Nightweaning - Night One - A journal

977 Views 20 Replies 11 Participants Last post by lerlerler, Apr 12, 2006

lerlerler

Discussion Starter · Apr 4, 2006

I have a beautiful 20 month old DD. Her every2-3 hour nursing at night has been driving me CRAZY for months. More so since I am now a few weeks pregnant and exhausted

I know that MOST of you are dealing with this with grace and patience. But I decided that I couldn't do it anymore.

Last month I started the "pop the nipple out while she was still awake" thing. ANd she got to the point where she didn't need to nurse to sleep... she needed to nurse to REALLY drowsy, but was OK, rolling over and snuggling in for a minute before falling asleep.

The PROBLEM was she can't seem to go to sleep unless her belly is SO FULL she's sent into a "milk coma". So I've been feeding her almost anything at night to get and keep her full. No such luck.

I've been dreading this and planning the night weaning for weeks, but I always chickened out "maybe it's teething" "maybe it's a cold". But last night was IT

I explained to her that "ne nes" are tired and need their sleep - and so does mama. that I would NEVER let her get really hungry but if she could TRY to sip some water and go to sleep without nursies, mama would be happy - and have more energy to play with her.

SHe got to bed at 10pm (sigh) and awoke at 2am... asking for ne nes. Half asleep. I said "here's your sippie, ne ne is sleeping" she took a slug of water and sleepily repeated "ne ne" a few times, but never really woke up or cried didn't even try to claw my night shirt off!! (I was expecting that ). She DID however have a devil of a time getting to sleep... she made the sign for "food" she climbed on my chest and lay on top of me... she rolled over and over and whimpered in her half sleepy state. But she fell asleep!!!

Woke up at 5:30 - which was good enough for me and she nursed like a fiend.

I'm going to do this for 3 nights as long as there is no real crying... then we will reasses.

Just thought I'd let you know how weaning is working for me

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lerlerler

Discussion Starter · #2 · Apr 4, 2006

Interesting twist.. for the first time ever, she fell out of bed at 9:30pm (no bedframe)... onto a pillow, and kept snoring! SO we let her sleep there.

She woke up at 2:30 am and DH brought her into bed. SHe crawled top speed to me, said "MOMMY" loudly then "Ne ne".

"no" I replied "remember, they are sleeping"
"oh" she said "water"!!!!! SO I gave her a straw cup filled with water and she slugged it down. Then she tried her hardest to get to sleep. Tossing and turning, and an occassional murmer of "mommy" when she wanted her back rubbed.

There was a 2 second period when she tried to lift my shirt, but I said "no ne nes, water" and she drank more! No crying, no yelling.

It took her a million pats on the back, weird sleeping positions and 25 minutes to get to sleep, but she DID IT!

She woke up at 5:45, and asked for "ne ne" and I lifted my shirt, said "GOOD MORNING ne ne" and nursed her... now she's in her happy milk coma and still sleeping.

So far, I can handle this!

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spirit4ever

· #3 · Apr 4, 2006

2

I'm glad its going so well for you

I started to nightwean ds1 when I got pregnant, it was a great decision. I hope things continue to go well!!

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mamajessica

· #4 · Apr 5, 2006

I am glad it's going so well for you! I really appreciate reading this, Thanks

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lerlerler

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 5, 2006

Night Three -

She didn't fall out of bed the other night. She CRAWLED out and CHOSE to sleep on the floor. SHe tried that again last night - so we put a low mattress on the floor in case she wanted to do it again.

Anyhoo, at 9pm she was ready for bed (DARN DST) and we brought her to bed. She instantly made the sign for food... she knew what was coming. SO we gave her more food and she ate like it was going out of style

Slept quickly and woke up at 3am. A little more vocal this time. No crying but there was about 4 minutes of pissed off whimpering. I was so upset, but I've been such a crappy mother due to this exhaustion, I stuck to my guns. And she fell asleep MUCH quicker (maybe 15 minutes of patting).

ANd woke up at 7:15, nursed and went back to sleep.

It breaks my heart to see her upset, but I'm going to try this a few more nights.....

lerlerler

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 6, 2006

I had already started the "patented pantley pop off" this was stage two.

ANd heres' the news

SHE SLEPT THOUGH THE NIGHT!!!! 10-6!!!! If she woke up between those times? I didn't hear it!!!!

THe only downside is that now that she CAN fall asleep without the boob, she INSISTS on it. SO no more "quick nurse into a sleep coma" at bed time now it's a "long nurse, followed by an hour of rolling over and such until she's exhausted..."

SO between DST and this, her 8pm bedtime is now 10pm~

But I'm OK with that.!!!!

I just want this a few days a week, I'm not greedy!

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MaryJaneLouise

· #7 · Apr 6, 2006

Yeah Lisa! Thanks for sharing your journal. Gives me hope for the future, when we start to night wean!

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mamasgirls

· #8 · Apr 6, 2006

Thank you for posting this! My dd is 22 months and I am thinking about night weaning her. I enjoy nursing, but in addition to some issues I am seeing with her teeth, and the every 2-3 hours all night (if not more)- I am just exhausted. We co-sleep so I don't know if that will make it easier or harder- but I love the idea of the water cup. My dd also falls asleep most nights on her own, but nurses through the night.

