Night 3 of no milk was hell.....

[buttercupbabs]

Night weaning using @JayGordonMDFAAP method.

Last night was night three of no milk and my DS 16 months cried ALL night!

Can anyone send me any hope? Success? Positive stories? Does it actually get easier?

One very tired Mumma x

When you say no milk, I assume you mean no milk in the middle of the night? Do you offer water when they wake?

I’ve never heard of that method. It doesn’t sound like it suits your baby.

Night 3 was the worst by far for us, it felt like a real make or break. Night 4 was a lot better and night 5 all sorted.

Really hope it's the same for you, can you get some sleep in today before tonight?

We used Dr Jay for the weaning aspect (DS went from sharing our bed feeding hourly to own room no night feeds in a couple of weeks), and Ferber for the sleep. Once we had cracked the no night feeds we then moved him into his own room.

Good luck

@OnlyFoolsnMothers yes no milk between 7pm and 5am. First two nights went well but last night was awful!

@5zeds how helpful. Thank you!

@Matchingcollarandcuffs thank you this is great. My DH is away as of tomorrow and I'll be on my own doing it and working too so really need some light at the end of the tunnel!

Some kids are more resistant to change - my niece was offered water and never woke again. Stay strong OP- it will be worth it

Not sure what method you used, but what worked when weaning my daughter was for my husband to sleep in room with her and I kept well away. If she cried my husband soothed and offered water and I just stayed away as seeing me made her worse! After a few days she was sleeping through 😊

Thanks @PurplePinecone - my DH is away during the weeks so that won't work for us. But I can see that it would probably help! He's going to do tonight however so I can get some sleep!

I've never heard of this before, is it a bit like cry it out but with milk? You just leave them to cry whilst hungry all night until they learn to stop asking for milk?

Sounds like cruelty to me.
Why not just give your child what they need to make them happy and sleepy?

Question - similar to other poster is baby in their own cot the whole time, not taken out/cuddled etc so it's like night weaning/sleep training at the same time?

Just asking because I just night weaned (17m) after much deliberation as I thought it would be dreadful from my experience previously when I tried at about 15 months.

This time, it went without issue no tears just refused giving milk - at this point though it was clear that it was just a comfort thing rather than hunger and I couldn't bare it any longer.

Despite this though she still doesn't sleep through on her own so this is the next battle.

I’m not sure why anyone would do this? I’m pretty sure my kids just started sleeping through at some point and stopped waking for milk.

they would have some before bed then after /or with breakfast. But then just stop waking at night. I have a little niece who is 18 months old. Sometimes she wakes and has milk other times not. Generally she sleeps through. If she wakes up she’s given milk.

My 16 month old is in bed with me co sleeping. He was waking every 30 mins to comfort feed. I haven't had more than two hours sleep in a row in 16 months with a DH that works away.

I offer water, cuddles and would never ever leave my baby to cry alone. But he's never taken a bottle and I don't want to breastfeed any longer during the night. Surely that's my choice and right?

But thanks everyone for your concern

@CHiSOCG great for your niece. My son wakes about a million times a night to latch on for about 2 minutes and likes to sleep with a boob in his mouth. He's never slept longer than two hours.

@vegang @StopStartStop don't make me laugh

Stick it out OP, I had to do similar. A 16 month old doesn't need anything but water at night in usual circumstances. Day 3 was a turning point for us.

Is that not what it is though? Your baby is crying for milk/wants boob as comfort and you've just had a night where he's cried all night long cos he's hungry/wants a boob whilst not offering that to him? It seems the same as cry it out

My daughter also co sleeps and wakes on average 10 times a night for a comfort feed so I get it's tough but I can't get my head around doing that, I tried to settle her without boob one night and lasted about 20 minutes of her screaming

@vegang I felt like you until I went back to work a week two weeks ago. I have never ever wanted my baby to cry and have never allowed him to. But I'm broken. I'm getting no sleep and I have to work and my DH is away. I have to try something. My baby is full of nutritious food, has a big bedtime breastfeed but I no longer want to feed during the night for many reasons.

Do you have nothing better to do than to judge other mothers who were looking for help and support on a sunny Saturday morning? Go and spend some time being the fantastic smug mother that you are and let's hope no one ever judges you so harshly for parenting decisions you make.

Thanks @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor - I will stick it out but having a wobble for sure!

a 16 month old with a decent diet is not hungry it’s habit.waking up in the night is not good for a developing child or a mother either. Don’t let anyone guilt you OP

Ignore the criticisers OP. 16 month old babies do not need feeding at night, it's a habit that you either wait for them to grow out of or support them to drop. What you're doing is not cruel and will not harm him. Hopefully he will adjust soon and you can get a bit more sleep. Sympathy for the challenge of working on very little sleep - it's really hard.

My DD2 woke up for a bottle of milk at 3am every night till about 20-21 months. It's what she needed and it was my duty to cater to her needs.

She's 3 now and such a fantastic sleeper.

PPs are right, it's habit and up to you to show him there are other ways to go to sleep. You're hardly abandoning him if he's in the same bed as you!

If the support you want is to be told to carry on then that’s fine. Some people post because they want support to stop doing what they planned and ideas about what alternatives there are. I’ve bf and weaned 5 children and genuinely would be happy to share my thoughts but honestly if the only answers you want are “keep going” then I think a large number of responses are going to upset you.