Hi! I have an 8 month old who nurses WAY too much at night. I am aware of how to wean at night because I night weaned my older son at 16 months. I really feel like 16 months was too old, so I was thinking maybe 12 months would be ok to night wean, but I'm feeling like I want to do it today! So really I was just wondering what age you people think is ok to night wean. I don't want him to be hungry at night, but I need more sleep! Please help!
Thanks so much!
Mia
edens_mom
12-11-2008, 08:02 AM
At 8 months he's probably feeling a lot of teething discomfort.. I know my DD's night nursings picked up in frequency around then. What do you plan on doing to help your LO sleep at night without nursing? Chances are at 8 months he's probably not hungry (maybe just needs to nurse for food once?) but wants the comfort and such.
ForCryingOutLoud
12-11-2008, 08:05 AM
I feel 8 months is too young to night wean. (This is my opinion)
If you are interested in night weaning when your LO is older (it suggests not doing it with babies under 12 months old) I read this article and I am planning on doing this after the holidays.
http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/ap/sleep.asp
(not sure if you co-sleep or not, but you could use this method probably even if you don't)
BTW my DD is 16 months old and still wakes to nurse at least once a night.
HeavenlyHold
12-11-2008, 08:07 AM
That's a hard one...my DD was already night weaned at 8 mos...but I got up really early and nursed her before I left for work.
CEVmommy
12-11-2008, 08:53 AM
For me, I would not even consider night-weaning before 1 year, and didn't actually do it until just after 2 years. I tried a little bit a few times and dd was very unhappy, so we stopped and tried again after a few months. At 27 months, she night-weaned really easily, so I think that's just when she was ready.
LanesMama
12-11-2008, 01:27 PM
I night weaned at close to 7 mo... and only because my ds decided between 6 and 7 mo. to go from 2x per night to more like 7 or 8. I did the cry it out method after trying the ferberizing stuff. I am not so strict now... I feel that now if he wakes and all out screams he needs something and maybe is hungry so occasionally he does get to eat at night, still, at 9 mo. I kind of go by how he ate all day long- like last night, for instance, he didn't want anything to do with nursing before bed so I did feed him at 12:30 a.m. and then he slept until 7:15 but normally he goes from 8 pm to 7 a.m.
miabean
12-11-2008, 10:27 PM
What do you plan on doing to help your LO sleep at night without nursing? Chances are at 8 months he's probably not hungry (maybe just needs to nurse for food once?) but wants the comfort and such.
When I night weaned my older son, my hubby got up with him when he woke up. It was a bad week or two, but he got over it. I feel there is a difference between crying alone and crying being held.
miabean
12-11-2008, 10:38 PM
I feel 8 months is too young to night wean. (This is my opinion)
If you are interested in night weaning when your LO is older (it suggests not doing it with babies under 12 months old) I read this article and I am planning on doing this after the holidays.
http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/ap/sleep.asp
(not sure if you co-sleep or not, but you could use this method probably even if you don't)
BTW my DD is 16 months old and still wakes to nurse at least once a night.
Thank you for the link! I guess I'll wait until 12 months or later. I was thinking 12 months was about the time. I'm just so dang tired! :giggle2:
miabean
12-11-2008, 10:40 PM
I night weaned at close to 7 mo... and only because my ds decided between 6 and 7 mo. to go from 2x per night to more like 7 or 8.
That is what I am going through! He went from 1-2X a night to 4 or 5. Its not too much, but I am so tired the next day :( I'll just wait it out I guess!
MyTwoSunshines
12-11-2008, 11:33 PM
I am going through this right now with my dd. She's almost 9 months. Before she was going to bed at 11pm and sleeping til 8am without nursing during the night. Then about a month ago, she started waking around 5am to nurse. Now she's waking 3-5 times a night to nurse and I'm exhausted!!! I'll be watching your thread to see if some others offer advice.
sistermommy
12-26-2008, 09:15 PM
I'm watching too, I'm so stumped. I've got a 9 mo, and I'm trying to figure out how to get more sleep too.
lirpasirhc
12-26-2008, 09:27 PM
my 9-month-old started nursing a lot more lately - 4-5 x per night. i think it's a phase connected to teething and lots of motor development. i'm tired, but i really think the night nursing is a need for her, so i'm ok with it. i'm also considering Jay Gordon's plan after 12 months. i think babies really need the nutrition from night nursing before 12 months.
