Night Weaning Tips

[CJ1990]

Hello!

I’m just wondering if anyone has any tips or ideas on how to night wean? My daughter has just turned one and is breastfed. She’s not once slept through the night. A few miracle nights where she’s woken only twice but they are a rarity!

I’m so tierd of getting woken to feed back to sleep and I’m back at work, so I want to get this sorted! My husband tries settling her but she (and then him!) get themselves in a tizz. She gets so worked up. So I end up going in and boobing her anyway. I know I’ve provably been lazy and made a rod for my own back here feeding her back to sleep but otherwise it takes ages (as in maybe an hour on and off) and she just wakes up again shortly after.

I’m not a fan of cio but I’m just not too sure what to do. I’m so exhausted and just want a good 6 hour stretch of sleep! She also wakes up randomly at 9 (can time it to the dot..) to be fed back to sleep. So I want my evenings back too as I’m trapped in the house :(

Any tips or help would be appreciated! I would add she can self settle like a champ so it’s not that. I don’t feed then read a book when she goes to bed and she sends herself to sleep most of the time. Same for naps, so it’s not that she can’t do it! Help! thank youxxx

I bedshared and just woke up to wave a boob at him until he was closer to 2 as the resettling was far more disturbing than that and he absolutely didn't think DH was an acceptable alternative.

We read about it a lot (Loving comfort: a toddler weaning story) and talked about it and tried to reduce how sleepy the feeding got him/ delatch when I counted down. Then offered a cuddle first which sometimes worked. Then we went for it and he stopped asking after 3 nights. Slept through soon after that for the first time but it is still not a regular occurrence at 2.2- I am still happy enough to bedshare if that means we both sleep more.

But he seemed ready, it didn't suddenly mean that I can go out in the evening and it doesn't guarantee sleeping through either

If you’re sure you’re ready go through with it, I would go cold turkey and it should be done in 2 or 3 nights. She’s over 12 months and doesn’t need night feeding any more. Making half hearted attempts not to feed her won’t get you anywhere. You don’t need to leave her to cry though.

With DD2 I night weaned at 11 months as she was waking every 30-90 min all night, every night. The first night involved a lot of crying but I got in the cot with her and cuddled her. After about an hour she realised she wasn’t getting any milk and went to sleep. The second night was hard but nowhere near as bad. On the third night she slept for 6 hours for the first time ever. It was hard, but I felt ok with going through with it as I stayed with her the whole time. There are other methods which are touted as being more gentle - eg where you only feed in a certain window. Personally I just think they prolong the agony, as it won’t make sense to a baby why you feed them at some wakings and not others.

I would clear a weekend and maybe take a Friday off work - then you have 3 nights to get the worst of it done. You’ll be surprised at how quickly they adapt. You have my sympathies though - DC3 is 10 months up every 2 hours, I’m currently psyching myself up to do the same with him!

Thanks so much!! Yeah our attempts have been admittedly half hearted. She has her jabs now in two weeks! So will get them done, dusted and then have three rough nights then that’s it hopefully!! It’s definitely habit or what ever. Every hour last night! Thank you x