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Sleep

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Original poster

Still night feeding 18 month old!

22 replies

KaPoul · 18/01/2019 19:20

Hello,
Not sure what I’m looking for other than perhaps a bit of moral support. My LG is nearly 18 months and still breastfed, still wakes twice a night around 11pm and 3am for feeds. She falls back to sleep easily afterwards. She can self settle and I always put her to bed awake. She has never slept through (perhaps 3 times) and I know it’s habit/ comfort whatever. But I’m totally stuck as nothing else settles her. If my husband goes in, she will scream for hours and end up waking her brother up. So I have taken the path of least resistance to preserve my sanity.
I guess I just wanted to know if anyone has been in this situation and what have you done about it or am I literally the only one with a boob mad sleep resistant toddler 😪

OP posts:

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Original poster

KaPoul · 18/01/2019 19:41

Just to clarify, she only self settles and goes onto her bed awake at the beginning of the night. During the night she is asleep before I put her back down.

OP posts:

CandleConcerto · 18/01/2019 19:42

Me too. And mine is 2. Following for advice and solidarity.,

PleaseLetMummySleep · 18/01/2019 21:08

Do you want to do anything about it or are you happy with the situation?

Orangedaisy · 18/01/2019 21:10

Mine is nearly 2 and still feeds at about 11pm and 3-4am. We tried sending DP in to settle her (for a good week) and she still woke anyway but just took longer to settle than if I just feed her. So we’re just going with it for now. Not ideal but there we go.

ToftheB · 18/01/2019 21:12

I’m the same with my 13 month old. It’s just the easiest way and my resistance is low at 3am.

Shmithecat · 18/01/2019 21:14

I had to go through the tears and tantrums of refusing mill in the night around that age... It took a week or so. Ds is 3.3 now and is still breastfeed for naps (if we're home)and bedtime. Still doesn't bloody sleep through though unless we cosleep.

GloatyMcGloatface · 18/01/2019 21:16

I waited 2 years for my first full nights sleep. Do you want to stop?

Orangedaisy · 18/01/2019 21:17

I think of every night feed as an extra biscuit or 2 for me the next day

Floweroct2 · 18/01/2019 21:17

This was my dd she was waking up once a night and still doing it around two, I was beginning to think I needed to try and do something more harsh in terms of sleep training but just couldn’t face it. In the end she just gradually started sleeping through occasionally and now at 21/2 she sleeps 7-7 all the time. She jo real help other than to say in my experience it just took time!

Original poster

KaPoul · 18/01/2019 21:20

I wouldn’t say I am happy with it but my worry is I’ll go through a lot of tears, upset and even less sleep than I’m already getting to stop the night feeding only to find she’s still a crap sleeper but just takes ages to settle. So was just interested to hear others views. Glad I’m not alone!

OP posts:

Fraula · 18/01/2019 21:21

I night weaned my DD at 14months. Took 3 nights of a lot of protesting on her part. She still wakes up in the night sometimes, 3am is quite common for her actually. She woke LOADS when teething, and bf would have been an easier solution at night to all the comforting I tried to do instead! There are definitely pros and cons... I think 2 wakings per night is fine at that age, but it can increase as they get older and then you may want to make changes.

MyKingdomForBrie · 18/01/2019 21:26

Mine kept going until I was about 14 weeks pregnant with ds then weaned herself, she would have been about 16 months. I would just roll with it for now.

RainbowWaffles · 18/01/2019 21:29

I dropped night feeds somewhere between 1 and 2, I don’t recall exactly. I also kept doing it as it was easier to do it and have them go back to sleep than refuse. But eventually I said no more milk in the night and after a few nights it became clear there was in fact to be no milk and they just stopped waking up for it. Excellent sleeper now.

Orangedaisy · 18/01/2019 21:29

A lot of people have said we should just not feed for a few nights and then she’ll magically not want it and sleep through. Worked for DD1 but DD2 is having none of it, still woke and protested after over a week so I just gave in. We will try again another time I guess. I’m exhausted to be honest but the magic solution didn’t work and I think the only other thing is to stop Bf altogether which I don’t want to do, not least as she’s gets a lot of colds nd respiratory issues and bf comforts her.

Indigochi · 18/01/2019 21:50

Maybe stop breastfeeding as it seems like you're becoming a martyr

CandleConcerto · 18/01/2019 21:53

Great advice...

popehilarious · 18/01/2019 21:54

Ignore the ridiculous 'martyr' post, just goady.
I'm not quite on your position yet op but my 1 year old wakes several times a night. Some ppl advise trying a cup of water instead, any idea if that would wOrk? Atm i suspect my ds would make it into a game...

INeedNewShoes · 18/01/2019 21:59

I'm lurking to see people's advice.

DD is 20m and rarely wakes in the night, but when she does I do BF because it's the quickest way we'll both get back to sleep.

Because it only happens a handful of times a month it's acceptable to me. However I wouldn't cope with twice per night so I think in your situation OP I would try a week of refusing to BF for night wakings and see if you can break the habit.

Original poster

KaPoul · 18/01/2019 22:06

Thanks everyone, it’s just nice to hear others’ perspectives. I think she would probably throw a cup of water back at me, she’s a pretty determined little lady 😂 I’m still hoping she’ll just slowly get there on her own, but she’s been in the same pattern for a long time now so it will probably be when I decide stop breast feeding altogether. Until then I’ll continue my martyrdom 😉

OP posts:

Orangedaisy · 19/01/2019 01:17

Skipped 11pm tonight but here I am at 1 instead. I’ll be a martyr with you, op.

CandleConcerto · 19/01/2019 09:30

There is hope. Mine slept through 11 - 7. I’m taking that as a win.

Notverygrownup · 19/01/2019 09:43

Both of mine fed through the night until I stopped night feeding at 24 months-ish. They were completely unimpressed with dh arriving to sooth them, or offer water. They were both complete boob addicts.

I waited until 2 yrs because they had the language to understand then. So dh went in and told them that mummy was asleep and that it was time for him to sleep - there would be milk in the morning. We made that quite a mantra - it's dark now, milk in the morning. DS1 cried the first night but it worked for him. DS2 screamed purple in the face for 7 hours - with one 30 second break in the middle when he fell asleep then woke and started again - on the first night. The second night it was 20 minutes and the third night he whimpered once. I would have caved in, but was actually poorly and dh took control of that week. It worked for us.

I went on to nurse in the daytime until they were at least 3 but at least I got my sleep back.

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