Nightweaning (16 mo old) and co-sleeping?

[sarbear]

My ds is almost 16 months old, and I am ready (oh, so very ready ) to night wean him. I would like however to continue co-sleeping for now. The other option is to move him to a toddler bed in our room. I would like to minimize the change though, and wait a while to transition him if possible. I just wonder if it will be harder for him if I am right there all night?
So, I'm just looking for some success stories, thoughts, advice...
TIA

[channelofpeace]

In the NCSS, she co-sleeps and many of her suggestions are geared toward a co-sleeping situation. You might read up on that

[sugarlumpkin]

I had to wean my son (see below) and we still co-sleep. For over a week I slept in another room but recently I have rejoined the family bed. My ds sleeps through the night, but wakes up much earlier than before (he used to wake up around 7 - 7:30, now he wakes up at 5:45). I wish I could still nurse him so we could go back to sleep at 5:45. My ds was 10 months old when I had to night wean him.

[sarbear]

Originally Posted by sugarlumpkin

I had to wean my son (see below) and we still co-sleep. For over a week I slept in another room but recently I have rejoined the family bed. My ds sleeps through the night, but wakes up much earlier than before (he used to wake up around 7 - 7:30, now he wakes up at 5:45). I wish I could still nurse him so we could go back to sleep at 5:45. My ds was 10 months old when I had to night wean him.

I'm so sorry for what you are going through,
Thanks for the advice & best of luck to you.

[HappiLeigh]

When we nightweaned, *I* moved into the other room and DD stayed with DH in the family bed.

[Xpcting#3]

We're in the process of night weaning our 20 month old son. For the last 10 days, I've been sleeping with our 3 year old, and my husband's getting the little one through the night. It's taking a while, but now he's waking up only once a night, and quickly settles back to sleep. I've started creeping back into the bed early mornings, on the other side of my husband, and then our 3 year old joins us when he wakes up.

I have noticed that my younger son is really missing the nursing time, and is more insistent and cranky about nursing during the day - be prepared. But it's WONDERFUL to get seven hours of sleep with my toddler! I had forgotten what it's like to be really rested.

[Shaki]

OP: 16 months is a bit on the young side for night weaning. You may find that it's more work than nursing, with little reward. Are there other ways you can find to get rest and rejuvinate yourself? We gently nightweaned my DD around 19 months and looking back it seems like a bit more trouble than it was worth. Although when it's 4 am and you're little one is twiddleing and nursing like it's going out of style night weaning is the most appealing idea in the world!!!!!

Sugar Lumpkin, we have friends who are going through something similar (brain cancer) with their DC and I wanted to wish you and your DC healing light, strong community support, and much HOPE! Also are you aware of www.caringbridge.com ? It's a website where you can keep family and friends updated on the latest with your child without having to make lots of phone calls or write individual emails. It's been a great source of support and communication for our friends--and it's free.

[MelKnee]

Originally Posted by HappiLeigh

When we nightweaned, *I* moved into the other room and DD stayed with DH in the family bed.

This is what we did with our ds. Ds did continue to wake, but he was fine with a drink of water and a snuggle from daddy.

[sarbear]

Originally Posted by Shaki

OP: 16 months is a bit on the young side for night weaning. You may find that it's more work than nursing, with little reward. Are there other ways you can find to get rest and rejuvinate yourself? We gently nightweaned my DD around 19 months and looking back it seems like a bit more trouble than it was worth. Although when it's 4 am and you're little one is twiddleing and nursing like it's going out of style night weaning is the most appealing idea in the world!!!!!

Well, I think in some cases this is true. My ds doesn't really nurse at night anymore though. From about 3am on He just wants to latch on, fall asleep with my nipple in his mouth, roll over, then come back to repeat the cycle every half hour. I would gladly offer one long night nursing for nutritional purposes, but I think this is more of a habitual/comfort thing. In the past I have felt that it was too soon. But now, I wake up with a backache every morning and am thinking about TTC again soon. I do not want to be pregnant and have this go on. I think for me, it's at least worth a try at this stage.

[paula444four]

hey

no advice as i am in the same boat.

but thanks for the thread! subbing

[Nekawa Ma]

I nightweaned my (then) 14mo dd in a desperate attempt to get some rest during the first trimester of this pregnancy. Neither of us left the bed.

Dd was still waking every 2 hours to nurse, as she had since her newborn days. The problem was that I could no longer latch her on and go back to sleep, because the pregnancy hormones caused severe nipple pain. Between the lack of quality sleep and the pregnancy fatigue, I became a monster: angry, depressed, unable to safely drive a car. Nightweaning was truly a last resort for me. I am committed to my nursing relationship with dd and will otherwise allow her to lead the way when it comes to weaning.

That being said, we had quick (though not easy) success with nightweaning. The first night, I talked quietly to dd as she nursed down to sleep about how mama needed to sleep at night and how "nursies" need to sleep at night and told her that we could nurse again when the sun comes up. She woke every two hours, as was her custom. I held her and rocked her, repeated that "nursies are sleeping, we can have nursies when the sun comes up," and sang lullabies as we both cried and she finally settled back to sleep. The second night was much the same. On the third night though, she settled back to sleep without much crying, as I rubbed her back and quietly told her that we could nurse again when the sun comes up and sang to her. Ever since that third night she nurses to sleep, wakes once or twice and I rub her back and sing a lullaby as she settles back down, then she wakes me up as the first morning light comes through the window and we nurse as we both fully wake up for the day.

I would not recommend nightweaning except as a last resort. Please take notice of the bit where I held dd in my arms as she cried herself to sleep-- those were some of the longest, most emotionally painful moments of my life. I am told that some children will completely wean at that point. Bear in mind that there is the possibility that your child will still need you to help them settle back to sleep without the nursing, so you may not be helping yourself get more sleep after all. I am so thankful that dd and I have managed to maintain a strong daytime nursing relationship so far through my pregnancy, in spite of the nightweaning.

[bornbythesea]

We Just weaned our 22 month old, and for the first time we are getting chunks of 4+ hours of sleep. There was a bit of in arms crying, and that is very hard.
This is what helped
singing
back rubs
talking about it before betime, and having him say night-night to nursing