KaleidoscopeEyes
12-26-2008, 09:30 PM
I personally wouldn't feel comfortable doing it before 18 months.
miabean
12-26-2008, 10:45 PM
Well, he went back to once a night :headscratch: I'll take it. I hope all you other mamas get some sleep soon!
gideonsmommy
01-02-2009, 09:24 PM
My son night weaned himself at 3 months. It makes life a lot easier for me during the day. He is a very happy and healthy little one and he makes up for it by eating really well during the day. He also hardly ever wakes up in the night at all, and when he does he just takes his pacifier. I have a book called "On Becoming Babywise" by Gary Ezzo and it really helped us with nursing and "teaching" him to sleep through the night. He doesn't advocate letting them cry all night or anything, just things that you can do during the day to help them learn to sleep at night. I plan on nursing him for a long time, but I'm thankful for long nights of rest!
miabean
01-03-2009, 01:03 AM
nevermind - I heard that is not a good book.
sistermommy
01-03-2009, 09:03 PM
The "On becoming Babywise" is a nice book, but it doesn't have any real proof to back it up, (To quote to the book " Baby 411" which is my baby bible). It can work, but it can also be detrimental to babies who need more nurishment.
Anyway, I just wanted to update that after reading this thread and looking at the links, I've managed to cut out one night feeding, and now my baby has a sleep period of 5 hours (sometimes more!). Of course, I haven't gotten to have this because of the other children in house (that does include my dh :P). But I especially liked the idea of cutting out the 'middle' feeding. By just cutting out one feeding I've gotten to get so much more sleep, and my DS seems to sleep more too. THanks everyone!
mommytotrey
01-04-2009, 07:40 PM
The problem is, all babies are so different. My ds night weaned at around 6 months. I read that babies do not need to eat at night after around 6 months. We didn't do it intentionally, he just kinda did it on his own. He also self weaned at 12 months. We used the cry it out method with him at night and it worked great for us because he is just such an easy kiddo. He would cry for like 5 minutes and go to sleep. HOWEVER, I have friends who have tried the cry it out method and their kids cry for hours. It just really depends on the child. Teething also never really bothered our ds. So, when he was teething he still didn't wake up at night. I know some kids can get pretty sick with teething.
So, for those of you that hate me now...I am currently pg with #2. I'm almost certain that this one will be the total opposite and I'll be back on here asking these same questions in a few months LOL!!
philomene
01-05-2009, 08:01 AM
My DS was really bad with the night wakings at 8 months too; he was waking at LEAST every 2-3 hours and sometimes a lot more. As I understand it it's just a phase they go through around that age; he did get better after about a month (now 1 or 2 wakings a night, at 11 months). It should pass! I wish I had some advice on what to do in the meantime, though. :/ I know it's not always possible but get as much help from hubby or whoever else during the day, take a nap if you possibly can!
If after a couple weeks it hasn't gotten better and/or it's really seriously hard on you to the point you just can't deal anymore, I say don't feel bad about night weaning. You need to be able to function in your day.
miabean
01-05-2009, 10:50 AM
My DS was really bad with the night wakings at 8 months too; he was waking at LEAST every 2-3 hours and sometimes a lot more. As I understand it it's just a phase they go through around that age; he did get better after about a month (now 1 or 2 wakings a night, at 11 months). It should pass! I wish I had some advice on what to do in the meantime, though. :/ I know it's not always possible but get as much help from hubby or whoever else during the day, take a nap if you possibly can!
If after a couple weeks it hasn't gotten better and/or it's really seriously hard on you to the point you just can't deal anymore, I say don't feel bad about night weaning. You need to be able to function in your day.
Thanks mama! Its kinda hit or miss with this guy. Some weeks it is 4-5 times, other days it is only 1 or 2. He is absolutely not teething, so I don't know what the deal is. I feel bad because some nights I am so sleep deprived that I don't hear him until he is screaming :cry: I know I can get through it. I wish I could cosleep, but I get even less sleep because our bed is too full with me, dh,ds and then add another ds, oh my! So I only have a few months to go before I'm gonna night wean.
Thanks to all the mamas for replys!
veganf
01-05-2009, 10:54 AM
I personally nightwean very gradually between 6-12 months old.
