Cut middle of the night breastfeeds

[PronounsBaby]

My little is not so little anymore at 19 months.

I want to start weaning generally and down to maybe 1/2 feeds during the day time, after nursery or I come home from work.

We still feed to sleep and share a bed. She will also want feed when she first wakes up in the morning. These I can live with.

Annoyingly though she is still in the habit of waking 2 to 3 times a night for a feed which I want to stop.

The first night I offered water, dummy and cuddles and after a little moan she did turn over and go back to sleep both times after waking.

However when I tried this technique again tonight she was inconsolable for about 20 mins. Tbh I broke as its quite heartbreaking hearing her beg for boob and I have fed her.

Now I am doubting myself as to whether it is the right way to go about it?

I want to have a longer stretch of sleep now, and I want her to also. I am also ready for her to move into her own room (nearly...)

Any tips for night weaning? Should I trying completely weaning during the day first?

Tia x

I did it exactly how you're describing, but i prepared her for ages first - we read books called "milkies in the morning" etc, very twee but she seemed to like them and I went on and on about the boobies going to sleep at night. Took about 3 nights of tears and shes slept through ever since, she was 19 months.

My youngest however is still feeding during the night at 2.5 because she screams so loud she wakes all the other kids if I try the same techniques on her

Thanks for your reply Guess.
I will look into the book and do some day time preparation. The was a couple of days in-between the successful first attempt and tonight which I don't think has helped and was probably a little unfair on her.
Really good to hear it is possible. Did you bed share too?

Bedsharing mum here breastfeeding multiple children and babies. You need to cut this little one some slack. She IS still little! And you're trying to change something she's done from birth and expecting way too much of her. I still feed my older ones on demand in the day and successfully night weaned by persistently talking about it in the day and then offering water and cuddles at night (at first a story etc to help with emotional regulation because they can go into flight and fright). You've got to remember this is the biggest change for them. It's like suddenly you can't have your morning coffee someone is telling you it's juice only from now on...for no reason you understand! But worse because they're disorientated in the night and anxious at the change.

Any tips for night weaning? Should I trying completely weaning during the day first?

If you're ready for DD to move to her own room, I think night weaning first is a good idea. Have you come across Dr Jay Gordon's Night Weaning Methodd*?

@SiouxsieSiouxStiletto thank you, I will look into it.

@Flittingaboutagain

I think bed sharing while night weaning would make it a lot harder. If she can smell your milk then she won't understand why you won't let her have it. I night weaned both of mine at 12 months, they were in their own rooms at that point and I handed night wakes over to DP so they knew that milk wasn't an option.

@NotToYou yes I'm thinking that will help matters, but also thinking it might be too much all together? Or I guess it would naturally follow there won't be boob if I'm no there.

Will try stories and see if we can do it while sharing.

I moved both of mine to their own rooms. Gave them a bit of time to get used to it and then did night weaning. Not sure if it was the right way but it worked for us.