Anyone care to share night weaning stories? Pretty please?

Re: Anyone care to share night weaning stories? Pretty please?

• RCH151

  October 2011

  I was in your situation (except I didn't want to start TTC) when I night weaned by daughter.  We had been cosleeping but I thought night weaning would be too difficult if we were still bedsharing.  So we transitioned her to a floor bed.  I nursed her to sleep and then when she would wake up, I'd just pick her up and rock her - absolutely no nursing.  She protested, of course, but I stayed on course and she'd fall back asleep.  I kept doing that and after 3 long nights she slept through the night without nursing. I did get my period back after night weaning and I did not have to totally wean.  She still nurses 2/3 times a day and even more when I'm not working.  

  If you want to continue bedsharing, you might want to take a look at Dr. Jay Gordon's night weaning method. 

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• skyejo member

  October 2011

  RCH, that's what I've been wondering--if bedsharing after night weaning is even possible.  I've heard a lot of ladies on recommend Dr. Gordon so I'll have to check that out. 

  Sweet Sunshines

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• BrittKav member

  October 2011

  For me, night weaning went hand-in-hand with the end of bedsharing. She moved to her own room no problem, and slept better on her own- waking only once, maybe twice to nurse. She was 12 months old at that point. When she woke, DH would go in with a sippy cup of water and lay her back down. She didn't seem to mind and after about a week stopped waking altogether.

  Anneliese Olive 11/5/09

  Hazel Dianna 1/8/11

  Luna Valentine 4/25/13
  

  
  

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• webMistress0609 member

  October 2011

  We night weaned & still bedshared FT for several months after. We didn't have a desire to move him out of our bed, just to stop the all night long buffet.  Ari decided he wanted to start sleeping in his own bed about 2-3 months ago but ends up coming to our bed by 5:00 or so. Anyway...

  We tried Dr. Jay Gordon & it didn't work. Ari's problem wasn't really a "nurse to sleep" association, more of an all out reverse cycling issue. Ferber's night weaning method worked wonders with almost no crying - it's not the same as the gradual extinction method he's most well known for. Ironically, other AP approved methods caused more crying & Ari gets worked into full blown hysterics really easily. Ferber was actually a more "AP" route for us. 

  If you read Ferber's chapter on night feedings, he states that whether the LO is doing it for comfort or b/c they just get into a habit of nursing more at night, they will get used to the caloric intake & the best way to address it is to cut back gradually. We had to tinker with the method a bit to suit Ari (you're supposed to start holding them off for 30 mins @ each nursing request. Some we could only make it to 10-15 mins, some I could say "no milk till a.m." & he would fall back to sleep for 2 hours), but he was night weaned in about a week. 

  It still took 2-3 months for my period to come back. You know you can start TTC before AF actually arrives though, right? You ovulate before your period comes, so you may catch an egg the 1st time & never get AF.  

   

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• nd01

  October 2011

  BrittKav:

  For me, night weaning went hand-in-hand with the end of bedsharing. She moved to her own room no problem, and slept better on her own- waking only once, maybe twice to nurse. She was 12 months old at that point. When she woke, DH would go in with a sippy cup of water and lay her back down. She didn't seem to mind and after about a week stopped waking altogether.

  My story was very similar to this.  Because he cried during the night weaning, we knew he had to be in his own room so my husband could sleep for work so I slept in the room with him for the first week and just rocked him to sleep or let him read a book or cuddle (he did cry though).  I tried to let him nurse every other feeding (so instead of every 2 hours, every 4) but we actually did best with a cold turkey weekend when my husband slept with him.  We continued to sleep with him during part of the night for a month or so. 

  Jay Gordon didn't work for us because he found the process confusing if I nursed but then pulled him off - he cried more that way.   He still wakes 1 - 2x a night but just for a blanket or a snuggle (which we are hoping to change as well as with a new one coming, it will be tough to manage both). 

  He was 21 mos and I think we all do better with the new arrangement.  He sleeps better and so do we, but we do let him in bed with us anytime he wakes after 5 and he gets to nurse once a day, no earlier than 6:30 (I am hoping to wean completely soon as it hurts a lot now that I am pregnant).
  

  

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• penguinem member

  October 2011

  We never bed-shared.... DD wasn't keen on it, but we did a lot of night nursing. As she got older (starting at 12-15 months) she decreased night feedings to one or two. Around 15 months she started waking a lot more, and we figured she certainly didn't need more milk but was probably seeking comfort or just more aware when she awoke, etc. At first, I fed her the first time she woke and rocked and sang her back to sleep each subsequent time she woke up. She flipped out for a while but I would just stick with it and rock her back to sleep before I put her down. After that worked for the other wakings I did it for the first waking too. In about two weeks she was sleeping through the night, around 15-16 months. I am pretty sure that's when I got my period back, too, although it's a bit blurry....
  

  

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• BlindysWife member

  October 2011

  No advice or story to tell, as we're still nursing at night right now, too. I just wanted to say I am jeeealous that you haven't gotten AF yet. Mine came when L was 5 months, even though I was still EBF, including through the night. Sigh. I tease my husband that I'm ready to get pregnant again just so I can go another extended amount of time without AF.

  Joking aside, hope night-weaning is quick and painless for ya, and that AF makes a swift return!

  
  
  I just want to give you a world as beautiful as you are to me.
  
  

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• skyejo member

  October 2011

  Thanks for all the advice! We'll probably have to play around with a few different options to see what works best.  I am hoping that we'll get KU the first time that I O so that when I go to my MW I can tell them my last AF was in Dec 09

  I hope that this night weaning process is painless too because I am scared!

  Sweet Sunshines

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• mr+ms member

  October 2011

  Short version: at 13/14 months tried Dr. Gordon. Lots of crying. I don't think I followed it exactly so it was sort of dragged out into a 3 week process.15 months, done. From then until now, the rule is no nursing to sleep and no nursing until the sun is up.

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