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When do you think it is ok to night wean?

21 replies

Thankyouandgoodnight · 20/01/2009 20:46

As in remove all night feeds for BF baby from bed time at 6:30pm up to say 5am?

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sleepwhenidie · 20/01/2009 20:51

I am trying it now, DD is 7 months. I couldn't have done it before 6 months, even though I was sure she didn't need night feeds for a long time before that. Think I would have felt too horrible.

Also I waited a lot longer to do it with DS and I didn't get a night's sleep for the longest time probably around 1 year and its still not guaranteed now he is 3.5 - not feeding at night but still waking!

mumof2andabit · 20/01/2009 21:18

dd was at this stage from around 5mo and now at nearly 10mo last feed is 6pm first feed is 7am-ish lol

How many feeds is your LO having a night? Easiest one I found to drop was the 5am feed the 11pm I let her drop herself ie. I stopped being so eager to stuff boobs in her face lol and let her sleep through it.

Thankyouandgoodnight · 20/01/2009 21:31

Roughly feeding 11pm, 1:30, 4pm, 6am with a 9pm and a 5.30am wakeup in there often too.

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thisisyesterday · 20/01/2009 21:34

after a year.

mumof2andabit · 20/01/2009 22:00

crikey! How old is your LO?

IAmTheNewQueenOfMN · 20/01/2009 22:04

not yet and she is 23 months

Thankyouandgoodnight · 21/01/2009 08:17

6 months

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wintersapproaching · 21/01/2009 08:49

I am going to do this now, DS is 13 months. I did start offering water in a cup around 11 months but then he got poorly and wasnt eating much so I started offering feeds again.

He isnt really feeding during the night now though which has made my mind up its the right thing for him and me. I'm hoping it will encourage him to sleep better as he often wakes at 12, 3, 5, 6 and up at 7

Twims · 21/01/2009 08:51

I would give it up by 6 months max!! Youngest charge was 3 months when sleeping through 7 - 7 without any feeds.

MarlaSinger · 21/01/2009 09:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NorkyButNice · 21/01/2009 09:28

DS is 16 months next week and still having one feed

Highlander · 21/01/2009 10:06

I forced the issue with both DSs at 18 months.

I tried at 12 months with DS2 but it was a nightmare.

You need to be sure they are getting plenty of calories during the day. Babies consume about 25% of their calories at night so, IMO, you should not force the issue before 12 months.

Remember that for tiny tummies 12 hours is a long time to go without food.

Thankyouandgoodnight · 21/01/2009 10:23

Does anyone know the 'best' way to night wean? Are you meant to just suddenly stop them or try and space out the feeds a bit more and reduce them etc? I have tried the latter with my LO and it doesn't work.

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saraya · 21/01/2009 10:49

you could try giving water instead of milk and /or patting to sleep till baby gives up .it worked with me but maybe not for everybody..worth trying but be committed and see it through!

thisisyesterday · 21/01/2009 12:04

jay gordon's sleep "training"

if you're going to do it, then this is possibly one of the nicest ways.

giantkatestacks · 21/01/2009 12:27

both my dcs were 7 months - I was aware that they were ready nutrition wise (they werent desperate for breakfast) but there was a window in which things are easier to do before they get a bit older and it takes much more effort.

We agreed to keep one feed - I think after a certain time - 3am I think but if dd woke before that then dp would comfort. After a while we dropped that one as well and it took a night and she was sleeping through. She now wakes up when she has got a cold/teething etc but doesnt need to feed to get back to sleep (we made sure that she could self settle during the day at naps first - ie she wasnt feeding to sleep).

fwiw she still doesnt wake up hungry for her morning bf and thats going 7-6.30 (shes 8.5 months).

saraya · 21/01/2009 13:26

just want to ask thisisyesterday about the training she referred us to: hwo did it go for you if you tried it and would it work for my 8.5month old?

Highlander · 21/01/2009 14:52

I waited until I was confident there were no teething issues or any illness brewing. Pick a day when they've eaten a lot. Thus, wait until the day has ended and then decide if tonight is the night.

Normal bedtime routine (for us - a bath, stories, lights out, cuddles then bed).

For the first night of night-weaning I just sat and cuddled whilst they screamed themselves to sleep. Yep, it's horrible, but you're there for them, there's a lot of physical reassurance. They are totally pissed off that their usual comfort has been removed, but they quickly move to looking for cuddles instead of boob. They should go from screaming to whinging to happily cuddling within a week. Offer as much water as they want. Try to quickly move from sitting/lying and cuddling to you standing up and cuddling with the baby upright - cuddles, but it's not comfy for them to fall asleep.

It's pretty knackering for the first couple of weeks as they're still waking quite a lot so I co-slept with both my DSs during this period. DS1 TBH adjusted v quickly (was sleeping through within a week), but DS2 would still wake and cry (depsite my cuddles) for about 3 months.

When they were happily having a quick stand-up cuddle and goiung to down into our cold bed, I moved the whole routine back to their beds. At this stage I would still try to get them down in their own bed if they woke before 11pm, but just broiugfht them into our bed if they woke after midnight.

Don't make going to bed in the dark a sudden thing. We throw the book outside, let DS switch the light off and have a stand-up cuddle. Ds is put down in bed and I leave. I always go to him if he yells. Don't try to to be too quiet - I think it's reassuring for them to hear your voice.

mumof2andabit · 21/01/2009 17:33

No advice on how to do it I'm afraid as both ds and dd weaned themselves......either that or I slept through it!

With dd if she woke crying I would put my little finger in her mouth (no dummy) and inbetween 30secs and 10mins later she would have fallen back asleep. I realized with dd that she was just used to waking up and not actually hungry as she wouldn't and still doesn't settle if she's hungry.

Good luck with it all

thisisyesterday · 21/01/2009 17:59

saraya, I haven't tried it myself, I have a 15 month old night waker! just seen it recommended on a couple of other more AP type sites I use

as the link says, Jay Gordon really doens't recommend night weaning a child under the age of one, nor do most people of that ilk iyswim?
so not sure if it would work with a younger child.

saraya · 21/01/2009 20:17

Oh ok thisisyesterday, I am at my wits end as to what to do to get my 8.5 month old to sleep -not through the night( that would be asking for too much!)- but at least for a few hours in succession so i can get some sleep. he wakes on average every 30 mins and it is like he is using breastfeeding as a pacifier. I really am knackered and fed up but totally helpless too
My first son did the same till he reached 1.5 years and so seems i will have to bear another 5 to 6 months maybe till i get remind my body what sleep is.of course many would say I am sufefring unnecessarily but to them i would say i truly don't know what to do.

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