Tips for morning wakeup weaning a sensitive 3 year old VERY ATTACHED to nursing

[gracemamma]

My DD recently turned 3 and I am ready to drop the am wakeup nurse and wondering how to go about it. We nightweaned 6 months ago and it took a couple weeks of crying during the night and rewards in the morning to get over the hump but we did.

The am wakeup nurse is a big deal for her, especially since she has gone all night but I am pretty much without patience for it anymore as she starts waking anywhere from 5am to 6am with the deal that she can nurse from 6am, so I often have to help her back to sleep multiple times and then once she starts  nursing she can go off and on for up to 90 minutes or more. I have the sense that she would sleep longer too if she wasnt waking up for milk (and she is currently underslept). And I need to be able to get up, exercise, get ready etc. without feeling teethered to the bed and my girl for 90 minutes to two hours of off and on nursing.  I'm exhausted and resentful. This am the wakeups started at 4:30!

I am also looking at getting her sleeping in her own room and wonder whether this might work well in tandem or if its better to get started while still cosleeping. Any thoughts, recommendations and BTDT would be super helpful in getting over this next hump with my super sensitive milk lover.

Thanks!!!

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

I don't think I"d do them at the same time.  I think that might overload her.  Do you have a partner that could take over the morning waking routine?  I know when I night weaned that handing the babe to Dh to comfort really helped, because my breasts weren't right in their faces. 

[CA Country Girl]

I morning weaned my older DD (at about 2.25) by replacing morning nursing with a small cup of chocolate milk.  It worked like a charm, but she was not waking up quite so early as yours.  If you are not against a bit of sugar in the morning, it might be a good alternative.  I would definitely say that feeling resentful is a good sign that it is time.  We do eventually need our bodies back, no matter how much we adore our little ones.

[gracemamma]

Thanks Mamas! Ca Country girl: what was your way of handling when your child could nurse after morning weaning her? My concern is more her waking early, not sleeping well and then being attached to me for hours. Also that she wants to use nursing as a way to get back to sleep and then does this over and over. So this am, I dididnt nurse in bed and she cried and was upset (DH is not here now and doesnt help with such things). But I did give her a little after we were up,awake and reading stories in the livivng room. Im not sure if this might be confusing though. AT the moment she is asking repeatedly to nurse while watching a show so I also want to avoid other long nursings while being willing to give a llittle comfort if need be. Hmmm.

Would love an easy solution like the chocolate milk but my daughter has extensive tooth decay so we have to really careful with sweets. Trying to think creatively aboout what could be another solution.

If anyone can share their progression through successful weaning to maybe just nighttime, this would be great!!

Thanks!!!