Uggg. I want to night wean my 2.5 year old..

[Jezzy]

Hi!

I am sooooo tired. My little one 2 1/2 still wants to "iss iss" (nurse) all night long. She isn't drinking anything. She just wants me in her mouth. She is not hungry or thirsty. I always offer her a drink of water before I let her nurse. It is comfort nursing and its really getting to me. Last night I got pretty angry
She has never sttn and I am really starting to feel it. Last night she woke me up 5 times. Sometimes she accepts it when I say not right now but sometimes she will cry. Which makes me feel bad.

I would really like to night wean but am not sure how. She is old enough right? I am just sooo tired..

[PGTlatte]

It is really up to you. To me, 2.5 is certainly old enough to not nurse on demand all night anymore. DH helped me nightwean our DS1 when he was 2, because DS2 was on the way and I did not want to nurse two of them at night. DH started cosleeping with him while I slept in another room. After the first two nights he settled into the new routine just fine.

[Jezzy]

Thanks... I guess I am looking for someone to tell me its ok. My Dh is not an option. He has never been a big help.

If she were hungry I wouldn't mind. Really but she doesn't drink at all. She just uses me as a pacifier..

[zinemama]

2.5 is pretty old to be nursing at night in my experience. Of course it's ok! Just tell her that she can nurse when the sun comes up but at night the breasts are going to sleep. You will have to be firm but at this age it shouldn't take too long.

[kiwiva]

I did it at 28 months and it worked fine. I think the sometimes it's ok, sometimes not is difficult for them to understand. At that age you can explain it to her. One day I told DD that beginning that night we wouldn't nurse after bedtime, then I reminded her when we went to bed that there would be no more nursing until the sun was up. When she awoke, I refused nursing, offered water and cuddling and was understanding of her feelings about it. On the fifth night, I think, she awoke but didn't ask to nurse and put herself back to sleep. After that she started sleeping all night. We continued cosleeping throughout.

[D_McG]

I just weaned my 20 month old who was only nursing before bed and overnight. I did it just in one shot (because she often went to sleep without nursing). There were tears but it was totally fine. 2.5 is definitely old enough. She'll probably be happier b/c she'll sleep better! And there is nothing nicer than feeling your child stir and then snuggle into you without frantically trying to nurse.

[TheGirls]

I think 2.5 is plenty old enough, and if I had a 2.5 year old nursing 5x a night I'd be nightweaning too! Dr Jay Gordon (who is absolutely a proponent of long-term breastfeeding and cosleeping) has a nightweaning article that many folks have found helpful.

Right now I'm in the process of getting my 26mo to go to sleep without nursing. My plan is to limit the length of time she can nurse, then tell her that the nursies are going to sleep and offer snuggles/water/whatever to help her get to sleep after. I "started" a week ago, and warned her that the nursies would need to go to sleep after a few minutes, but she fell asleep before her time was up!! (before she would nurse for literally an hour or more). The first time she actually needed to go to sleep without them (I cut her off after 20mins) was last night. She actually handled it really well. i think it helped that she'd had some warning (she is very verbal). She whined a little and asked repeatedly to nurse,of course, but I kept saying no, and she settled for me telling her a story (in the dark, I just made random stuff up). It took over an hour, but she did fall asleep eventually, without nursing again, and without serious tears. I did nurse her back down at 6:30 this morning, because if I hadn't I expect she'd have just gotten up rather than fall back to sleep. She's usually a good sleeper once she gets to sleep, so my goal is not full nightweaning, but just falling asleep with less assistance.

I have no idea how tonight will go, but one successful night has me hopeful!

[Limabean1975]

I have no idea how it's done successfully, but I would highly recommend you find a way. When I was feeling like you, I did not make a serious effort do do something about it....with that combined with uncomfortable pregnancy nursing then tandem nursing, our nursing relationship ended on a sour note - technically CLW since it was his choice, but I am certain he felt my resentment and unhappiness. I deeply regret not nightweaning and even dayweaning when *I* was feeling the strong need to.

[hrsmom]

Sounds like a good age to me!

Our successful night weaning started when I started relaxing right before bed and imagining myself well-rested. There are some great resources out there to help you and you will be so happy to sleep at night!

[~savah~]

Originally Posted by zinemama

2.5 is pretty old to be nursing at night in my experience. Of course it's ok! Just tell her that she can nurse when the sun comes up but at night the breasts are going to sleep. You will have to be firm but at this age it shouldn't take too long.

This is what we did and it worked out fine. She cried for a couple of nights, but then she started sleeping better. I wouldn't worry about trying to get help from your DH, just hold her and rock her yourself. DD would have thrown a fit if I DP was trying to console her.

[Jezzy]

Well... The last couple of nights have been better. She wimpers but thats about it. I also have her going to bed without nts big achievement! Yea! Thats without any tears!

[~savah~]

That's great news!!

[nadine]

I was coming here to ask the same thing. My daughter nurses so much at night and I am so exhausted all the time. We're going to begin trying to cut out our night nursing, I think we all (including her) will sleep so much better if she is not nursing all night long.

[Jezzy]

Thats what I think too Nadine. Its for her benifit too. She has always been a poor sleeper and always unrested. I think if she at least sttn she would be better off too. Not just mom.