I need sleep - PLEASE weigh in on this - Page 2

[Sweetiemommy]

What worked for me was to have my husband do the nighttime parenting while we nightweaned my boys. I just slept in the other room or with another child, while he soothed our nightweaning baby/toddler. I found that my boys were able to nightwean without a supplement, as long as we nursed on demand during the day. I just made sure to tank up before bedtime and if they were eating solids, to give them something substancial before bed (yogurt, avocado, etc). But I'm with you on the raw milk vs formula stance.

[JMJ]

DD nurses every half hour to hour almost every day and night at 11 months old. It's just what her feeding pattern is. She spends most of the night with a nipple in her mouth, and we switch which one when she gets tired of it or I want to roll over. I don't get the best sleep in the world, but I get enough by going to bed when she goes to bed every night and taking a nap with her every day. I spend 9 or 10 hours in bed with her at night and another hour in bed with her at nap time. I feel like I'm better rested than I was in high school and college when I would stay up all night doing homework.

I don't feel right trying to get DD to change, so my focus is just on getting me enough sleep. OP, I see you have an older child too, so I'm sure that complicates things. Good luck figuring out something that works for everybody.

[almadianna]

If your baby is needs your milk dont wean, you are right this is not a discussion about goats milk and it should not turn into one... however we should point out that substituting breastmilk for goats milk is not acceptable.

[BabyMae09]

Originally Posted by pinky

I think that 9 months is a particularly hard window for sleep. It seems like nightwaking has gone on for so long that you'll just die if you don't get some sleep. I remember thinking at that point that I couldn't possibly hold out until 1 year to nightwean. But I did. And by that point I was sort of over a hump; she wasn't sleeping better, but I was managing better. And we ended up waiting until she was two to nightwean.

If continuing to breastfeed is important to you, I'd proceed very carefully. Replacing night nursing with supplemental feedings could really tank your milk supply--especially at 9 months, when babies tend to be so distractable, and often get the bulk of their calories at night. Similarly, frequent use of bottles may throw a wrench in your breastfeeding relationship--it's not unusual for bottle-feeding babies to reject the breast at this age, since the bottle can be easier and more portable.

I know you're exhausted. Believe me, I've been there. But I wish I could take back all the energy I spent on trying to *fix* my daughter's totally normal needy nightwaking--it didn't help, and just made us all frustrated. I do think if you can hang in there for even a few more months, it's likely to be much more easier to ease her into new routines without risking premature weaning. In the meantime, try to focus on ways that you and your partner can take care of you so that you're able to take care of your baby.

hang in there! it does get better, really!

Thank you I think this is what I needed to hear. I went through similar feelings when she was about four months old, and then suddenly a couple weeks later things just got so much easier. Hopefully that will happen again!