Please give me your best tips for night weaning!

[WalrusGumboot]

DD is nearly 7 months old. Has pretty much always woken up for a feed twice a night and tends to end up in bed with me, although I do return her to the cot (sometimes successfully, sometimes not!) She's still in our room so not sure if we should move her first? With our eldest, dp would go and offer water in a bottle but he was a much more chilled out baby, he would take a bottle and he was in his own room.

On the plus side DD will take water from a sippy cup. Any tips gratefully received!

[FATEdestiny]

Are you breastfeeding at night or bottle feeding?

Waking for a breastfeed in the night has little to do with milk. Breastfeeding in the night is about far, far more than that.

[foxessocks]

With my dd we waited until she was nearly 1 and I wanted to stop breastfeeding altogether. She was in her own room from six months. She was having one feed a night still so all we did was my dh went in to her instead of me and gave her a cuddle. He never offered any water or anything he just picked her up and walked up and down her bedroom with her until she was calm and sleepy then put her back down. It was a while ago but I think the first few nights he went in a couple of times to resettle her and it did take a while but then night three or four she didn't wake up and has slept through the night since then (aside from illness or bad dreams!). She is 3 now.

Don't know if that helps but that is what worked for us!

[Sparrowlegs248]

My HV said to wait until after 12 months to night wean (ebf)

Ds is 15 months now, and didn't wake for a feed on Monday night, I took the opportunity to carry on and he hasn't had a night feed since then, and is settling back to sleep with cuddling atm. I'm hoping he will start to realise that bf isn't forthcoming, and will stop waking.

[WalrusGumboot]

She's breastfed. Hmm, just wondering if we did night wean later with ds then. I can't remember whose advice we followed, probably health visitor as didn't use MN back then. I'll ask mine when I see her next. Thanks for your replies

[Timetogrowup2016]

She could still be genuinely hungry at thus age

[TeaBelle]

I'd wait until at leat a year tbh

[ElektraPlektra]

DS 1 was the same age when I night weaned. I timed how long he'd feed and then reduced the feed by two minutes every three nights. He stopped waking for a feed when we were down to 4 minutes.

[WalrusGumboot]

That sounds like a great method. Unfortunately I usually fall asleep feeding her so have no idea how long it takes. If I didn't I'd be even more of a wreck than I am already. Part of my reason for wanting to night wean is because I'm so very tired all the time.

[manateeandcake]

No tips, I'm afraid, but I'm interested in others' experiences as we are in the middle of night weaning DS at the moment. He is nearly 13 months and EBF. He was having one or two feeds a night but I'm sure he's old enough to manage without now. We didn't have this with DD as she night weaned herself at around 11 months.

We started on Saturday as DD and I were away for the night. DH said DS woke at his usual time (1 or 2am) and was cross but calmed down with a cuddle and some shushing and patting. But apparently he then woke and needed resettling several times. Similar or a bit worse last night; again, DH did it all as I know DS would go crazy if I went in (though DH has a demanding full time job so can't take the brunt of it indefinitely). DS woke at 11, 1, 2, 3 and 5. The one thing our HV impressed on me when we discussed it was not to go back once we started. So fingers crossed for some improvement tonight!

[golfmonkey]

I did it with my dd1 at 8.5 months when I knew she was having enough milk and food in the day. She was only waking for one feed, and basically we just comforted her as best as possible (cuddles etc ) when she woke but didn't feed her. Honestly, she was crying loads for about an hour despite being cuddled/reassured, but that only lasted one night then she didn't wake for a feed again and started sleeping through!

My almost 7 month old is a different kettle of fish and feeds at least 3 big feeds a night, plus comfort ones at 4 and 5 when I'm too exhausted to try settling without. she seems to drink a lot of water and be really thirsty compared to dd1. at the moment I feed her at 6, then dh settles if she wakes before 10.30. I then feed and do the rest of the night (feeds every 2hrs). She started off screaming about 8pm but after 2 or 3 nights (again, DH cuddling/pupd type thing) she isn't waking till 10.30 ish. She seems to really need that feed so we are going to try to give that but stretch the next one and get dh to resettle until 2-2.30am (usually feeds 1am ish now). Hopefully it'll work! I said I'd try controlled crying at 9 months when I'm going back to work if no better but I know I won't be able to as I'm way too much of a softy so am just hoping this works....

Will keep an eye on this thread to see how you get on and if there are any other tips to do it at painlessly as possible!

[Sparrowlegs248]

Wondering how long it takes for them to stop waking for a feed? Our nights have been very variable. My time for feeding is 5am as ds often wakes for the day then.

