Night weaning 19mo help

[LillyIvy]

This is also posted in Parenting Talk, I just need help!

My 19mo still wakes to nurse 1-3 times a night, but he's just getting so big I can't get a decent nights sleep anymore. We have bunk beds in our room (it's literally "the bed room", lol) and our 4yo does wonderfully on the top bunk. I've tried putting him to sleep in his bed, bottom bunk, the past few nights. He now expects it. Bed time he goes to "his bed". But I'm always getting up to nurse him. All but one night I brought him to my bed, and I slept so little that night, it completely defeated the purpose.

All I want is some decent sleep, my DD spoiled me with it, slept through the night at 5 Weeks and every night since (once she wakes up though is a different story, lol).

[Poox2]

Ha Ha, my son has the same birth date as yours and I'm going through the same thing with him. He always ends up in bed with me by the middle of the night, nursing couple times through the night. He's squirmy and big and I want him gone! I haven't found a solution yet either, I think I need my DH to settle him but so far that just ends in hours of no sleep for the whole house. His sister has absolutely no sleep problems and we've treated her the same (w/co-sleeping then moving to crib). Good luck momma, it can't last forever, right?!

[lovewool]

Hi. I feel your pain! I started night weaning my son around the same age. It didn't take very long once I was committed to it.... He did get sick shortly after it was successful though and we went back to night nursing until he was feeling better and then started the night weaning process again. My son is now 2 years old and has been night weaned for several months.

This is what I did.

First, I didn't let him nurse to sleep at bedtime anymore. (Naptime is a different story. He still only nurses to sleep for his nap So what I did was, let him nurse until I could tell he had drank most or all of it... then popped him off and said, lets lay on the pillow together and sing songs. I would also say these 3 things so he understood. "No more milkies, milkies go bye-bye, milkies all gone." And he would sing songs. For the first few nights he was upset but I stayed there with him and sang to him and rubbed his belly until he would calm down. He would eventually fall asleep. Then if he woke up in the middle of the night to nurse I would say the same thing "no more milkies, milkies go bye-bye, milkies all gone, let's lay on the pillow with mama" and if he was upset I would sing to him or do whatever it took to calm him down while keeping him in bed and with the lights off.

It didn't take long and he stopped trying to nurse at night. He sill co-sleeps with me... but knows when he wakes up that we're not going to nurse so he will snuggle up closer and goes back to sleep quickly.

Hope this helps!

[sanddimarie]

I might weaned my son because I wanted a break. I used Dr. Jay Gordon's method and it was awesome. Went from him attached to my boob all night to night weaned in about five nights. On my own! Woo!
He still half co-sleeps. We're attempting to transition him to his own bed so he starts out there and then moves into my bed with me.
I have since completely weaned him because it was stressful to me.
He still asks to nurse but then laughs it off and goes about his business. Silly kids.

[PomegranateSeed]

i'm sad about night weaning my 13 month old. i know he can handle it, just don't know if i'm ready. ideally, he would be equally comfortable in our bed or in his crib. is this a pipe dream?

oh, how i love the nighttime snuggles!

[colin-mylilguy]

Why not just put your LO in bed with you? I still nurse my 19 month old about 2-5 times at night and it barely even wakes me. He is right next to me and can pretty much latch himself. We all get great sleep!

I can understand how frustrated and exhausted you would feel getting up and going to another room, though! I couldn't do that... that would be so tiring.