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Parenting

How do I stop bf during the night?

31 replies

LoonyLouLou78 · 13/09/2013 20:18

My ds turned 1 last week and has always bf to sleep (naps too). When he wakes in the night I have always fed him back to sleep. In the beginning it was obviously because he was waking for a feed and always fell asleep on me, but as time went on it has just become routine (habit). He usually only wakes once a night - which I can live with - but lately he has been creeping back to 2 sometimes 3 (or more if he's teething or off colour) times a night.

The hv came last week to do the 12 month check and told me that controlled crying was the only thing that really works (and works fast). Ds was tired at the time and she convinced me to "try him now" by putting him down for his nap. He is a very contented little boy and we had the most horrendous 40 minutes of sobbing (in between me picking up/cuddling/putting down) I finally got rid of the hv and picked him up again only to have him fall asleep in my arms still sobbing in his sleep. It took two days before he would go back into his cot (asleep) without immediately waking and screaming.

What I really want to know is, has anyone had success stopping bf in the night without cc? I appreciate he might get a bit upset but will he eventually settle with me staying in the room? Also, is there a chance that he might just grow out of the night waking and stop needing bf himself (wishful thinking)?

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mykingdomforasleep · 13/09/2013 20:30

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CakesAreNotTheAnswer · 13/09/2013 20:32

how good is his comprehension? I stopped night feeds at about the same age or maybe a month or two older by just explaining that he didn't get milk when it was night time but he could have a cuddle. Some whingeing but no crying x

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Yama · 13/09/2013 20:33

My dh took over when we night weaned. I didn't think it was fair to smell my milk Wink.

Anyway, dh just comforted, offered water, comforted. I stayed firmly away. It took a few nights but was worth it.

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AllSWornOut · 13/09/2013 20:34

Yes. My DH would go in and try to calm DS/offer water. If he didn't calm after 5 minutes or so I would feed him down, but generally he was happy with a cuddle from Daddy and would go back to sleep.

That hv sound

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mykingdomforasleep · 13/09/2013 20:35

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AllSWornOut · 13/09/2013 20:36

s horrible Sad Angry How dare she oblige you to do that! I mean of course you could have said no but it's so difficult when you're faced with a "professional".

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mykingdomforasleep · 13/09/2013 20:41

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LoonyLouLou78 · 13/09/2013 20:42

Brilliant - thank you. I'll definitely try your way 'mykingdom..' sounds less stressful to start gradually. I'm a sahm now but dh is a teacher - may wait until half term before trying to phase out the during the night feeds!
His comprehension is quite good 'cakes' I think I'll try that too!

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LoonyLouLou78 · 13/09/2013 20:46

I know 'allwornouw' I felt a little bit like I couldn't say no as ds was getting cranky as very obviously tired. I understand she was trying to be supportive by staying with me but it was his birthday and I really wasn't planning on starting anything there and then! Hey ho, the guilt has subsided now as he seems to be over it without any mental scaring (I hope)!

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LoonyLouLou78 · 13/09/2013 20:47

scarring even!

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DIYandEatCake · 13/09/2013 21:43

And there is a chance he'll grow out of it - my breastfed dd started sleeping through the night (most of the time!) by about 18 months. I've never had to do night weaning cos of that, but I have friends who successfully night weaned using the gentler methods others suggested above. Some health visitors - grrrrr!

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temporary · 14/09/2013 01:11

Another option: I remember for dd2 I set a time in the night after which I wouldn't feed, but would just comfort to sleep. It started at,say, 5am, then I brought it forward by an hour or so when I had the confidence in my abilities to get her back off without milk.
Also, we could get her to sleep in the evenings on our shoulders but that was too tiring so we moved to the standing up cuddle, where she stood in her cot and we knelt on the floor and we cuddled across the bars. We stayed very quiet and she rested her head on our shoulders with our arms circling her but not holding her up. after a short while her legs started to buckle. After she buckled a couple of times she was happy to be lain down with a kiss. We worked from there ingesting her to sleep on her own.

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LoonyLouLou78 · 14/09/2013 11:15

Thanks so much guys - he is such a happy little boy who rarely cries so the cc method just breaks my heart as crying like that is so out of character for him. Glad to know I can make it work without using that.

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thepeanutsparent · 14/09/2013 11:23

Hi Lou we had a little thread for night weaning a few weeks ago , sorry can't link here.

Waiting til half term is a good idea- we night did it with 17mo over summer hols.

Substituted hugs for boob, he was grumpy at first but did settle within 5-10 mins and slept through after a week. We also made sure to explain what was happening in a gentle kind voice too.

