Sleep Training/Night Weaning/Hell On Earth

[Mama Sandy]

Our first night of night weaning/sleep training/modified CIO or whatever you would like to call it was last night. How did it go you wonder??


HOLD ME!!

[Jojo]

:bluehug:

I'll rock you to sleep Sandy.

I am so scared of night weaning. Matt will nurse for an hour or more at night before bed it's so frustrating. (and then get up again 5 hours later for a "snack.")

[Mama Sandy]

Aww, thanks Jo.

Averie is the same way. We decided a couple weeks ago (well *I* decided) that I am ready to be done nursing for a while until the new baby comes. So, I finally got the nerve to go for it. I nursed her to sleep as usual and then put her in her crib. She woke up at 3:00 for her "snack" and Kevin got her out of her crib and cuddled her. She was not having it. She knew what she wanted and that was all she had on her mind. Finally at about 4:30 she was in her crib screaming for the 5th time and the screaming got shorter and the pauses between got longer. She fell asleep gasping from crying so hard. BAH!! I think it was as hard on me as it was on her but Kevin helped and held my hand (literally). When she woke up at 6:15 I nursed her finally for my own comfort as much as anything and she dozed back off for about 45 minutes.

What's pathetic is that the doctor mentioned that they would prefer I stop nursing because of my history of being a chronic contractor anyway. She said often when you're pregnant your milk changes so the older child is kind of put off by it. Not my little girl, she's a total boobie addict :hehe:

[Farah]

Well, I'm so so so glad that Kevin helped you and was supportive. :hula: to him and :hug: to you!!! It's so hard when you start the process, but give it 5 or 7 days of being strong and holding out and you will see results! I promise! Even from your little boobie addict :support:

[Bootysaurus]

Awwww...I'll hold you while you hold this ****tail I made for you :cheers:

It gets easier. With Dylan it took about 3 days. Then it was all good.

Keep with it! I am sure it will be okay in a couple days. :hug:

HAHAHAHA it edited out the c-0-c-k in c0cktail.

[Elaine]

:bluehug:

Hang tough mama! You'll get there! I'm glad Kevin is on the same page as you and is helping out. :support:

[Mama Sandy]

Thanks girls. I love you guys and how supportive you are when I am whiney :love: :hehe: Kevin is awesome, he even took Averie downstairs so that when I "took" my progesterone supplements this morning I could just go right back to sleep. I selpt in until 10:00 :look: Gosh, I love him!!!

Tes, I won't hold my breath but three days would be amazing!!!

[lilbunnygirl]

Good luck!!!! Using the Dr. Jay Cutler 6 hour window idea for Cash's nightweaning, it took 4 nights for it to stop being miserable and 10 nights to really stick and have him sleeping for 6-7 hours at a go.

[Mama Sandy]

I have never hear of that person Lily. What does he recommend?

We decided to go with the hardest part of weaning first so we're cutting out the night time nursing sessions first. Then we'll start cutting out the day time feedings and I think the last hard one will be the one where she nurses to sleep at night :( I have no idea if we're using a particular "method" as I have never opened a parenting book in my life but I hope this works. I really just want us all to get some sleep and don't want to worry that I will have to cut her off cold turkey because of my contractions or possibly even medications later in this pregnancy.

The worst part is I feel so guilty. Why the heck to I feel so guilty for not letting her nurse? It's not like I am starving her. :sigh:

[lilbunnygirl]

I have never hear of that person Lily. What does he recommend?

Oops Dr. Jay Gordon, not Cutler! Anyhow, that's how I weaned Cash too, he was down to only nursing at naptime, bedtime & in the night. I cut out the night feedings first & that was the only hard part. He was 15 months when I did it. I followed this method exactly, except that I never moved on to the "The Next Four Nights" section, which says don't pick them up. I continued to hold him and rock him when he would wake up. By day 10 he slept consistently for a 6-7 hour period & didn't cry or ask to nurse when he woke up.

Here's the link: http://drjaygordon.com/development/ap/sleep.asp

You can just ignore all the stuff about "the family bed" it works just fine for babies in their own beds!

Nursing to sleep at night was the last one to go for us too, and I was scared to pieces, but really once that was the ONLY time he nursed, he started to lose interest on his own. Like he would want it, but then he'd latch on and be all "NOM NOM...wait, why am I doing this?" and stop. In a month it went from 5-10 minutes to 2 minutes or less, so I basically just started unlatching him at 2 minutes then went to 1 min 30 then 1 minute then 30 seconds and by the end it was literally 10 seconds and he'd stop then we'd snuggle to sleep. On the night of 18 month birthday I just didn't offer. That night and the next night, he fussed for less than 60 seconds trying to get at my boob and then gave up, never asked again!