Anyway- I have enjoyed reading this- I also do not want to do anything that will really upset her and was really happy to read how well your dd is doing!

Je'anna L C

· #9 · Apr 6, 2006

I just loved the little vision of your 'good morning ne nes'. I actually read it days ago and just had to come back to tell you. That probably taught me more about great creative parenting than anything I read in books all week : )

As mom to a guzzly 8 mos boy insomniac, I hold up your e.g. as inspiration - for sometime next year

lerlerler

Discussion Starter · #10 · Apr 7, 2006

Night Four

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hmmm.. no nap yesterday (yawn)

But she fell asleep at 7:30 - major blessing! Just zonked while nursing in arms and I didn't even have her night diap or jammies on yet!

My "deal with her (a la Jay Gordon) is "no ne nes" from 12-5am - I explained that that is "deep night"

So I let her nurse at 10:30. At 2am, she woke up... said "ne ne". I replied "no, ne ne, nighttime" she grabbed her sippie, slugged some water crawled on top of me and slept on my chest... all within about 60 seconds!

This repeated exactly at 4am.

ANd I nursed her at 6:30 and she's still asleep at 7:45!!!

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PrincessDoll

· #11 · Apr 7, 2006

Glad you are doing this, very interesting. What I like is that she can communicate with words and signs with you. I was tempted to night wean my ds (who just turned a year) and realized that he is still too young to understand. He understood no nursie but he was in such agony over it and there was no substitute that would do. Reading your journal gives me encouragement for the future. Thanks.

crunchy_mama

· #12 · Apr 9, 2006

oh, thanks for posting this. I have been contemplating this for a while. I am so *tired* of not sleeping. My son is 20 mo old. Tuesday I am getting my wisdom teeth removed so we may have a crash course in this.

lerlerler

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 9, 2006

the last two nights, she has gone to sleep easily at 8ish (no naps)
waken up at 3, and soothed back to sleep within SECONDS - with a sippy and an "uppie" (sleeping on my chest) and woken up again at 5am to her 'nenes" (5am is my early limit)

Looking good!

pugmommy7

· #14 · Apr 10, 2006

i am starting this tonight!

Guest*

· #15 · Apr 11, 2006

Great to hear things have gone well.

Just thought I'd share what I did to help my dd understand that there wouldn't be anymore nursies at night...it's kind of embarassing, but it worked for us so maybe it can work for someone else...

I put band-aids on my nipples (dd helped). I told her they had owies (they really did, I'm pregnant and they're super sore...anyway) and she couldn't have them at night so they could get better. She was cool with that, said "bye-bye nursies" to them and stopped nursing at night until about the 5am-ish hour.

I make exceptions to nightmares and teething and obvious growing pains, but dd has done very well with this, no longer needing to nurse every hour or so.

lerlerler

Discussion Starter · #16 · Apr 11, 2006

As you know we are working on nightweaning, and it is going quite well - at least I think so.

The deal is "nurse to sleep" and then no nursing between 12-5.

SHe has ALWAYS nursed to sleep/nap. Virtually no exceptions (except car and a few weird deals when I wasn't home)

Last night she crawled into bed. Asked for a story (actually ran to the bookcase and grabbed a book). We read it and I waited for her to ask... then she wanted the book read yet again. SO we read it and I waited for her to ask. Then she drank some water, then she got up, did a little dance on the bed... and I waited, she crawled around the bed for 10 minutes, and FELL ASLEEP and never asked to nurse!

Then she didn't wake again until 5:30am and I nursed her then. She went over 14 hours without nursing and slept 9 hours straight.

kellid

· #17 · Apr 12, 2006

3

I'm journaling my nightweaning thanks to you. It keeps me motivated and I've learned so much from you and other people that I hope what I share can help other people. We are on night #4. What kind of bed does she sleep in. I might have missed that. Just curious. I can't beleive she went to sleep on her own!!!!!

This is what I dream of. It's what my husband dreams of. I know he wishes he could put him to bed after he reads to him. He says it's the only time he will just sit and snuggle is when he's reading.

Our NW has gone way easier than I expected. Too easy, I just wonder if it will continue. I hope so. Thanks for the postings.

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lerlerler

Discussion Starter · #18 · Apr 12, 2006

she sleeps in a twin bed that is almost exactly the same height as our bed, they are pushed together - so she starts out there and often migrates over.

Last night, nursed to sleep... then awoke at 3am, I patted her back for 10 seconds and she fell asleep until 5 am

lerlerler

Discussion Starter · #19 · Apr 12, 2006

she sleeps in a twin bed that is almost exactly the same height as our bed, they are pushed together - so she starts out there and often migrates over.

Last night, nursed to sleep... then awoke at 3am, I patted her back for 10 seconds and she fell asleep until 5 am

lerlerler

Discussion Starter · #20 · Apr 12, 2006

she sleeps in a twin bed that is almost exactly the same height as our bed, they are pushed together - so she starts out there and often migrates over.

Last night, nursed to sleep... then awoke at 3am, I patted her back for 10 seconds and she fell asleep until 5 am

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