Night weaning - Toddler

[FayreDarling]

I want to check in with you wise ones if I am doing the right thing.

I have a nearly 2.5 year old.

We managed to quit all daytime BF long, long ago. However she still relied on it heavily to fall to sleep and often lots through the night and needing to stay latched on. I really couldn't bare it anymore.

We have talked lots about being all grown up and mummy's milk is running out and that it's sore and not nice anymore. I then put some plasters on my nipples which they seemed to accept when saw it and said the doctor needs to look after them 😁

I let her have some warm milk in a bottle (which she never had) she likes it but not over the moon.

Night one - fell asleep well on her own initially but then lots of screaming at intervals through the night. Awake from 1-4am.

Night two - settled much quicker at each waking but still crying for mummy milk a lot and waking more frequently. I was unable to resettle her after the 4am wake up so it's been an early start today.

Am I foolish to think that sleep will improve at some point or have I just removed the only tool that settles her?

My goal is to gently remove the bottle soon too.

Advice and experience welcome. Particularly keen to know how long it generally takes them to adjust / forget / stop asking.

Hopeful bump 🙏🏻

I haven't had a child BF that old but we took dummies around that age and we used to go and comfort if they were really crying but no talking so they knew it was still night time and not time to get up. Just chattering I wouldn't go in for or asking for drink, dummy etc ..

I have to say I wouldn't get up at 4am with my 2.5 year old, I'd just lay him back in bed and say it's night time, kiss and walk out.

Thanks, lots of good advice. I’ll make sure to not do any talking. Tricky to comfort without a dummy.

Yeah although my experience of dummies is that I'm always terrified of it and scared they'll be distraught and actually after a week they were both fine.

My youngest really loved breastfeeding at night and I think it took him about the same, a week, before he settling without me. Could you get a teddy that smells like you or comforter?

@TheAverageUser More great advice! Thank you, I’ll get him something with my scent. It’s super tricky as we have neighbours and a school age sibling so I can’t really let the hysterics go on too long 🙈