Nightwean breastfed 12 month old or not?

[GodisaDj]

12 month old DD is waking up to 5 times a night, 2-3 of these for milk. Rough times: bed around 6.30-7.30, wakes: 10pm feed, 12.30am feed, 3am cuddle, sometimes again around 4-5am other times sleeps till 7am.

We part-co sleep during the worse nights (bed in her room).

DP has discussed night weaning with me this morning as last night was just ridiculous and I think he's worried about me burning out.

I just don't know what to do as one part of me thinks she needs milk or comfort at night, the other part of me thinks she eats plenty during the day and has milk during the day (work part time from home do available to nurse) so it's more out of habit.

Is it too early to night wean at 12 months?

Any experiences good/bad? Did you regret it?

If I stop nursing during the night, could she stop nursing altogether?

She is happy and content during the day, putting on weight and generally brilliant (unless teething). Night times are now a nightmare and I need MN help!!

Just marking the thread so I can come back & read through it properly.

Sounds like it is going fairly well for you.

We'll have the complication that DD2 shares with DD1, so we may need to rearrange things a bit. (cot has to come apart to fit through door, do it isn't as simple as moving her back in with us)

Good luck tonight!

Night 6 (Monday): our best night yet, 2 x 5 hour stints! Albeit she struggled to get back to sleep once she woke at 4.30; not due to milk just uncomfortable again. She seems to accept that there is no milk in the night - she points at my boobs, I kindly say "no milky till morning" and she accepts it
Sleep time - 6.30pm - 6.20am
wake up - 2 @ 11.30pm and 4.30am (but took an hour to settle, no tears just unsettled)
feeds - 1 @ 11.30pm

Night 7 (Tuesday): we're away for a few days with relatives, so was worried that I'd fold in the middle of the night, but she did well and did the same as the night before (pointed and I said no), she flopped on my belly and I waited a little longer for her to be in a deep sleep before moving her back to the travel cot. Unfortunately, she woke early because that travel cot was uncomfortable - she came in with us for a cuddle for another 40 min.
Sleep time - 7.20pm - 6am
get ups during this time - 2 @ 11pm and 3.30am
feeds - 1 @ 11pm

Her food intake has definitely increased. She also comes to me for milk more which is fine, but I do try to offer more snacks like fruit and rice cakes. I've been at work more the last week too so she is suffering a little separation anxiety but we have lots of cuddles and feeds when I'm back

Wow GodisaDJ, it really seems to be working very well. One wake up sounds brilliant!

I started some pre-preparation last night - trying to get her to settle herself when she first goes to bed (wasn't planned, but when she was feeding she kept sticking her fingers up my nose, so I decided enough was enough ). It only took about 20 minutes of lying her back down, rubbing her back & saying "night night".

Now just need to get the logistics in place to start night weaning next week.

(hope you don't mind me rambling on your thread, I can create my own if you prefer!)

@ fingers up your nose.

I think you reach a point where enough is enough. How old is your dd?

Ramble away on this thread it's good to share. Like I've said, I'm amazed how dd has accepted the change during the night so well. (bit naff tonight as she's woke at 1.30 and 4.10, but we're not at home and I don't think the cot is all that comfy) Each time she's gone back to sleep with 5 min she's just lying on me right now.

Next phase is to perhaps put her back in cot sooner.

She's 1 next week and I think I'm definitely ready to get things sorted out and get a good nights sleep - and maybe an evening out at some stage!

Night 8 - getting better each night, but still wake ups which are crying (not screaming) and requiring comfort. All were quick to settle last night though but I got a bit confused with my times due to being half asleep! She had a feed at 11pm and went back to sleep, she stirred at 11.30pm (remember looking at phone) and I must have dropped off and woke again to her crying. Me thinking it was a few minutes later comforted her and latched her on thinking she was still hungry and before midnight- after I put her back down, I checked the time and it was 1.23am, so I'd completely lost 2 hours and she had gone back to sleep. So technically she had an extra feed that I wouldn't normally have given her within the 7 hour window (albeit it was probably a 5 min suckle!)

Sleep - 7pm - 6.20am
Wake ups - 3 (11pm, 1.15, 4.15am)
feeds - 1 and a bit! @ 11pm and 1.15am

Quick update as I'm bouncing off the walls this morning - DD slept through last night!!

It's got better and better since my last update. Increase in solids and milk during the day and knows no milk after 11pm.

She still carried on waking once after 11pm (normally around 3am) but this has got easier and easier to manage. The other night I didn't take her out of her cot when she woke, just gave her a little water and her dummy and she went straight back down.

Last night, I heard her murmur (not cry) around 4am but she settled herself without me going in and slept till 6.45am.

Woo hoo I've had 8 hours solid sleep!!

Wow, wow, wow!!!

That's incredible. In just over 2 weeks you've got her to sleep through.

I wimped out of starting properly, but I have been trying to get her to settle herself at bedtime and not offering a feed every time she wakes.

But your results have inspired me, I might start next week.

Just read this as we're trying to night wean DS at the moment. Please do keep us updated!