Did night-weaning equal less night-waking in your experience?

564 Views 12 Replies 13 Participants Last post by royaloakmi, Apr 11, 2006

Boadicea

Discussion Starter · Apr 8, 2006

Because in mine, it's more of a PITA to wake up to crying and NOT nurse. But I hate, hate, hate night nursing. Pretty much hate nursing in general these days, sadly, but it is making me most crazy at night. DD is 26 months and still wakes up four times or more every night. I haven't had a good night's sleep in about five years, which I know is measly compared to some of you, but it's more than I can take at this point.

See less See more

Save

1 - 13 of 13 Posts

mominchina

· #2 · Apr 9, 2006

Yes, once we night weaned, we had basically no night waking. Whereas before dd seemed disturbed by my every move, after night weaning she slept through little disturbances with no problem.

Save

ZanZansMommy

· #3 · Apr 9, 2006

: We all got a much better night sleep after night-weaning. We did however go thru about 4-5 very sleepless nights while nightweaning, which were very very hard. After that it was smooth sailing. It affirmed to me that DD (21 months at the time) was waking b/c of me & nursing was her way to just get back to sleep. I honestly didn't feel she needed to nurse at night for nutrition..

See less See more

Save

mimim

· #4 · Apr 9, 2006

It was like magic. As soon as I night weaned my 2nd Ds, he started sleeping through the night.

My 1st continued to wake once per night after he stopped asking to nurse at night, but that was just to crawl into our bed half way through the night. I usually didn't even wake up when he climbed under the covers.

Save

lizabird

· #5 · Apr 9, 2006

Well, sometimes yes and sometimes no.

For most of the 5 months since we night weaned (DS was down to 1 nursing at night) DS continues to totally wake up about once/night. Occasionally he sleeps ALL NIGHT and wow, what a wonderful night that is! Other nights he still wakes up between 2-4 times, but those are infrequent and I think often because something else must be bothering him, because then he'll be right back to just once/night for a long stretch.

So, really, he was waking up once to nurse, and now he wakes up once to cuddle and he's right back to sleep, so I still sleep pretty well and night weaning went much better than I thought it would.

Good luck to you!

Save

MCatLvrMom2A&X

· #6 · Apr 9, 2006

For my dd night weaning happened at just after 2 yrs old (she was still nursing every 1-2 hours at that point) it didnt in any way stop the night wakings tho. She would still wake every 1-2 hours but instead of nursing I had a sippy cup for her and then would lay her belly to belly to get her to go back to sleep. When I think back on it I wish in a way I had just kept nursing her at least then she would have been getting my milk instead of juice at night. But I was desperate to get some sleep. She was totally weaned at almost 32 months and still never slept thru the night until she was past 3yrs old. Still wakes most nights for a drink.

With my ds almost 18mo he still needs to nurse at night for nutrition because he dosnt eat a lot yet. I will prolly do things different with him. Not sure yet how just have to play it by ear since they are both so different.

Save

Maman*Musique

· #7 · Apr 9, 2006

We didn't night wean but my son is 5yo, doesn't nurse anymore and still wakes often. In fact, he has been up every night this week for a few hrs. My daughter is 20mo and she night nurses frequently. I don't mess with her at night because it *definitely* means less sleep for me. *sigh*

So I really believe that we all have different sleep needs. THe adults in my family also have funny sleep patterns and my son seems to have inherited them. My daughter does not. She does not wake for hours at a time so I count my blessings that she just nurses all night. At this point if I can stay horizontal i'm cool.

Hang in there mama

See less See more

Save

Peony

· #8 · Apr 9, 2006

DD stopped asking to nurse at night after she turned 3, I got more sleep when she did nurse. Now she is all over the bed, which she never used to do, I have to wake up more times to move her then I used to wake up to nurse her. She'll also wake up and ask for water.

Save

Parker'smommy

· #9 · Apr 10, 2006

My ds did NOT stop nightwaking when I nightweaned him. BUT....dh was able to assist in nightime parenting and could get him back to sleep just as easily as I could with nursing. He would give him his water sippy, pat his back, and he would fall back to sleep.

Save

Periwinkle

· #10 · Apr 10, 2006

Absolutely. Once he was no longer nursing at night, within 2-3 weeks the nightwaking ended (gently). It was a long 2-3 weeks but now we are all sleeping through the night.

Save

pugmommy7

· #11 · Apr 10, 2006

I am so glad I am reading this.
I feel so guilty for wanting to nightwean my dd(22 months).
But I am so tired.
She nurses a lot during the day if we are at home and inside. but if we are busy outside or at a playgroup/library etc, she does not ask to very often.
the nightstuff is the hardest. she sleeps from about 8/9pm to 12-2 the wants to nurse one "good" soldi nursing, then sleeps till 4-8. that 4-8 one is on and off,not a deep sleep and I cannot move at all or i have to nurse. I get sore and antsy. i think the interrupted sleep is worse than the actual loss of sleep.
I think it would be healthier for her to sleep through as well.
And it would ease stress on dh and I since I alsways ask to sleep a lot on sundays-his only day off work. he loves being with the grils, but wants family time(ie go to the park,do activities with us outside the home,shopping,yardwork at a family,gardening and other things we enjoy but i am too wiped out to do.
I know he will help with the nightweaning, but i wonder if that means putting them in thier own bed.
I vowed never to put my 3 year old in there while the baby was co-sleeping with us because i didn't want her to feel exiled.
S i think the solution for both issues will be taking them into thier bed at bedtime and nursing lina to sleep,then when i hear her wake i will go in there and get her back to sleep. i will start it tonight. plus dh and i are ready to have our bed back.
thanks for metting me know i am not alone

See less See more

Save

my2girlz

· #12 · Apr 10, 2006

Alex stopped nursing at night about 1 week ago. He's sleeping more, but still not thru the night.

Save

royaloakmi

· #13 · Apr 11, 2006

I nightweaned our twins at about 26/27 months. They were both waking about 5 times per night, then awake for morning 2 hour marathon nursing.

Ds started sleeping from about 9pm to 3 or 4 am regularly, beginning on the third night of nightweaning. He had NEVER slept more than 3 hours in a row previously.

Dd still wakes (though perhaps slightly less often). However, her wakeups are brief and she is easily comforted back to sleep (we cosleep).

It's not perfect . . .they still wake around 4 am for the nonstop morning marathon (and we're supposedly not nursing till 5 am), but it's MUCH better.

And the bonus --- their naps are a bit better too!!! And I feel much better just knowing that I won't have to nurse them for the next 7 or 8 hours when they go to bed.

Save

1 - 13 of 13 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month