The Big Transition: night wean first, crib first, or both?

[KTProvi]

My 12-mo-old sleeps w me and nurses on demand.  I am ready for him to sleep in his crib in his brother's room and sleep through the night! (or as close to it as reasonable).  But I don't know how to begin:  should I get him sleeping in his crib first (which is now in our room) - but keep nursing him several times/ night?  or should I night wean him first (Dr Gordon?) and then, once he can sleep, put him in the crib in the other room?  Or just do the whole thing at once?

[Lucy Alden]

I think doing both at once would be way to traumatic for both your LO and you.  I'd night wean first.  Then I'd transition to his crib after he is consistently sleeping though the night.  I night weaned my second at around 10 months (I was pregnant with my third and my milk was almost completely dried up).  It took about 8 weeks of gently rubbing his back and verbally soothing him before he would sleep though the night.  There was no way I could have done that if he was in another bed, let alone in another room.  My best piece of advice is to take it slow and be very patient with both your LO and yourself.

[SeattleRain]

I'm going in the opposite direction. I would do the crib first and then nightwean. Yeah, it will be rough since you'll actually have to get up and nurse him while you're adjusting, but he might sleep through feedings more when he has his own space away from the "Milk Bar" so the weaning might go easily. Don't do it all at once. It's a recipe for disaster. I'm willing to bet that once he's in his own bed, he'll wake less and you'll be able to nightwean easier.