weaning & night feeds

Hi Everyone,

I have an 18month old who I'm ready to wean from BF. During
the day he will drink some regular/whole/organic milk and
he likes it just fine. He can actually go the whole day
without nursing and he doesn't seem bothered or upset by
this at all.

At night he still wakes up 3-4 times to feed and will nurse
from 15-30minutes. If he nurses too much at night he won't
eat many solids the next day

My question is this...do people find that once you wean a
baby from breast feeding they wake up less?

wrote:

My question is this...do people find that once you wean a
baby from breast feeding they wake up less?

We co-sleep. My experience.

When I night weaned only they still woke up enough to do something (ask to
nurse, get a drink, grumble) even in bed with me. When they were 100%
weaned they stopped waking up when in bed with me after about 2 weeks. They
still wake up in the night if they are sleeping in their own bed (they come
to bed with me or I have to sit with them until they fall asleep again).

Now I wake up if they are in bed with me but they don't ;-)

--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)

writes:
: Hi Everyone,

: I have an 18month old who I'm ready to wean from BF. During
: the day he will drink some regular/whole/organic milk and
: he likes it just fine. He can actually go the whole day
: without nursing and he doesn't seem bothered or upset by
: this at all.

: At night he still wakes up 3-4 times to feed and will nurse
: from 15-30minutes. If he nurses too much at night he won't
: eat many solids the next day

: My question is this...do people find that once you wean a
: baby from breast feeding they wake up less?

IME, no.

Larry

: My question is this...do people find that once you wean a
: baby from breast feeding they wake up less?

You can't go by me, all my kids had sleep problems, but FWIW night weaning did
not help. I don't know what the relationship might be for a child who had a
more normal sleep pattern to begin with.

They DID eventually all become excellent sleepers.

--Helen

: My question is this...do people find that once you wean a
: baby from breast feeding they wake up less?

You can't go by me, all my kids had sleep problems, but FWIW night weaning
did
not help. I don't know what the relationship might be for a child who had a
more normal sleep pattern to begin with.


I've always considered my son's sleep patterns to be pretty normal, and he
still -- at 3 years old -- wakes up at night, but (since he was a few months
past his 2nd birthday, when we moved him from crib to twin bed) he no longer
nurses back to sleep.

I never made any effort to night wean him, though, so I can't really say
whether or how doing so might have changed his sleep habits. And I haven't
done anything to wean him completely, other than get pregnant. ;-) So far,
every time I think he's weaned now, he asks for mama milk again, so I may still
get to tandem.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo
EDD #2 6/8/04

"Nikki" wrote in message ...
wrote:

My question is this...do people find that once you wean a
baby from breast feeding they wake up less?

We co-sleep. My experience.

When I night weaned only they still woke up enough to do something (ask to
nurse, get a drink, grumble) even in bed with me. When they were 100%
weaned they stopped waking up when in bed with me after about 2 weeks.

Did you wean them, or did they wean themselves? I am thinking I night
my DD at 18 mos., like the OP, and I just can't imagine how the nights
and early mornings are going to go. She wants to both be with me *and*
nurse -- very much so -- in the night. If she weaned herself, it would
be a lot simpler, but I wonder when she ever will and I"m not sure I'm
willing to wait.

They
still wake up in the night if they are sleeping in their own bed (they come
to bed with me or I have to sit with them until they fall asleep again).

Now I wake up if they are in bed with me but they don't ;-)

Nevermind wrote:

Did you wean them, or did they wean themselves? I am thinking I night
my DD at 18 mos., like the OP, and I just can't imagine how the nights
and early mornings are going to go.

I weaned them. I still nursed them before bed and early mornings and until
they were fully weaned it was always somewhat of a struggle at night. He
didn't get real worked up but it was always him asking, me declining. We
nursed in the morning and mornings came earlier and earlier. I think I made
an arbitrary time I wouldn't nurse before (5am IIRC) which was meaningless
to him of course.

The night weaning was gradual and not traumatic but it was clear that he
missed it and still wanted to.



--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)

On Fri, 26 Mar 2004 08:42:44 -0600, wrote:

My question is this...do people find that once you wean a
baby from breast feeding they wake up less?

We started to night wean DD at around 18 months (she still nurses
during the day 3/5 times) but it really hasn't made a huge change in
her sleeping patterns (23 months now).

When we first started (aka the first 2 months) DH would be the one to
go into her overnight (if I went anywhere near her she would fuss and
fuss and fuss until fed). After that time I found I could go into her
without causing major problems. If she is sick she is allowed
overnight feeds.

Di