To think stopping breastfeeding will stop LO's regular night awakenings?

[ShineSmile]

DD is 14 months.

She wakes up every 1-2 hours for feeds at night. In the daytime she regularly wants breast milk.

AIBU to think that stopping breastfeeding completely will reduce night awakenings?

Have you tried just not letting her feed in the night? A 14 month old does not need a feed during the night surely?
Perhaps it has just become a habit?

My DS stopped breast feeding at 9mo (he refused it), but continued to wake at night for the next 12 months, so don't bet on it!

Sorry, I know that isn't what you wanted to hear.

Agree with davsmum. Also is she getting enough solids in daytime? It probably is habit rather than hunger. We managed to stop night feeds by getting my dh to go in to resettle when my ds woke so that he didnt smell milk and get upset when refused. Was hard work for a couple of nights but then he seemed to get the message and started sleeping ttn. Would be a shame tostop bf altogether and you would still need to break the habit of waking. Maybe speak to a health visitor?

I think it will likely stop her from waking at night, but it is possible that she is just a night owl and she will wake anyway.

I night weaned ds at 13 months and after 2 nights he was sleeping 11/12 hours through the night. I still feed him in the day ( he's 19 months now) but I never feed him to sleep or at night time.

It's well worth a try!

It sounds like she doesn't know any other way to get back to sleep when she wakes, so teaching how to do that is goal number 1. This will probably have to involve her dad going to her in the night as chaby said.

I stopped feeding my 16 month old 8 days ago and for the first time in her life she's sleeping longer than 3 hour stretches so in my case it definately helped but I'm not sure its a definate.

We night weaned at 23 months and we had 2 nights of hell, loads of tears, no sleep, pushing dd in her buggy down the street and round the kitchen, hours of cbeebies on I player.. And since then our 3-5 feeds a night co-non-sleeper has slept through almost every night. I don't know if it would have worked 9 months earlier, but I do wish we had tried! We made her a book about no feeds at nighttime, feed in re morning and she did understand what we were doing.

Send your DP in was my first thought too.

DH was shocked the first time he saw our DCs fighting to get to my breast in the night when they just snuggled into him for a cuddle!

Trying to night wean my DS didn't stop him waking (sorry), but moving him into his own room at 17 months did (took about 2-3 nights)!! He now sleeps about 11-12 hours pretty solid, and if he does wake, he mostly settles himself (he's 2 now).

Cupoftchaiagain Tue 29-Jul-14 15:58:07

does she sleep in her own bed now?

we are same as you - waking twice a night and co sleeping, gearing up for the big push!

Mines 9mo and I was wondering the same question. It's such a simple and quick solution for a quiet night though. Tough one

I think they will be hungrier in the day if you stop.
Yes getting back to sleep without feeding

I'd try nightweaning first. She may or may not start sleeping longer.

A friend of mine stopped BF at a year. Our daughters are both 3 1/2, both dreadful sleepers initially, hers still wakes every single night at least twice, mine now sleeps through most of the time (and is "still" breastfed)!

Not necessarily - mine didn't! He is now nearly 2.5, stopped being breast fed altogether at 1 and a bit and still wakes in the night (lucky me!).

Worked for dd2 at 9-10 months.

Was gutted I hadn't stopped earlier as I wasn't that bothered with it

It worked for me

It worked for me too. Along with very minimal contact after lights out.

Sorry, didn't work for me either.

I would try night weaning though.

Neither of my DCs slept through the night regularly until over 2.5yo, without us changing anything major.

My DS was a terrible sleeper, but at 15 months just started sleeping through. I'm still breastfeeding him at nearly two, but on a first thing in the morning and once after bath schedule. He can go without the night one easily, but still takes a lot of comfort in the morning feed.

You don't have to stop completely, but you could try night-weaning.

Thanks everyone!

I have a similar problem. DS can go up to 6 hours without me, but last night was every 2-3 hours. He's eight months.

How exactly does one night-wean? Is there a good way?

We night weaned at 22 months and while it helped after a month or so, it doesn't stop him from waking up. But it is more irregular now, so he sleeps through (all the way through) some nights, but most will still wake and want some water or have a night mare and need reassurance. Oh, and he's still a snugglebunny, so we had to give up on moving him to his own room and go back to co sleeping. He will rouse slightly, check that I'm there, and if I am he will happily go back to sleep by himself. If I'm not there (or if DH is), he will scream bloody murder (completely hysterical) and take an hour to settle...

For big softies like me, Dr Jay Gordon has a 'gengtle' night weaning plan - we didn't exactly follow it but used it as a basic guide and it helped. Cutting night feedings (while keeping morning and evening after bath) has helped my sleep-resistant DS, but unfortunately hasn't been a total cure.

We used the same night weaning as custardfromatin, it worked really well.