Did anyone NOT start with nightweaning?

[Megamus]

Hi!

I have a 31 month old and it's time to wean. I've been sensing a change in our nursing relationship for a while now and it's just...time.

But here's the thing: I actually don't mind night nursing as much as day-nursing. During the day it's like EVERY time he wants to feel close to me he NEEDS the boobie, and it drives me crazy. At night I nurse him down, and he *generally* doesn't wake up until I go to bed (we bed share...I'm wondering if moving him to his own bed would keep him from waking up...but that's a whole other issue). And he *usually* doesn't nurse much until the morning. My point? It doesn't bug me as much as day-nursing.

There's so much on here re: nightweaning...is that where EVERYONE starts? If so, why? Did anyone go the other way? How was it? How did you manage the eventual nightweaning?

Just collecting info here...

[treeoflife3]

If I were to actively start weaning, i'd definitely start with daytime.  I can distract her from nursing by playing outside or going somewhere really easily but there is no way she'd be willing to go to bed yet without nursing to sleep.  Not without a LOT of crying and definitely not if we were bedsharing.  She insists on nursing for her full nap time (so she is on boob for an hour) so I'd want to wean her from that first before screwing up the all important nighttime sleep.

I haven't done it yet so I have no advice, but I can't imagine no one else has been in our situation.  Hopefully someone responds soon more helpfully than me :)

[TiredX2]

I think for most children who extended nurse, their night nursing is the last to go.  Early morning is easy to avoid by simply hopping up and making something yummy for breakfast.  Day nursing can be lessened for most children through "don't ask, don't refuse" and keeping busy.  Night nursing, though, is all about snuggles and connection for a lot of kids.  It's when they wind down from the day.  Some kids will nurse to sleep for months or even years without nursing at all during the day!  I think this is common for a lot of comfort "objects"--- kids have pacifiers, blankies, suck their thumbs, cuddle with special stuffed animals during the night for years after they have stopped needing them during the day.

You've done a great job nursing for 31 months!  If you need something to change for the relationship to work, change it.  Remember that even a small amount of nursing does a great deal.  I would try to stay open to day nursing in the case of true "emergencies" (illness and injury) and work on finding a balance that works for both of you!

[D_McG]

I weaned both of mine during the day first. I figured that's when our wits were about us. Unfortunately 'don't offer/don't refuse' was pretty useless for both of them. I'm not sure I ever had to offer so I did have to learn to say no and they had to learn to accept it. Still though it was fine and set the groundwork for nightweaning when that came. for both of them, nights were the last to go.