Successfully night weaned… now what?

[whatissleepagain]

DD is almost 9 months old and EBF. I successfully stopped feeding her through the night a few weeks ago and it went surprisingly well! However she still wakes up just as much at night. I go in and pick her up for a quick cuddle until she stops crying then put her back down and she goes back to sleep (so I’m not cuddling her back to sleep IYSWIM). Most of the time it’s a very quick process (literally one minute), but it still means I’m up 1-4 times every night! I usually watch her on the monitor for a couple mins before I go in and she sometimes does go back to sleep herself, but most of the time the crying escalates until I go to her. Is CC the answer here?

Additional info, she self settles really well for bedtime and naps, bedtime is: bath, BF, brush teeth, book and bed with white noise on low (stays on all night).

Have you tried reassuring in cot for a minute and then leaving? See what happens?

@ChittyBang1987 when I’ve tried this in the past it’s just made her really angry, like worse than if I’d just not gone in at all. But to be fair I’ve not tried for a while, definitely not since she’s been night weaned. Might be worth a shot 👍🏻

The thing is. Lo is used to you picking them up so will be angry and simply put be pissed off. Its breaking the habit. Its no problem if you want to pick lo up, but it will continue.

Yeah you’re probably right. Just thinking it through, will this not sort of turn into CC though? As I’m 99% sure reassuring her in the cot won’t stop her crying. Do you think k I should I reassure for 30-60 secs then leave, or stay as long as it takes for her to calm down?

Do you have a partner? If the baby is no longer feeding at wakings, now’s the time to take turns with them. Do shifts: anything before 2am is him, anything after is you. Or whatever works. So instead of you still getting up 1-4 times a night now you get up 0-2 times, max.

I suppose its what your comfortable with. If leaving seems the right thing to do then do that, which in turn could be cc. Reassuring for 30 to 60 seconds is about right.

If you want to stay and retreat slowly then that's all good too. It depends what works for you.

As pp said you can do it that way too. I always found if she woke in the night she didn't want dad. She wanted me 🤷‍♀️ and I would end up going in as she screamed the house down.

It's entirely up to you and what you feel comfortable about. We did CC at 6 months. No adverse effects. She still crys for me in the night. Last night was 4 times as she's too hot 💤 😴 when she's ill she still calls for me.

Thanks for the responses so far. @stuntbubbles my partner does help but to be honest, I’m such a light sleeper that I wake every time she cries anyway, and I find it hard to go back to sleep when I know he’s through trying to settle her. Wish I knew how to switch off my brain from mum duties!!!

Hahaha. Even when lo is generally sleeping through the night I still wake at least twice to wonder round house, check on lo, and do a few bits I forgot. Mum brain. I used to sleep 10 hours straight easily.

Aww a mum’s work is never done is it!