Nightweaning - how long does it take?

[bunnyfrance]

Hi,
I'm trying to nightwean DS, 10.5 months. Hadn't tried before as it's only now that he's drinking decent amounts of milk in the day (he was a bottle refuser and it took him a while to get used to a cup). Also am on hols at the moment, so am at home to give him lots of comfort in the day to make up for no boob at night.

I though it was going well - we started a week ago, nights 3 and 4 were a bit horrendous (he was awake for 1.5 hours both nights) but nights 5 and 6 were successful - he only woke once and all I had to do was roll him back on his side and he went straight back to sleep.

Last night however, which was night 7, he woke at 3.30am, I tried to settle him with water, he did drink a bit but couldn't get back to sleep. I ended up giving him a cup of formula at 5am and then he slept until 8am (he normally gets up at 6!) So his nap routine for today is out the window.

Arrrghhh, how long did nightweaning take in your experience? Days? Weeks? Months?? Thanks for any help and support!

I don't know the answer as my DD2 is only 8 months but I am sure I will have to do similar with her in the future as she currently feeds alot during the night. Have you just gone cold turkey on him or did you start trying to reduce the feeds in the night in preparation? How many times was he feeding before you started?

SOunds like you are going great

don't know - we are on night 2 tonight - last night he woke five times but went pretty much back to sleep immediately. i just ran in and said 'its ok, mummy's here, go back to sleep, we'll have milk in the morning' and ran out again. he did cry but i am so tired that i can't think anymore so have to do this.

DS 10 months.

He was feeding twice a night. The week before I started, I tried reducing the amount he drank, giving only one side instead of both. Then I just went cold turkey. I know what you mean, ruby about being so tired - after being up with him for an hour last night, I just gave up and sent DH in. He didn't have any luck either, though!

What complicates matters now is that he's learnt how to stand up, but not to lie down by himself, so I have to keep laying him down, over and over again, and stay in the room until he falls asleep, which doesn't help him learn how to self-settle. I've obviously left it far too late!

Hope it goes better for both of you tonight. It is horrible when you are so tired you can't think and you are desperate to get back to bed asap, but you also don't want to feed! My DD has a cold at the moment so it has all gone horribly wrong, (although even when we are good, I still feed 2x night). It is good to know there are others out there like me, all my RL friends are very at the idea of a baby >6 months old feeding at night

wakeup, I'm also the only person I know in RL whose baby doesn't sleep through. Yesterday I had a friend round whose DS is three months younger than mine - "oh, he always sleeps through and is happy to go to bed"!! grrrrr

Another difficult night but with a bit of progress - he woke at 2am, I tried to settle with both water and a cup of formula, but he was still a jack-in-the-box. Then I decided to just leave him, even though he was still sitting up. He whinged for about 10 minutes, never full-on crying and then silence! He slept until 6, so he has proved he CAN self-settle!

So my plan tonight is to leave him a bit longer and not hang around him so much. Will keep you posted!

That sounds much better! Fingers crossed that he will not even bother waking up tonight (very but also for you) We were a little better in that she didn't come into our bed until 3.30am (when I fed her) and then slept until 6.45, avoiding the normal 5am stirring, where I usually end up feeding in the vain attempt to not start the day then! I am hoping the cold is on its way out and then I shall consider offering water first....

DS1 got the message very quickly - only took a couple of nights. However, now reaching the same stage with DS2 (8mo)and I suspect it's going to be very different. To complicate matters the boys share a room, and I feel more tired this time round so have less spirit for a fight.

Holding off till hols later this month when at least DS1 can have a room to himself. And maybe I'll get a chance to nap in the day.

I waited until LO was 18 months and then it was really easy. Told him that we were sayig bye bye to boobie feeds at night. The first night, he cried for about 20 minutes in the night, then finally gave in and had a beaker of cows milk and then went to sleep. 3 weeks later and he hasn't asked for a feed at night at all. The next job is to give him water at night instead of milk, then nothing.

Oh cara I couldn't do another 8 months of this! You must be made of stronger stuff than me! I'm starting to feel really tired and I would also like my fertility back....am getting on in years and we'd like to try for a second (although sometimes I think that would be madness!)

Last night DS slept until 4am after going to bed at 5:45pm . He was knackered from all the rubbish sleep lately! I fed him at 4:45am and i woke up at 7:50am and he was still asleep! That has never happened before! I'm amazed. He has had to really cry to get there though. But its like he has released a whole load of tension. I put him down after a nice bedtime routine, he babbled and went to sleep in his own position in the cot. I think I was literally interfering too much. He had to find a way. It was like all the rocking and feeding was saying to him - you don't know how to fall asleep. Whereas I now just go in and say its all fine go back to sleep and run out again and he goes back to sleep . He cried for 26 minutes at bedtime Monday night and woke 5 times in the night, 3 minutes last night woke once and babbling/amusing himself tonight and we'll see how many times he wakes! I'm amazed.

Took me 2 weeks with my dd

She was 6.5 months

It was amazingly painless for us both

I reduced the time of each feed by one minute every other night

After 2 nights she dropped her 3 am feed and the rest followed

Oooh, sounds like progress, rubybuckle! I think you're right - we have to let go and allow them to fall asleep by themselves.

Great news this side, too - DS slept from 19h45 to 5h50 without a peep!! Had a bit of trouble putting him down, as he had a dirty nappy which I only realised after he'd been crying for 15 minutes , but once that was sorted, he self-settled within 5 minutes.

Now it's only one night, but definite progress. If it continues, it would have taken us 10 days.