My ds is 20 mos. I'm actually "nightweaning" now. I don't know if its actually nightweaning, because I'm happy to nurse once or twice a night, so...
He's always woke up 5 or more times a night to nurse back to sleep. I knew that once he knew how to get himself back to sleep, he'd stop waking me up! I just wasn't really sure how to do it without any crying involved.
I've been telling him for months to "Try to go to sleep without nips." (our word for nursing) and telling him to go to sleep with his head on the pillow, with me rubbing his back, with us cuddling, etc. I did tell him that we could still cuddle, and I'd be right there even if he wasn't nursing. That seemed to help. But I KNEW that it wasn't the best way to say that stuff, I just didn't know a better way to say it.
I recently started telling him that "Mommy's sleeping. nips are sleeping. and Keagan go to sleep too" and that we'd nurse when it was daytime out (we go to bed REALLY late, so that only left 5 or 6 hours of sleeping in the dark). If he wanted to nurse, I'd tell him that nips wanted to sleep. I didn't refuse, but would tell him that hoping he'd accept it and go to sleep. If he asked again, we'd nurse. But he mostly accepted it! I actually only told him that for a few days, because that's all it took to get him to sleep all night, only waking up or twice, or not at all. And mostly he only wakes up in the morning, after I've had a good long stretch.
There was one night in there that he woke up 7 times, and I nursed him if he insisted, or got even remotely upset. But the next night was back to waking once.
I can't believe that did it! I'm totally amazed- it only took a few days, and involved no crying, and no refusing to nurse. Its been about 2 weeks, and he's been mostly waking up once or not at all, most nights.
I knew that once he understood what I wanted, and was able to get back to sleep without nursing, he would do it. It just took some time before we hit on the perfect solution.
The wierd thing is, that he's always been a nursing to sleep guy. NOW, I still nurse him mostly to sleep, but he can't get into a good sleep if he's nursing. I have to unlatch him, and he rolls over and he's OUT!
He's always woke up 5 or more times a night to nurse back to sleep. I knew that once he knew how to get himself back to sleep, he'd stop waking me up! I just wasn't really sure how to do it without any crying involved.
I've been telling him for months to "Try to go to sleep without nips." (our word for nursing) and telling him to go to sleep with his head on the pillow, with me rubbing his back, with us cuddling, etc. I did tell him that we could still cuddle, and I'd be right there even if he wasn't nursing. That seemed to help. But I KNEW that it wasn't the best way to say that stuff, I just didn't know a better way to say it.
I recently started telling him that "Mommy's sleeping. nips are sleeping. and Keagan go to sleep too" and that we'd nurse when it was daytime out (we go to bed REALLY late, so that only left 5 or 6 hours of sleeping in the dark). If he wanted to nurse, I'd tell him that nips wanted to sleep. I didn't refuse, but would tell him that hoping he'd accept it and go to sleep. If he asked again, we'd nurse. But he mostly accepted it! I actually only told him that for a few days, because that's all it took to get him to sleep all night, only waking up or twice, or not at all. And mostly he only wakes up in the morning, after I've had a good long stretch.
There was one night in there that he woke up 7 times, and I nursed him if he insisted, or got even remotely upset. But the next night was back to waking once.
I can't believe that did it! I'm totally amazed- it only took a few days, and involved no crying, and no refusing to nurse. Its been about 2 weeks, and he's been mostly waking up once or not at all, most nights.
I knew that once he understood what I wanted, and was able to get back to sleep without nursing, he would do it. It just took some time before we hit on the perfect solution.
The wierd thing is, that he's always been a nursing to sleep guy. NOW, I still nurse him mostly to sleep, but he can't get into a good sleep if he's nursing. I have to unlatch him, and he rolls over and he's OUT!
