Nightweaning...how long did it take you? Looking for btdt moms!

[crisvow8]

My DD is 14 months old. We have an overnight wedding this upcoming weekend and I knew I could not leave her overnight knowing she would be waking up to nurse. I couldn't do it to her, or my mother in law! So on Friday night I started the nightweaning process.  The 1st night she screamed bloody murder for about 15-20 minutes while I held her, rocked her. I finally put the TV on to help calm her and it worked.  After 2 hrs she finally went back to sleep.  The second night she never screamed in protest. But was just up,  and it took me an hour and a half to get her back. We watched a little TV, then I had to walk around with her.  And finally last night...same thing. The first time she woke up at 12:30 i was able to get her right back...but when she woke again at 2am she was up until after 4am!!  She seems to wake up at 2am every night and not go back down.  Maybe I made mistake by putting TV on in the 1st place. IDK, was just trying to distract her, you know. I am still nursing her during the day.  I guess I am just looking for some positive reinforcement that yes this will eventually work and yes she will eventually not keep me up for hours in the middle of the night! I am exhausted!! Thanks for reading!!

[CoBabyMaker]

We nightweaned around 14 months too.  It sounds like you are making great progress!  It took about a week and half I think for DD "get it" that she couldn't nurse at night.  She was sleeping next to our bed at the time so we would just lay her back down and maybe rub her back.  Eventually you could just say, "You need to lay down and go to sleep" and she did.  It sounds like you already decided this, but I would NOT turn on the TV.  TV is stimulating. 

You're on the right track Mama!

[crisvow8]

thank you! tonight, no tv. she does understand because after two hours when i start becoming delerious i tell her to put her head down on me and go to sleep and she does then i have to walk the hallway with her which is not ideal but i cant get her to lay with me. one thing at a time i guess. thanks!

[haurelia]

I hope things are going well...I tried nightweaning multiple times but it didn't really kick in for us until DS was near his second birthday.  I figured that he just wasn't ready at 16, 18 or 20 months, and gave up because it was just as much (or more) work to try to get him back to sleep without nursing those times that we tried it.  He's 25 months now, and still tries to pull a nighttime nurse now and then, so I'm not much help..hahaha! 

But, like PP said, we just have a routine on handling it. "Milk is gone, nurses are resting.  Lay your head down and go to sleep."  We snuggle in place of nursing if he wakes up (we cosleep), which isn't ideal, but, it works for us.  Ideally, I'd love him to STTN! 

But, it's getting better all the time. 

[crisvow8]

It is going ok. she is just up for a couple hrs in the middle of the night. it is brutal. But she also has a bad cold which is not helping matters but she is not screaming for nursing which is nice.  Is being up in the middle of the night like this a normal reaction to nightweaning? i am going on day 6 and not sure how much longer I can take it! Nursing back to sleep was much much easier, but like I wrote in my original post, I could not leave her overnight knowing she would be waking up to nurse. She is my second and honestly, i am ready to stop nursing all together and get my boobs back! just how I am feeling right now. Thanks for the replies!

[D_McG]

are you still putting on the TV? I just ignored mine in the middle of the night. I mean I would cuddle and mutter things or even sing a song. But never the light on or leave the bedroom or anything. I don't know how many times in my parenting career I've said "nighttime is for sleeping". Enough to drive them mad, I'm sure

Nightweaning took about 3 nights for us with that approach. But I had also day-weaned at that point.

[sosurreal09]

I haven't NW yet but my friend's FF LO was NW at 9 m/o and she's 19 m/o now and still wakes up every night at least once. So she doesn't get milk or anything but is not STTN (12hrs anyway). Shes in a crib in the next room and my friend goes into her room and does w/e to get the baby back to bed.

If my DD wakes up and is happy I just ignore her too, if she cries then I help her. The bad thing about her being up and happy is she usually sits on my face to try and get me to play....

[crisvow8]

no havent put on tv in a few nights but she is still waking up and screaming 2-3x's.  i have to go in her room, pick her up and calm her down. she doesnt like whem i sit i have to walk with her! she is not easy to calm down either! but she is not up for hours like she was in the beginning of the week.  just very nervous to go overnight tomorrow. what is she going to put my mother in law through? she is going to have a heart attack she is a nervous nelly to begin with! ugh!

[sosurreal09]

you can't just pump and have MIL give her milk? Just so it's easier on her ans what not. Do you think she is maybe genuinely hungry at night and still needs it?

Was she always in the crib in another room or did you just change that? If you just transitioned here in there right now would be a bad time to NW too IMO. One step at a time KWIM

[crisvow8]

thanks for all the great replies!! Last night she actually slept for 7 hours straight which she has NEVER done before! I guess i am doing something right!! When she woke up she didn't pitch a fit either she just put her head down on me to go back to sleep. So I guess after a week she understands now! yay!!! I am not too worried to leave her tonight.  Pumping not an option for me at this point anymore. Would not get anything out. I think she will be ok. Probably worried for nothing. I think she just gives me a hard time.  Excited that she slept so good last night! What a great reward for a week of torture!!! Thanks again ladies! :-)