18 month old, bed-sharing and waking up a few times a night wanting to comfort nurse.

[mommiebear10]

How long did it take for you bed-sharing mommas, to get your kids  to sleep through the night without waking up? I love nursing and bed-sharing, but he wakes up a few times a night wanting my boob in his mouth!!

He is not hungry, as he barely nurses a few minutes before sleeping off...

How do I get him out of this habit?

We also have the habit of nursing to sleep, is that first one I need to break?

I would love to hear some ways you all have gotten over this.. thanks so much!

[To-Fu]

This all sounds normal to me.  I have a 22mo that wakes up several times a night to nurse.  I don't really mind too much, since nursing for us is less disruptive and time-consuming than other methods of soothing him back to sleep. 

If it's bothering you, you might consider the gentle Jay Gordon method of night weaning: 

http://drjaygordon.com/attachment/sleeppattern.html

[mommiebear10]

Thank you for your response!!

It didn't bother me so much, although my back used to hurt a lot.

But now we're expecting baby #2 and I feel it's time for him to sleep without wanting me too much, in the nights.. not sure if I'm expecting too much of the poor child

[To-Fu]

When my first was 18mo, we were pregnant again with our second child.  DS1 definitely wasn't ready to sleep on his own yet, but I know every child is different.  Is it possible for you to let your partner do some of the nighttime parenting?  What if you got a bigger bed?  Or what if you put the crib/toddler bed in your room? 

If you decide to night wean, the most gentle option I can think of is the Jay Gordon method.  Maybe someone else can share their experiences, too.

Good luck!