Night weaned

[Dorasmum]

Well I did it, I night weaned DD2. I've been struggling about when and how to do it for a while and more so IF I should but I wasn't coping with it as much anymore- 4 times waking a night at almost 2- and I decided that what is best for baby is partly about what is best for Mum too, and my struggles with it wasn't doing her any good.

So she has a feed to go to sleep and then nothing else until mid morning or lunch time the next day.
And the upshot? after about 5 nights of squirming, whinging, complaining and some crying. She has now slept through- 7pm till 5pm twice in the last 3 days..(something I thought would never happen), she is eating me out of house and home, eating breakfast with gusto, asking for food when i battled to get barely anything into her through out the whole day. She's been a very poor eater all since she started solids .And I'm even seeing more independence in her playing attitude, she's going off and playing happily on her own better.
It's like she's not half hungry all the time, waiting for the next bf - refusing food all the time because she's waiting for a bf and because she's now filling her belly up she's happy to go and play instead of hanging around my feet.

That's so far and I'm happy with that, so we're down to one or two feeds a day and the bedtime one, and that can go on for a while longer, it's ok, but if it dies out soon I'll be happy too.

I think all children are different in their bf needs and I'm seeing now that this is better for her at this stage. If it could have been done earlier, probably not, she seems ready now and it seems to be having a positive effect on her behaviour as a whole, and making her happier with it.

Em

[marchbean]

Excellent I wish I wasnt so lazy. I really think we would all benefit from at least a semi night wean but when you are in the moment (ie very tired) its just easier to flop out a boob!
Interesting about the increase in solids. I have often wondered if this would make a difference.

[Dorasmum]

Yes I was afraid too (and warned by an ABA counsellor) that it might not mean an improvement in the solids, but it has and I'm sooooooooooo relieved because I have been to hell and back getting the most basic amounts of solids into her starting at about 10 months. Still don't regret not doing it earlier though, I had sort of started too once or twice in the last 5 months or so but fatigue and the screaming meant i chickened out. I feel it was fairly easy because she was finally ready.
She's communicating better at this age so I could explain to her what I was doing, and that helped. She could express to me that she would have a drink of water instead once she realised I really wasn't going to feed her.

She's two in a couple of months and I'm glad to have this milestone done. Next is the toilet training....hmmm

Em

[emd]

Great that it's all going so well Em.
I noticed with Jools that when she started sleeping longer at nights, she gained more weight. The number of bf's and quantity of solids in a 24 hour period didn't change, but I think getting a more solid night sleep helped her metabolism to function better.
That said, it only works if they're ready for it.

[smurray]

Thats great news. Glad to hear it all went well!

Thats interesting that the night weaning led to less wakings. I've heard others say that happened to them too.

I'm just in a really difficult patch right now.... DD is back to waking up about 3 - 4 times a night. We night weaned months ago... so all I have to offer is a pat on the back and a cuddle. So tired this week.

[Dorasmum]

It does get draining doesn't it, the constant waking. I'm not expecting to have wake free nights all the time for some time, but a few is nice. It's a gradual learning process and I can see now that she is willing to learn, if reluctantly. It's new territory for me because my first was sleeping through without any prompting at 10 months. VERY heavy sleeper too, even now. I wonder if that has a lot to do with it.. probably. DD2 seems to be a lighter sleeper so more wakeful.

Oh and she seems happier now to go off with someone for longer- my brother took both girls to church and lunch today- out for 5 hours and she was fine.

Em

[Moonflower]

Yay for you! Sounds like a dream. DD has also started waking frequently during the night & I want to night wean her just don't know where to start. Did you just refuse boob until she realised she wasn't getting it & comfort in other ways? I imagine my DD would think it is the end of the world and like others have said it just seems easier to give her boob.

[Dorasmum]

In a nutshell yes, in the middle of the night, you're both tired and it's easier to keep giving the boob. Now I have to stress, her complaining when I started refusing the boob wasn't distress or hunger, that I could tell, it was temper and annoyance, I was breaking her habit and she was very cross. I didn't go cold turkey, have over the last few months practised refusing the odd one or two, but never been brave enough to do it completely but this time I did drop it right down to maybe letting her only have one (because I had tried it earlier I think she recognised what I was doing and gave in a bit faster) and then none except the one she has to go to sleep and last night she even finished that, rolled over and went to sleep without it. This morning she wanted one right before breakfast so she threw a whopper tanty, hitting me and punching my back, then got up and wandered off perfectly calm after she figured out I wasn't going to give in. So we're still getting there. Oh and she did ask for a drink instead some nights too, so I kept a poptop bottle by the bed.

It's hard to know when is the right time to do some of these things, sometimes they just happen when they are supposed to, it might not work one time and then work fine another. I feel we hit the right time, by chance as much as anything.!!

Em