Good luck, we are all here for you! Night weaning was the hardest thing I think I have done as a mom, so I am totally ready to listen and help if I can, or just send you virtual hugs!!!

[Farah]

One thing I did was give myself a time limit. For example, Charlie would wake up at 1:30 every single night and I started by refusing to feed him until 2. I did that a few nights and he started waking at 2, so I held out until 3 until he started waking up at 3. After a few rounds we finally had him not wanting to eat until 6 and I'd nurse him and go back to sleep. That ended up being the last nursing session I got rid of. The hardest part was sticking by my guns while he cried in my arms and whined and went for my boobs. I never let him see or suckle my boobs. I did hold him to allow him some comfort from me and eventually took that away, too. I held strong and night weaning took about 2 or so weeks. It was the best thing AND way for us. Oh and doing it this way meant no engorgment issues with my boobs either! :hula:

You feel guilty because you know what she wants and you're refusing her. As mama's we want to give our kids what they want and need, but sometimes we can't/shouldn't and it hurts when we do that. You're just being a loving mommy :support:

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[lilbunnygirl]

Food for thought, as far as what your baby is thinking about this: if you could get your spouse to bring you your favourite freshly prepared beverage and give you, say, a nice scalp massage every time you woke up to pee or rollover or whatever else in the night, you'd do it! And if they'd done it for your entire marriage then one day refused to, with no explanation that you could understand, you'd be fired up too.

Luckily, they have short memories!

[Ashley]

Everyone has given great advice. You know to me weaning is a process for mom too. Were letting go of our babies. Yes logically that sounds a bit much but it's true. Hang in there- night weaning was amazing for us. We still have 2 to 3 daytime sessions but with being weaned at night phasing these out hasn't been too bad. :support;


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[Mama Sandy]

Thank you so much. You girls are so awesome!!

[Heather]

:support: I hope it goes better tonight babydoll.

[AddiesMomma]

Stay strong, momma. Keep your mind on your goal and remember why you're doing it when it gets hard and you want to give in. :support:


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[Mama Sandy]

I feel like last night was a triump or at least showed progress.

Her naps were all messed up yesterday. She normally naps at 10am and then again at about 3:00 in the afternoon, then bedtime between 9 and 10 at night. Keep in mind the kid doesn't sleep much so each nap is between 30 minutes and an hour and prior to the night weaning she was up at around 2am and then every hour or so from then on.

Ok, enough background. Yesterday she didn't take her morning nap until around 12 and slept for about an hour. Then her afternoon nap got skipped but at 7:00 at night she decided she couldn't stay awake any longer and slept until about 9:30 :look:

She stayed awake until midnight and then was asleep until 3am. Kevin took the first "shift". He went in and cuddled her for a couple minutes then laid her back in her crib, told her Night Night and closed her door. She cried off and on for about 10-15 minutes and was asleep. Then she was up again at about 4:15am. I went in and cuddled her for about 10 minutes and she fell asleep in my arms. I laid her in her crib and she woke up and started crying, I rubbed her back until I *thought* she was asleep again. She cried as soon as I left the room but only cried for about 5 minutes and was asleep until 7:00am :D

It's not perfect but it's progress. The night before we went through a solid hour and a half to two hours of screaming.

[Elaine]

Yay!!! :hula: It sounds like you're making progress!!! Hang in there mama. You can do this! :support:

[Farah]

omg. That's awesome!!! Now each night will get better! Go mama!

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[Mama Sandy]

I'm so excited. I feel like last night was a small triumph :hula:

[Cindy]

I hope it keeps getting better for you both! It's so hard to break might habits because you both are so tired and giving in sometimes seems easier. Or at least that's how i felt until we stuck to our guns and he was sleeping through the night. Man it was amazing! Good luck!!


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[Mama Sandy]

So far Kevin and I are very impressed with how well it's going <knock on wood> :D :hula:

[Jojo]

That is awesome Sandy! I will definitely be looking up this thread in about 2 or 3 months.

Also, are you cramping when you nurse? I haven't at all and I hear it's common. I guess nipple stimulation wouldn't work for me :hehe:

[Ashley]

That's great Sandy! I'm glad you're seeing progress!!

[Mama Sandy]

That is awesome Sandy! I will definitely be looking up this thread in about 2 or 3 months.

Also, are you cramping when you nurse? I haven't at all and I hear it's common. I guess nipple stimulation wouldn't work for me :hehe:

I have been having a little cramping once in a while. I am not really sure if it's directly related to nursing or not though. Also, I can't help but think that with me I am so miserably prone to contractions if the wind so much as changes directions that nursing while pregnant is just kinda like "asking for it", kwim?