In a week we've had two sleep through, two wake at 3ish and resettle, a wake at 12, then 3, and last night was bloody awful but I think it's his teeth. Woke at 2 and wasn't at all happy (prior to this I have cuddled to sleep then laid down and Co slept as usual)

[golfmonkey]

Yeah I just failed...dh at work, dd2 woke every 15 mins then 10 mins then 5 mins for an hour and a half.so fed her at 9. Honestly.think she was thirsty but its so hard! I think if you're going to properly night wean, you need a partner to do all the wake ups you don't want to feed for.

[Sparrowlegs248]

I wouldn't say you've failed golf she's still very small. Ds is 15 months old, and I think.is ready for it now. Theres no way in he'll I could have done it at 7 months. He was still feeding a lot round the clock at that age.

[WalrusGumboot]

Golfmonkey you're completely right in your last sentence. It will be impossible to comfort a baby who wants boob when they associate you with boob! That's partly why I wondered if even being in the same room would be a problem. I think dd would know I'm there and still fuss. I definitely wouldn't try it without my partner there. Does your dh work shifts?

[golfmonkey]

Yes, lots of evenings till 10 and nights - his rota is better in jan/feb so might have to try again then...

Although I fed dd2 at 9 last night, she then only.woke 00.30, 3 and 5 for feeds so something is improving...she seems to need the first 2 feeds then the 3am was more for comfort.

So difficult when you are exhausted! are you back to work soon? I'm going to.struggle if no improvement by Jan. .

Have you tried any night weaning yet? Please keep us updated on how you.manage!

[manateeandcake]

Just wanted to update: last night was night 4 and things are definitely improving. DS woke at 11 and 4 but DH found it quite easy to settle him. He is having milk at 5 and getting up for the day then which is a bit early but hoping to start stretching that. The main thing is, I think he is night weaned in that we won't go back to feeding him between 7.30pm and 5am.

[Sparrowlegs248]

Well done man that's,really good going! I also feed ds at 5 as he often is up forv5, like you will work on stretching it out once he's been going without milk for a while.

Ds has been suffering with teeth the last few days, only managed half an hour nap yesterday, and was hot and grouchy which is unlike him. So I was kind of expecting a bad night, but he slept til nearly 4, fell asleep as soon as I sat down with him. Woke for his feed at 5 then settled down for another 40 minutes

[gallicgirl]

DS is 20 months and still wakes up around 1am and 6am for a feed. Sometimes 11pm too. We co-sleep so to be honest I'm a bit hazy with times and frequency.

I suspect without boob, he would be a bugger to settle as he won't have anything to do with DH at night.

It's a pain sometimes, particularly as I can't really leave him with anyone but letting him wean in his own time definitely seems like the easy/lazy option for me. Thought he might have done it himself by now though.

[golfmonkey]

Manatee 4 nights in, things sound incredible well done! Cant wait till my DH has a decent enough block of shifts so.that he can do similar. I need to reduce night feeds as dd2 doesn't really eat much breakfast (though loads of tea), so can't help.feeling she's filling up at night too much. Anyone tried water instead of a bf? Anyway, think.that needs to be a battle for DH not me!

[Mrsantithetic]

Following... I'm going to be doing this over the Christmas break. DH works away and will be home so he is going to go into DS. He still wakes every 2 hours for bf.

Didn't manage to night wean dd until she was 3 and then she was old enough for me to explain it to her!

Ds is 2. He only feeds on a night mow and having fed for 4 years a year of which was tandem I'm ready to stop.

And praying that means he sleeps through then!

[manateeandcake]

Urgh, a step backwards last night -- DS woke at around 12, 2 and 4 (I think but I barely woke for that one!). Then apparently he kept waking up till I fed him at 5 and he got up.

DH has been doing all the resettling but is away for the night tonight, so it's all going to be on me.

[OohNoDooEy]

in 2012 I think we were told to night wean at 7 months as I did it!

There were 2 approaches

1. time the feeds and knock a minute off every other night
   
2. Push back the time you're willing to feed from by an hour each night until it is morning.
   

the most important bit - once the milk bar is closed, do not reopen!

I did it by number 1 and DS was sttn before a week was done. It was so painless, he had to be ready. I don't know if I agree with waiting until they 1 - they just have so much more resolve and can literally stand up and shout about it.

[Sparrowlegs248]

We seem to have progressed, last night ds woke at 2, but was asleep within seconds of me giving him a cuddle, and stayed asleep when I put him down after a few minutes. He woke again at 4, wriggled and went back to sleep without a pick up or cuddle. Woke for the day at 5.50 which is positively a lay in!

[Sparrowlegs248]

man don't be disheartened, it could be any number of reasons. We started on Tuesday last week and have had a couple of tricky nights, but the progress overall has been great.

[manateeandcake]

Thanks, Notta! I'm hoping last night was a one off but heading to bed soon just in case ...