When do you, personally, think it is reasonable/healthy to nightwean?

[JudiAU]

Just curious....

1) never, should always be child-directed unless health issues

2) after 3

3) after 2

4) after 1

5) other, explain

[Marissamom]

I think it's so dependent on the child and situation. my first night-weaned at 15 months, but wouldn't have so soon if I hadn't been pregnant and had almost no milk and we hadn't moved her to her own room. I definitely wouldn't have set out just to night-wean her at that age. I also think some kids need the comfort more, some need the nutrition more, some don't get enough time with mom during the day and make up for it at night (thinking when mom has to work full-time). after reading a bunch of threads it seems that an average age when it's appropriate to night-wean is around 2, but again, such a variance between children and situations. 

[Alison1810]

I agree that it totally depends on the child and situation. My 19 month old still nurses a ton at night. We bed share and I often wake up with her latched on - she could be nursing all night long for all I know, lol. She gets the comfort of her "nunu" and I still get a good nights sleep. It works for us.

[Anna Phor]

I think I have to go with 5)--and my answer is "when mama says so!"

I know what works for me, my family, and my breasts! My son is almost 2 and I have not night weaned, but I know mothers who have night weaned at a variety of ages and mothers who have done child-led night-weaning. I can't make their judgments for them about what is reasonable and healthy!  

For me, reasonable and healthy has much more to do with the circumstances of the mother--does she have enough support; does her job offer her reasonable time to care for her child or is she just run ragged; does she have a spouse who pitches in or is she expected to be a maid and housekeeper for the entire family; is she in good health, mentally and physically; is this what she feels is the best investment of her time and energy?

[CI Mama]

I don't think that you can pick an age that will be right for everyone. Children develop at their own pace.

I agree with Anna Phor that when mama says so is a good time! I think mothers can pick a time that's right for them and their LO. There are plenty of ways to night wean gently and help guide children through the process.

[APToddlerMama]

I would definitely not do it before 1, but beyond that, I think it really depends on the mom and child.  Personally, my own absolute cut off unless I had a child with significant medical issues or something would be 21 months.  That would be the limit of my tolerance for being up in the middle of the night to nurse, but that is just me.  With DS, we tried it at 15 months and I worked perfectly.  I was prepared to continue if he had too hard of a time with it but he didn't. 

[hildare]

i'd say around 18 months.  we were so happy to have done it then, and it was time.  but, it wouldn't have worked for us sooner than that b/c we used the "boobies go to sleep when it's night and wake up when the sun comes up" line.  it was really around that time that dd was able to understand what all that meant, hence it went really well.  i think younger than the age of that comprehension makes for some unhappiness.

[KateDavies45]

Honestly DD is 7mo and she only wakes once a night usually around 5am to nurse for about 10min and then goes back to sleep until about 7:30. This was entirely her idea. she sleeps in her own bed (she simply stopped sleeping AT ALL if in bed with DH and I at about 5mo) but when we made that transition I resolved to get up and nurse her each time she woke (I'm lucky enough to be able to stay home with her/take her with me to work, but to my surprise within about a week of being in her own bed she went from waking 3 -4 times to nurse to only waking once. In the last few weeks she's gone a few nights without waking to nurse at all...I haven't found anyone else who's LO seems to be night weaning so early but if that's what she's leaning towards frankly, I'm not going to complain! ^_^)

Does anyone else have experiance with CL-night-W so early? It doesn't seem to be bothering her as long as I nurse her to sleep when she goes to bed for the night, it just feels odd to me...

[katelove]

I'm voting "other" as well. I think the ideal is that it be child-led but I think it is reasonable for the mother to initiate if she is finding too difficult to sustain the interrupted sleep. Not before one year of age though, unless the circumstances were truly exceptional.

[lifeguard]

Definitely do not think I could give an absolute age. We nightweaned ds at about 15 months - which for us meant creating a 5 hour stretch in the night in which bfing did not take place. I was desperate for a longer stretch of sleep for my own health/well-being & I knew he was capable of it. It went smoothly & easily - if it had not we would have reconsidered.