8mo - If I paci-wean, will she night-nurse more?

[lisalu100]

DD is 8 months, and still waking frequently at night. Some nights it's only three times between 8 pm and 7 am, but normally four-eight times. If it's been less than two hours since a feed, I try to put her paci back in, and about half the time she goes back to sleep. I'm not trying to night-wean her from nursing. I very rarely get up with her - if the paci wont work, the boob usually does.

The last few days she has managed to fall asleep a few times without sucking to sleep, either in the car, or a carrier. I'm thinking about trying to take the paci away, as a measure to reduce the suck-to-sleep association. She never comfort nurses during the day, only at night, and I think could manage fine during the day without the paci. I'm worried that it'll just mean she'll wake just as often at night, but I won't just be able to pop a paci in her mouth half the time.

When she wakes at night, she never tries to find the paci, only the boob.

Does anyone have any experience or advice? Will taking the paci away just make her nurse more? Thanks

[Emmery'sMom]

My DD gave up her paci on her own at 10.5 months. It did not help her sleep longer, and it did not change the number of time she nurses at night- it's still A LOT.

[hakeber]

I think if a kids needs sucking to soothe themselves to sleep, they will find something to suck on. My guess is first choice: nipple, Second choice: fingers (if they can manage it) or paci.

My mom tried to wean me off sucking myself back to sleep and I still wound up sucking my thumb until I was about 13...but on the plus side I naturally had room for all my teeth when my wisdom teeth started pushing in. Years of thumb sucking aligned my teeth perfectly so that in the long run, I wound up with very straight teeth and never needed braces, despite years of dentists warning me that if I didn't stop I would wind up with a Bugs Bunny sized overbite and need painful braces and head gear.

I don't know how it would effect night nursing. My guess is if there is nothing else to suck on and you're co-sleeping, YOU are going to be the thing to suck on as first choice every time.

[Louisep]

It never really occured to me to break the suck to sleep association, rather I saw (and still do) pacis and boobs as tools to get my LO back to sleep. My ds woke 6-10 times until one year when he started sleeping better without me doing anything. He no longer nurses but uses a paci. I never thought ds woke because he lost his paci or wanted to nurse - he was just a terrible sleeper.

So I think getting rid of the paci might mean you have to find another way to get your LO back to sleep.