Started DrJayGordon nightweaning program - Page 3

[Heavenly]

I'm sure you all know this but I just wanted to remind everyone to watch your child to make sure they are handling this alright. I tried to nightwean my daughter at 11 months because she was waking every hour all night. She seemed very distraught during the day, cried more and clung to me more. This showed me that she really wasn't ready. She is 14.5 months now and sleeping much better but by her own doing. She usually wakes 2-4 times and I can handle that. If it works for you great but just remember that it may be hard on your little one.

[HB's Mom]

My son is a week shy of 9 months and has been night weaned for a couple weeks. He is a healthy little chunk of a boy, very very active, already standing alone and threatening to walk. He was exclusively breastfed on demand until 6 months. We added solids according to Super Baby Foods and he eats everything we give him and it's all very healthy. He is still being breastfed 4-6 times per day and then goes about 10 hours at night without nursing. Our problem is that despite being night weaned, he still wakes up 4-8 times a night. This is nothing new. He has been waking multiple times since he was about 4 months old (before that he was a heavenly sleeper) but we thought the night weaning would help and it hasn't. I know some people say he is too young to be night weaned, but I know he is not hungry. I can go to him, hold him right on my chest and he doesn't cry or want to nurse, he is just awake. He sleeps in his crib in his room, but that is only about 15 feet from my bedside. When he wakes my husband or I go in immediately and pat him, sing, shush, etc. I pick him up if he is already standing up and then lay him right back down. He doesn't protest this too much and really seems to be trying to go back to sleep. He has a little stuffed lovey that he holds, but can sleep without it too. He can definitely fall asleep w/o nursing, and can fall asleep in his crib (with one of us next to him) but he cannot STAY asleep. We have tried putting him in our bed, but I guess the novelty of it is too much for him. He crawls all around.

He also is a very short napper. He typically takes 2 naps a day (usually falling asleep w/o nursing) but they are only 20 minutes each. Sometimes after he wakes I can pick him up and rock him back to sleep or nurse him back to sleep and then he will stay asleep an hour or even two, as long as I am holding him.

What to do??? We will never (we think) let him CIO. I just keep wondering WHY he wakes up so often. Sounds like lots of other babies do too, from reading these boards. Still, any advice would be great.

Oh, one more thing, how do you use Dr. Gordon's method when the child is standing/sitting in the bed. You aren't supposed to pick him up, just rub or pat, but there he is standing. Could someone pls clarify that detail?

Thanks very much.
HB's Mom

[IfMamaAintHappy]

we had a bout with a stomach virus last week that interrupted things. We didnt stop really, but altered and slowed the plan. Lily has not been nursing between 11 and 6. She goes down asleep in her crib. If she wakes before about 3 in the morning, we comfort her back to sleep in the crib with shushing and singing and swaying. If she wakes up around 3 of 4, I take her into the guest bedroom and we sleep, but I sing her back to sleep rather than nurse her. She fusses when my husband puts her back to sleep in the crib, but maybe 10-15 minutes, while he holds or pats her. And she doesnt fuss when I lay her next to me, she goes right back to sleep while I sing.

So here soon we will move to the no picking up part, having just gotten past the stomach thing on Friday. I'll see if I want her to totally stay in the crib, or if Im okay with getting her out if it's the middle of the night.

[Sleepymama]

Re: I have had luck with...

Originally posted by laurag
Hey sleepless moms can I make a suggestion? I recieved words of wisdom from a mother that suggested, nurse baby (about 15 months) to sleep, but inform the child no more milk untill morning. The child will wake up asking for milk and crying but you refuse, hold them, and tell them when the sun wakes up and you can see the trees outside you may have milk. 3 nights of fussing and then the child gets the picture. I know other moms that have has success with this too. My girl still wakes up and ask (2 years old), but I ask her do you see the sun light? she understands and just wants to be held and we fall fast to sleep. Good Luck. Carrie

3 nights? Wow, that kid must have been ready for it. I have been trying for months, and I think he's finally really ready. He is 13 months now and mostly just sucks for a minute or two then rolls over and settles down. No more endless sucking all night long. Sometimes he doesn't even want to nurse, he just wants me to help him find a more comfortable position. I'm trying the No Cry Sleep solution techniques again, which didn't work well before. I think he wasn't ready. The pull off, not responding until he's really awake, not feeding a sleeping baby all are starting to work now. I'm about to impose a shorter period of no-nursing, not 7 hours, but maybe 4 or 5, between 11 or 12 and 4am or so. These seem to be the hours he wakes up the least. He is down to 3-5 wakings from 8-10 though, but I am not sure it is anything I did or not!

[hipumpkins]

HB's Mom

My DD (almost 15 mos) stands up too. I have a crib that has a little door on it so when I go in I open the door and help her down to sleep. I can also lay my head next to her that way. I am short so I wouldn't be able to lay her down as easliy w/o that door but I guess what I m saying that a little genlte help back down didn't really interfere with our sleep "school"

[IfMamaAintHappy]

Ok, last night was the worst night ever. I am so so sorry we had the stomach bug last week, because it just messed everything up.

Lily bellowed for 2 hours last night while I was trying to get her to sleep. She bucked and screamed and carried on. I felt like she was doing CIO!!! But I was right there. I couldnt do anything to calm her. It was crazy.

She took 45 minutes in the two times she was up the first night, and 15-20 when she was up the two times in following nights. Then we got the stomach bug. Then we started again, and it is so aweful.

Waaaaah! Anyone have this happen that it got worse before it got better?

[hipumpkins]

Yes ging ging. It really was darkest beore the dawn. The last ngiht before she started sleeping 5 hours was the worst. She cried on and off for almost an hour. I did play with her to distract her...see if that slows the crying. Just make sure she isn't really needing to nurse as much as wanting to. I can tell the differnt cries and I can distract DD if she isn't really needing it as much as wanting it. A couple nights ago she woke up very upset and I nursed her b/c it wasn't the usual cry. She did not go back to old habits and still sleeping for at least 5 hours and last night it was 7.