Night Weaning 10 month old

[sarahusesthis]

Just trying to get some insight...My son had never truly slept through the night. It's normal for him to wake every 2-3 hours, sometimes 1-2. In my heart I don't mind, and I do enjoy nursing at night, but My husband and I have been sleeping in separate beds, because we can't all fit comfortably in the same bed. I keep going back and forth about night weaning... We plan to get pregnant again soon, so I don't think I would do well with situation when that happens.

Does anyone have any suggestions for peacefully night weaning a 10-12 month old? The other thing is that I am alone at night until 10pm, so I have to do it by myself... not sure if I would be able to follow through!

Thanks!

[woodchick]

Dr Jay Gordon has a method for gentle night weaning.  He doesn't recommend starting until at least 12 mos, though.

Sleep, Changing Patterns in the Family Bed

[Jenna Deuel]

I am actually having the same exact problem. My son is 10 months old and also has never slept through the night truely.  He wakes up most times every 2-3 hours, but like you it sometimes can be as often as every hour.  I've tried to just try and soothe him back to sleep with his pacifier and snuggle him, but it doesn't work.  He is only waking to nurse and that is it.  Like you, I don't really mind it that much, I've kind of adapted to waking every few hours and cosleeping makes it so I just take out the boob, he finds it and nurses and I go back to sleep.  The problem that we are having is that my husband is getting woken up quite frequently and has been so tired that he keeps being late to work due to sleeping through his alarm.  When was you LO born?

[sarahusesthis]

He was born aug 8. Husband is the issue here, too. We sleep in separate beds since he can't sleep with baby in the bed

[sarahusesthis]

Originally Posted by woodchick 

Dr Jay Gordon has a method for gentle night weaning.  He doesn't recommend starting until at least 12 mos, though.

Sleep, Changing Patterns in the Family Bed

Thanks, I will look into this!

[tibeca]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Night weaning may not make your baby sleep any better. We night weaned our 2 1/2 year old (after waking every 2-3 hours that entire time) only to find that she continued to wake every 2-3 hours and now I didn't have nursing to put her immediately back to sleep. I wish you luck, but don't expect any miracles.

My husband actually sleeps in another room all week long so he has enough rest for work, and shares the family bed on weekends. "sleeping" in the same bed is not the same as "sleeping together".

And just to note, there are plenty of people who don't share a bed with their spouse for reasons other than kids. Snoring and bed preferences are just 2 that come to mind without thinking too hard.

[Peony]

Originally Posted by tibeca 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Night weaning may not make your baby sleep any better. We night weaned our 2 1/2 year old (after waking every 2-3 hours that entire time) only to find that she continued to wake every 2-3 hours and now I didn't have nursing to put her immediately back to sleep. I wish you luck, but don't expect any miracles.

My husband actually sleeps in another room all week long so he has enough rest for work, and shares the family bed on weekends. "sleeping" in the same bed is not the same as "sleeping together".

And just to note, there are plenty of people who don't share a bed with their spouse for reasons other than kids. Snoring and bed preferences are just 2 that come to mind without thinking too hard.

Very similar here. I don't night wean but my youngest two stopped nursing in the night right before age 2, doesn't mean they sleep through the night though! I see it often with moms I work with, sometimes night weaning helps night waking or the child was night waking and the nursing was what put them back to sleep quickly. 

[sarahusesthis]

Thanks you  for mentioning the fact that night weaning may not mean sleeping through the night.... I do know that he wakes for reasons other than nursing, but it ultimately helps him fall asleep. I have to say that I am pretty insecure when it comes to this subject since I get so much criticism about my boy not sleeping through. He is very sensitive and cry it out doesn't seem right for him. I really don't mind nursing at night, I just don't know what is best for my son. Couldn't we be in this same routine for years? I feel like we have tried everything... nothing seems to sooth him except his mothers arms and breast :p

[lookatreestar]

i vote go with it if it works... your ds is just a baby- he might surprise you later. my ds usually only wakes once to nurse at 2 years old. i let both my kids night wean on their own because night nursing is just so darn easy- we all sleep right through nursing.

[D_McG]

 At least try it.  It's not like you can't go back to nursing if it doesn't work, right?  It was magic for my 2.  Just be sure to not replace nursing with another stimulating behavior.  The JG article will walk you through that. I see some moms on here go from nursing 10 times a night to rocking 8 times a night.  That's not really an improvement.

I hope you get to sleep with your DH again soon!  We slept separately for a couple of nights when we brought our first home and I hated it so much.  It just felt wrong!