Hi,
My DD is 14months, loves BFing day and night. Currently 3 times in the day (today I missed the afternoon feed). I dont mind BFing but think a gradual reduction in the number of feeds, with a possible aim of stopping by, say, umm 18 months ish would be great.
DD likes/prefers to feed to sleep at night.
During the day she tends to fall asleep in the car (because we're out and about a lot), then we transfer her out and she'll sleep for roughly a 3 hour stretch.
Night time is another matter, sometimes she'll feed to sleep, I'll pop her into her cot (which is next to our bed, like a side car), but other times, she'll look like she's asleep but then will sping back to life, race to the side of the cot, stand up, clap, dance!!???
Last night I tried the Pantley Pull Off. I kept on taking the nipple away from her, again and again, in the end I got sick of doing this, I turned away, she grizzled for 15 seconds then fell asleep. Yay! But then woke up to be fed back to sleep twice in the night. I resist feeding her, she occasionally settles herself, but more often than not, if I dont feed her she'll wake fully and we'll be a wake for hours.
Ive been trying to make sure she gets enough to eat and drink in the day, but she's not the world's best eater. She loves all the right foods - fruit and veg, but doesnt eat huge amounts of carbs or liquids other than breast milk. She's also not keen on sitting in her highchair, she needs to be lurred in with something like a book, car keys, something... someimes that works sometimes it doesnt.
When I was in the Uk and my DD woke in the night (jetlag) I got up with her, stayed up until she was tired, then returned to bed... that seemed to put her into a good routine of staying asleep all night... harder to do thou when Im very sleepy because iIm settled in this time zone. But maybe everytime she wakes up to be fed I could get up, she wont like that, so will stop waking in the night looking for a comfort drink... maybe.
She may genuinly be hungry, and does drink at night. But if she didnt BF over night Im sure she'd make more effort to drink/eat more in teh day.
Ooooo it's a mind field!!! I dont see me making any progress any time soon, but we'll see.
Just thought Id share that :) Maybe there are others out there going throu the same journey, maybe with a pearl of wisdom.
will continue on my quest of more sleep :) BUT wont get attached to the idea that anything will change anytime soon :) It's all good... but doesnt always feel that way in the middle of the night. thank god for coffee 