Night weaning toddler starts tonight - I might need some hand holding.

[pickledlily]

DD is 21 months and usually wakes several times a night. I end up BF her a couple of times to get her settled again. It was ok for a while - DD had reflux and it helped her sleep. But the lack of sleep is now taking it's toll and as DD's reflux seems to have improved (we are withdrawing meds) DH and I have agreed tonight we start night weaning.

SO... I've told DD for a few days now that there won't be any more milk when Mr Sunshine has gone to sleep (we have a gro-clock). She shook her head the first few times and then just ignored me. The plan is that DH will do the wake ups. This is going to be noisy - she normally creates merry hell until I go into her room. So it could be a long night.

Anyone feel like holding my hand or sharing your success stories?

That's amazing Showy. As someone said up-thread, I think they must just get to a point where they are ready and can cope with the change.

Last night was good - I repeated the rules (no milk until Mr Sunshine gets up) - she settled herself in the cot at bedtime without asking to be lifted out for a cuddle (this is a first!) and DD only had to get up for 1 wake-up at 12.30. She was a bit cross when she realised it was DD not me, but calmed down very quickly. No milk offered of any kind. DD took 30mins to settle to sleep and woke several times after but got herself back to sleep. Up at 5.45am.

Best nights sleep in 2 years - a full 5 hour stretch!

But my god, how much blinkin' BF during the day?! Just lots of nibbles. Good idea about only feeding in one spot. I'll try that.

The plan is for DH to keep doing the night wakings for a week and hopefully the wake ups will get fewer and she will be happy to get back to sleep with me without a feed.

I found that bfing increased in the day too and I suspect this is totally normal if they're reframing the relationship but I stuck with bfing being a chair only activity and he was old enough to understand that. If we're out and about, he doesn't ask and over the last few weeks, he's settled into a different and new pattern. His sleep has got better and better as he's stopped waking for milk.

Sounds like it's going really well for you. Well done. I think as they can understand the concept, it's much simpler. I could only do it as long as it wasn't distressing for ds. As he knows that the milk is still there and available, he's learnt a valuable lesson too in that he knows to wait, to cooperate and to accept that change isn't a bad thing.

And sleep, oh the sleep.

Sounds like it is going really well Pickled

Definitley recall an increase in bf'ing and of general hunger during the day. I found I literally offered DD food / snacks every 2 hours to keep her going.

It was good for her and me when we did. I always described the day time feeds as more 'meaningful' in that she wasn't on / off all day. She sit for a good 15 minutes and feed every 4 hours or so (she was 13 months was we night weaned). Obviously this dropped down, but she still feeds now morning and night at 28 months.

Keep going, like showy we found were consistent and laid down the rules, as you seem to have done too.

well done!! only a few more days and she will be used to it..

I actually did the other way around and cut out the days first..could not believe how much milk he had been having at night took weeks to get rid of it all!
I am not in the UK hence the early posting..although my ds is usually up at crazy o clock (any tips for making them sleep till ooh maybe 6am?! that would do!

Night 3 and two wake ups. She settled very quickly for first one at 1.30 but demanded milk at 4am. DD gave her a beaker and she then slept til 6.15. I do think she was hungry at 4, she wasn't calling out for me and has been eating like a horse during the day.

i hadn't anticipated how different DDs eating would be during the day; she just does not stop eating, it's amazing!

i feel for you Pickles with the early starts. We had that too. The gro clock kind of helped, although DD sussed how to work it within minutes, at only 17mths while i still can't fathom it out but the light it gives off is too bright really. I also think she got cold, which didn't help. But early starts are the pits.

Sounds like it going v. well, I am going to steal all your ideas!

at Showy's toddler suggesting you go downstairs and sit in the chair. I admire his logic.

Four wake ups and now she's wide awake for the day, chatting away in her cot. And DH has just given her milk, no idea why. Grrr.

So much for the theory that they sleep better without the feeds. Now we are all grumpy. :(

Oh no Lily! DD woke at 5.30 too. Still haven't been brave enough to do night weaning so it wasn't that. Hopefully they'll sleep better tonight!

Have you considered putting her in her own bed / taking cot off?

This massively improved dd's sleep pattern afte we had night weaned. We made a big thing about the bed and being a big girl etc, she loved it. Within days she her first "sleep through" (19 months)

Sorry to hear she's got you up early. DH was probably just trying anything to resolve, hence why he's given milk. It will get better

*taking side of cot off

I have pondered making her cot into a bed, but am terrified of the carnage that would ensue if she was left to run riot in her room. But i guess we need to do it sometime. I must get another stair gate to put across the door. Did your DD stay in bed?

We started night weaning over the Christmas break too. Ds is 17 months and had been waking a lot for milk.

I spent the first week on the sofa and dp did the night waking. I got back into the bed after a week but dp and I swapped sides so he is next to ds and I hide!! (we co sleep). He is still waking 3/4 times a night but settles with his dummy.

How do we get him to stop waking now!

Scarily she wouldn't get out of bed and so when she'd wake, she just shout muuuuuummmmeeeey

About 4/5 months after having a bed she started to get out on her own. But she only ever comes in to our room, doesn't play in her room on her own.

We also were really slack and didn't have a stair gate on her room or the stairs. We'd moved in to a new house and he knew to stop away from the top of the stairs as well as knew how to safely go down them on her bum!

Oh, the dreaded Muuuuuummeeey shout. I know that one well.

Nacho, I like your tactics!

Well last night she only woke once, but was up at 4.45 again. DH gave her milk and had given up so was about to get her up for the day but I was adamant she wasn't getting up before Mr Sunshine on the gro clock. So I cuddled her with the lights off. She asked for milk just once (I refused) and didn't bother after that. A result! Think she might have an niggly ear as she was really fidgety but drifted off after some Calpol, just as Mr Sunshine woke up at 6.15

But at least I now know that I can go to her in the night without her going nuts for some milk. We are making progress. DH, however, is looking VERY sleep deprived.

Hey nightweaners
CAn Anyone share any success stories of how tackling the nightweaning had beneficial repercussions -such as settling easier at bedtime?
did it impact anyones milk supply?
need some motivation to get geared up to face this.....
cheers