when did your child stop breastfeeding at night? - Page 2

[kohlby]

I didn't vote since I nightweaned my son twice and 18+ months really doesn't take into consideration those who didn't nightwean until much later.

I nightweaned my son startingh at 18 months and he was done by 22 months. However, it wasn't easy. He woke every single night asking to nurse for over a year. I finally gave in when he was waking newborn DD up. He was just around 3 years old then. He then nightweaned easily at around 4.5 years.

My DD will be 3 in March and is far from ready to nightwean. She actually dayweaned herself so I'm not about to nightwean her.

[mrsdocmartin]

I just stumbled across this thread as I was getting ready to post this very same question. This just made me feel so much better. This is exactly how I feel right now! Thanks!

Originally Posted by Ruthla

16mo babies are hard. They're intense, they're working on molars and lots of new developmental milestones, and you feel wiped out because you think they should be "big" by now. Be patient. Your little guy is doing a whole lot of growing right now, and it's likely his sleep will settle down in the next few months.

[Eliseatthebeach]

We had to night wean my toddler at about 16 months. I was pg and in need of more sleep than she would let me have. She wouldn't "let go" and I couldn't sleep through it. I tried a few things before we decided to just say no. It only took one really bad night.

[tankgirl73]

DD is 23mo and for the past few weeks I've been gently kind of toying with starting to sort of nightwean eventually.

Heh.

By that, I mean that when she wakes up, I'm not automatically offering the breast every time. Especially the first night-waking, or if it's only been a couple hours since the last nursing. I'll just cuddle her, rub her back, etc. And I'm pleasantly surprised that 75% of the time, she'll fuss a little, then settle down (especially if I let her lie right on top of me, but sometimes she's still happy lying down in her own bed, which is sidecarred next to me) and drift back to sleep.

But if she doesn't settle, or if it's been 3-4 hours since her last nursing, then I'll nurse her. We've even had a couple nights where she's only woken up once, and given me 4 hours uninterrupted sleep. For us, that's nigh a miracle!

I'm in no major hurry to fully night-wean her, honestly I'd prefer to follow her lead completely, I'm like that in most things... but I've just been SO TIRED since, like I said, I haven't got a 4-hour stretch of sleep more than a handful of times in the past 2 years... Yi-yi-yikes! But I'm still letting her have 'input' into the process, in that I'm not just forcing her to do it no matter what -- I don't have compelling medical reasons like migraines or chronic illnesses to really necessitate it no matter what. I'm just tired. So when she really, really needs to nurse, she still does. I'm just kind of experimenting with finding her boundaries, of when she really does... and when she's really okay without it.

[St. Margaret]

I'm just hoping DD (almost 19mo) will nightwean after her last teeth are in-- I'm hoping when she's 2 or by 2.5. We are open to gently encouraging her to hold off on night nursing when I get pregnant (we want a baby to arrive when she's around 3 ), but I'm really hoping that when she's done with the teething, she'll be okay and give it up. She is SUPER attached to the boob, tho. She'd sleep on it all night long if she could (except then she roll away, then fusses a moment later and finds the boob...repeat... lol. She could SO have been a paci baby).

[Shazer]

I've tried 3 times to nightwean DD when she was in a non-teething stage and 3 times she has demanded going back to nursing when her teeth started hurting her again. I will stop her often during the night. She seems content with a few minutes. She is 21 months now. I imagine after all of her teeth come in she will nightwean. I hope.

[Marylizah]

I never managed to nightwean DS (tried once or twice, briefly, but he really fought it).

He nightweaned himself at about 28 months old, after his 2 year molars came through.

ETA: he still doesn't really sleep through the night. He wakes up, sometimes needs to be cuddled back to sleep. But it is easier because he isn't nursing anymore...

[PiePie]

DD is 15 mos and nowhere close to nightweaning. We don't think she is ready. We'll see...

[RachelGS]

Both of mine nightweaned around two, when they were ready and I needed them to do it. Honestly, both times it was very, very gentle and easy. If it hadn't been, I would have concluded that they still really needed to nurse at night. It's hard when you're tired. I was never one of those people who could just sleep through nursing, and it's rough not to ever, ever sleep all night. But I'll tell you, in retrospect, that I don't have any regrets about letting them nurse at night until stopping was just an easy thing. Hang in there, mama. The time really does pass. :

[ewe+lamb]

dd was 2 years 9 months when she nightweaned but I was 6 months pg with ds who is still night nursing at 3 years 4 months it's tailing off, but very slowly!!

[GardenStream]

I moved DS into his own room when he was waking only one time at night. That stopped the constant nursing in his sleep. That was at about 10mo. Then, sometime between 14 and 16mo he started sleeping through the night.

He had stopped nursing to sleep when he was about 10mo too. He would nurse at night time, but he never fell asleep doing that. He couldn't fall asleep while someone was holding/touching him.

[LianneM]

We had a short time where DS was not waking at night... while I was pg and the milk was gone. But now that it's back, he still wakes once during the night wanting milk. He's 3.75yo. But it's not such a big deal right now, b/c I'm waking to nurse the baby anyway. For me, the key I needed was for him to not need to nurse to sleep, but be able to fall asleep on his own. We worked on that around age 2 and it's been great, b/c he can nurse for a little while, then unlatch and go to sleep.

[snowbunny]

I can't vote. He night weaned at 11 mos, and self-weaned a little after 3.

[Jennbee]

DD1 nightweaned when she weaned at 3 yrs old.

I just recently nightweaned DD2, who is 13 months old. I'm pregnant and it is excruciating to nurse her. The pain makes me want to scream. She wasn't upset about it, I just told her "go night night" and she went back to bed. She hasn't asked anymore during the night.

She is so much different than the first baby though. I think it really depends on the situation and the child.

[laohaire]

We nightweaned DD 1 month before her 3rd birthday.

I think the cavities question is complicated, and I don't think the equation is nightnursing = cavities.

DD saw a dentist a month or two ago and had no cavities at all despite night-nursing CONSTANTLY for 3 years. But my experience doesn't mean that another child might not have a lot of cavities. Maybe nursing is a factor for some kids and not others. Maybe dental care is a factor for some kids and not others. Maybe nutrition or lack thereof is a factor for some kids and not others. I am convinced genetics plays at least a part.