. If we could get back to 4 hourly in the next month I will be happy. Like you say, gradually does it.
That's great your DD is grumbling for only 30mins. DS stops and starts but he can work himself up a bit. It takes quite a few cuddles and attempts to leave him over the hour before he's going back to sleep but that's ok it's only been a couple of nights. I feel better that I'm doing something about moving towards change, rather than just getting in and out of bed all night long and feeling helpless. I am also mentally preparing myself for the fact that this may not work right now (new teeth may come along, the disruption of long day care in 5 weeks, the stars might not be in alignment etc etc) and we may have to go back to 2 hourly feeds at some point before trying again. Be thinking of you guys tonight!
I am also thinking it is time to cut out the night feeding, mainly because I want my period back so we can TTC #2.
Do any of you guys share a bed with your baby? I have DS in bed, and I am wondering if I will need to move him to his cot (in our bedroom) in order to stop him sucking at me all night. I like having him next to me (and I sleep better than when he's in the cot because I get up to check on him all night), but don't know how I can keep that up and also stop the night feeds. Perhaps wearing a top in bed would help?
Ah, I'm dreading it, I think it's going to be really tough.
I think I already posted what we did in here.. but Kaz, if he's really resistant you might also consider (in addition to all those other possibilities) that he's hungry. DS accepted the end of nightfeeds much better once we started feeding him something else. If I hadn't been trying to get af back I would have just gone back to bfing cause it's way easier.
Oh, and I so hear you on the alignment of the stars! I've though the same thing many times.
Honeybee, you might be pleasantly surprised. You just never know! I think putting a top on is probably your first step. Then tell him boobies have gone to sleep till the sun comes up and see what happens
Kaz - I dont' know how you have managed to stay sane getting up every 2-3hrs and NOT co-sleeping!! That's why we brought DD into bed with us after about 9mths of age.... she was waking too much and I was a zombie. So co-sleeping was our only option!
I'll be thinking of you tonight too I also feel better that I'm started on making some changes with the night feeds as I'm not happy with how it's been happening until now. I was starting to resent the night feeds.
Honeybee - yep I'm sharing a bed with DD and DH and it's cosy!! Don't worry I feel the same way.. it's a bit scary this whole night weaning business isnt it? we'll all get there.
I spoke to a Mum today at my MG who said that she's just night weaned her little girl, well she's still having 1 or 2 feeds a night but much better than 3 or 4 she was having! and she said she is a different toddler for it!! It gives me hope that things will be better for us too once we do it! Even if we just drop 1-2 feeds! I don't mind feeding once or twice in the night either but I like to get 4-5hrs straight sleep at some point. I think that's not asking much at this age.....
Sorry for not replying... I have been a bit MIA for the last few months...
So how is it going ladies?
Well for me DS got his 2yr old molars when he was about 21 mnths old and that meant we are now feeding at midnight again water just wouldn't cut it. He also got sick. I still offer both but he just won't have a bar of water. In saying that there are nights where he won't wakeup until 2 am and even 5 am one night that it happens more often
Honeybee - DS starts off the night in his cot and then from the first wakeup I sleep with him. That was the case even when he wouldn't have a feed in that first wakeup. I agree with Marcellus definitely where a top and I even have to roll over so I have my back to DS so he doesn't have the free access. I got AF back when DS was 4 mnths so I also sleep better when we are together and can't sleep when he is in the cot
Kaz I agree teeth really mess them around and also if they are sick... that was our problem he got his molars and then he was sick. Hope that your LO was has cut back the feeds though
I haven't been around as much lately myself but I do think of you guys in this thread often.....
kelebek - teeth suck big time in my experience. I have my that your DS has more & more 5am wake ups.
Shanti - How are things with your DD hun? Has she been sleeping longer stretches?
Marcellus - thanks hun. Might try food. He's not a really big eater at the best of times so it's worth a shot. We've tried offering water and cow's milk but he's not a fan of either overnight and not much of a fan of cow's milk full stop at this point.
Honeybee - Did you try your DS in his own cot? I used to check my DS a bit when he first moved into his own cot/room but I got used to him being over the hallway and now I only get up when he wakes now.
AFM - Well DS is weaned at night (thanks to a huge effort from DP for about a week). So the last feed can be anywhere up to about 11:30pm and then I try not to feed him before 6am. Occasionally I'll feed him a bit earlier, what's half an hour really? He doesn't seem to want a feed - or has accepted that it's not an option - in between those times. He's also dropped back to just one morning feed too so we're only doing two a day now which I'm a bit sad about but it's good timing (he chose to drop the other day ones on his own) as I am back at work after Easter so I'm glad he did that in his own time. We seem to have replaced night feeding to get him back to sleep with cuddles which is fair enough. Some nights are better than others and now that DP is taking turns I am feeling much better, tired but not totally shattered all the time. DS had his 1 year shots last week so I'm blaming that for some of the evil nights we had over the weekend, plus we've been really busy and both sets of grandparents have visited seperately in the past week and he's been going into LDC a few days a week for various periods of time. Without meaning to, I've broken all the "rules" and had all this stuff going on at the same time!! Plus he cut another tooth the week before last In a perfect world I would have spaced all those things out - daycare, nightweaning and immunisation but it ain't a perfect world Considering all that's been going on, he's done well. Last night we had a nearly 5.5 hour stretch which was a vast improvement and getting back to where we were after weaning but before his shots. We've moved a spare mattress into his room this week though and now when he won't settle with cuddles (we give it a good hour of trying to settle him) I sleep with him on the mattress and he'll go off to sleep quite quickly. That's better than DP driving him round in the car at 3am for hours to get him back to sleep
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and I fed him at most of the wake-ups cause that seemed to be what he wanted/needed. I think they were drinks, rather than feeds too ITMS? He won't drink from a sippy cup yet - hasn't worked out how - so that's not an option for me yet.
but I keep thinking about how important getting more sleep is to me and all of us!
I also feel better that I'm started on making some changes with the night feeds as I'm not happy with how it's been happening until now. I was starting to resent the night feeds. 
Don't worry I feel the same way.. it's a bit scary this whole night weaning business isnt it? 
we'll all get there.
that it happens more often 
I also sleep better when we are together and can't sleep when he is in the cot
that your DS has more & more 5am wake ups. 
In a perfect world I would have spaced all those things out - daycare, nightweaning and immunisation but it ain't a perfect world 
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