My DD is just NOT nursing down anymore, even when tired. I need an option besides driving car for 1/2 hour. This has been going on for weeks and we cannot do 2 hours of bedtime. NCSS by Pantley was a little hepful, but doesn't address the need to actually get to sleep.
FWIW, she night nurses and co-sleeps. We were hoping to transition her to a big-girl bed in the next few weeks, she would have access to us just one room away.
DH is getting agitated about this and I can't spend 2 hours doing this each night.
Help!
nm45832
05-18-2009, 02:10 PM
I could have written your post. I'm really trying to make NCSS work, but I'm struggling, we also are dealing with a 2 hour bedtime routine, night nursing, and co sleeping. DS is younger than your LO, but we are also hoping to transition to his room soon (as well as possibly night wean, and STTN) - at this rate I'll take whateve rI can get!! :hugs: I'll be watching this thread too!
Equivocal
05-18-2009, 07:02 PM
I am having similar struggles. My daughter doesn't nurse anymore (stopped that about a year ago), but she does co-sleep... and she has a sippy full of milk at bedtime (it used to be a bottle, but we've weaned her from that recently).
DP is ANGRY about the entire thing. Wants her to go to sleep immediately when it's bedtime and we know she's tired.
lunarain25
05-18-2009, 07:55 PM
YDS was an awful sleeper and I feel your pain. He just turned 3 and he happily goes to bed nearly every night (unless he is under the weather) in his own bed.
What worked for us when we were co-sleeping and night nursing was that we needed a short and sweet CONSISTENT bedtime routine that didn't change in any way ever. It needed to be at the same time of the day as well. Our bedtime routine at that time was bath, jammies, cuddles & nursing if desired, 3 books and then kisses goodnight. The opposite parent then was called to also tuck the DC in as well. The lights were turned out and I would lay next to DS and read with a booklight while he fell asleep. This whole routine took about 45-60 minutes from running the bath to DC sleeping.
With that said, I do remember right around the 2nd b-day he didn't want to do the "normal" routine. I remember pulling my hair out nearly everyday because I would lay there and he would jump and flop around in the bed forever. So....we opted to set up a twin bed in his bedroom (removed the crib that we never used anyways) and gave him an option to either sleep in his "big boy bed" or with Mom and Dad. Regardless, we made it clear that jumping in bed after being tucked in was not an option. (Warmly, but firmly.) He thought the bed was really neat....so we would do the routine in his bed. Sometimes he would wonder into our bed later at night and sometimes he wouldn't. Today, he is going to be 3 on Saturday and the bedtime routine is nearly the same, but we no longer nurse. He rarely ends up in our bed any longer. At the same time he started sleeping in his own bed....his nap was a no longer part of his day.
Bethan_77
05-19-2009, 07:40 PM
DP is ANGRY about the entire thing. Wants her to go to sleep immediately when it's bedtime and we know she's tired. That's my DH, but he's not really angry, he's irritated though.
Luna, my DD DEFINITELY needs a nap still (and I need her to take one :giggle:). What worked for you is the way we are heading, so glad to know it worked well for you!
nm45832
05-19-2009, 09:37 PM
Just a small update since I posted (yesterday, lol). We've decided to night wean since this all night buffet business has got to stop. Nursing once or twice at night is fine, but I am a miserable human if woken every single hour to nurse at night! I don't know how much it will help the bedtime routine, but I'm hoping it will help break the night waking.
nalazimbala
05-20-2009, 03:52 PM
I'm watching this thread b/c we need help too. DD is 22m and just in the past few weeks has started really fighting naps daily and bedtime at least a couple times a week. We cosleep and just night weaned a couple of months ago. the night weaning actually went easier than expected (i'm pregnant and wanted to end the night nursing before #2 got here). My milk has now practically dried up, so nursing to sleep isn't really working like it used to...she still nurses at night (not sure if she's getting anything or not), but now she nurses for a few minutes and then starts asking for food. Then she will proceed to eat as long as we give her food. (and it's not like she doesn't eat a ton during the day)
The naps are what really drive me nuts though. We have never been a cio family, but I have been letting her cry at naptime while I sit by her bed waiting for her to go to sleep. I know she's exhausted, but she will just lay in bed and scream. She doesn't even try to get out of her bed - she just lays there crying. Today was the second time this week I just gave up after trying for over an hour to get her to sleep...I'm about to go nuts!