Best of luck.

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Booboostoo · 14/09/2013 12:12

Your HV did not give you very good advice. It's fine if CC works for you, but if not there are plenty of other options.

I did a variation of the Jay Gordon method when my DD was 2yo and I was fed up with waking up every 2 hours. Before I fed her to sleep I explained that I was going to feel her to sleep, then it was time to sleep and there was no more bf till morning. I fed her to sleep and set myself a target of not feeding again till 5am. Anytime she woke up before 5 am I would repeat 'the rules' and hold her until she fell asleep. At first I would have to pick her up cuddle her, eventually lie back with her on me and then slide her off onto the mattress - all of which 2-3 times a night. However within 3-4 nights she was accepting just comfort lying down and within a couple of weeks she was sleeping through and I could extend the morning feed to sometime after 6.30am.

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littleredmonkey · 14/09/2013 18:42

Loulou78. In the same boat. I dont like cc. Tried it terrible for my ds. I use to cuddle to sleep day naps but that went up in smoke and hates his cot at day times. Resorted to pram walking still at it 6 months later. He is 11 and wakes 2times on average and I feed to sleep. Dp trys to cuddle to sleep but is having none of it hr wants mummy well my boobs. It is hard work but I think he loves your comfort just tiring for us. I have had s year off work go back in a week he starts nursery so expected chaos. Pm if you like we can help each other out or vent

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littleredmonkey · 14/09/2013 18:43

11 months old not 11. Lord!

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LoonyLouLou78 · 14/09/2013 20:19

Thanks again - redmonkey I know what you mean about hating the cot we went through a phase when he was much smaller where he would only nap in the pram or on me but actually naps quite well in the cot now (after being fed t sleep). Had 2 terrible days of him screaming every time I put him into his cot after the cc episode. Don't want to make the cot a bad place.

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hels71 · 14/09/2013 20:33

I used Dr Jay Gordon's method with my DD. She was 20 months or so and it worked like a dream!!! and we were still able to co-sleep (and feed at bedtime) for a further year with no problems.

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mykingdomforasleep · 14/09/2013 22:04

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KatAndKit · 14/09/2013 23:03

What worked for me was to stop feeding to sleep. Once i stopped that, it became possible to sort out night wakings without a boob. However at 12 months i was starting to slowly wind down bf anyway. I moved the bedtime feed earlier and then i put him in his cot and lie down next to the cot to soothe him. Obviously if he needs a cuddle i give one and lie him back down again. A few times i had to rock him to sleep or even walk him o sleep in the buggy. But once he got used to falling asleep without a boob he learnt to go without the night time comfort feeds.

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delilah89 · 17/09/2013 14:56

Hiya. I did have this same query with 11 month old and have found a solution that worked for us. I also didn't want to do CC or anything like it (also a v contented baby).

I broke the milk/sleep association by doing the feed before she was really asleep and then
a) for a week or so: walking up and down singing til she was asleep on my shoulder & the popping her into cot
b) next week: putting her down drowsy and stroking to sleep
... theory was you're supposed to creep further away in stages until you can just plonk them down and run out of the room but I stopped at put down drowsy and stroke til almost asleep (because why not? It's nice to feel your mum puts you to bed I honestly think some of these guides go too far - after all you want to have a few cuddles!)

Now what happens is she feeds before bed but rarely falls asleep, has a song being cuddled in the dark and then in cot for stroking until sleepy enough to leave. Upon doing this with bed-time she stopped waking lots in the night and now only wakes once really when she certainly is hungry (and why not have one feed in 12 hours?). I think it's ok, and her sleep interval is getting longer.

Good luck -- and avoid that wretched HV!!

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delilah89 · 17/09/2013 14:57

But my friend has done the whole sending the husband in with water thing and said it worked too Wink

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rrreow · 17/09/2013 15:06

I found the following links helpful:
www.handinhandparenting.org/article/when-to-wean-the-baby/
www.handinhandparenting.org/article/helping-young-children-sleep/
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sleep/a1394888-What-worked-for-us-Hope-this-helps

The latter two are more about sleep in general but for us feeding to sleep / breastfeeding were so intertwined with sleep that those links were all really helpful. Good luck, it can definitely be done without controlled crying!

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jimijack · 17/09/2013 15:13

Hi, sorry to interrupt but I'm having the same problems with my 8 month old except he feeds 2 hourly through the night.

He gets very very distressed if I try to comfort/pick up/put down instead of feeding him. He fights to get out of my arms, arches his back, screams and scratches. He won't be comforted until I give him the breast.

Anything I can do about this do you think?

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