OK, so I have a couple of issues. My daughter will be 1 in a couple of weeks and she is still breastfed, although she does eat pretty much whatever we eat throughout the day. She's never really taken to a bottle and she will drink from a sippy cup but just a little at a time.
I want to wean her when she turns one, the thing is she seems to have to nurse in order to go to sleep, whether it's naptime or bedtime. She's also waking up two or three times a night and the only way she'll go back to sleep is by nursing. She'll take a pacifier occasionally but it doesn't help.
So do any of you mamas have any tips for me on getting her to sleep without nursing and getting her to sleep through the night without waking up the whole house?
Marina =)
It sounds like your sweet baby isnt ready to wean! This is such a short time of their life, please think about letting your baby self wean when SHE's ready. Also, the World Health Organization recommends 2 years of nursing for full benefits. I know we all have busy lives & my 16 mo old still nurses at night. I just try & savor every moment knowing someday she won't be wanting that close comfort from me.
I would just love to encourage you to consider longterm breastfeeding. I too wanted to wean at one-year of age, but since our little one obviously wasn't ready to wean, we continued on and only just now weaned (at 2 1/2) because my supply dried up (due to a subsequent baby on the way). It was an absolutely wonderful experience and SO useful for soothing him when he was hurt/cranky/upset. I believe it also improved his immune system - he has been sick much less often than other weaned kiddos.
Blessings!
I'd hold off on the weaning for awhile. It sounds like baby isn't ready yet and unless there's a really good reason, why put both of you through the pain of it. I'd start an evening rhythm designed to help your baby wind down for the night and slowly gear into those days where she won't nurse to get to sleep. You know, the whole bath, books, rocking, etc kind of thing. The lack of sleep thing stinks. I'm so there but it won't last forever.
Have you read "On Becoming Baby Wise"? Its a great book about getting your baby to sleep through the night. I read it and implemented it for my first baby, and now I'm using the same "method" for my 7 week old. The book is by Gary Ezzo, M.D. My friends recommended it and we ALL swear by it!! Good luck!!
My daughter was the same way. She wasn't nursing because she was hungry, she was nursing because it was a comfort. So, I cut her off cold turkey. It was a couple of long nights, but after she learned that it wasn't happening anymore, she would take her sippy cup with water and fall asleep.
It may work for you, and it hurts when weaning anyway, so cold turkey in my opinion is better.
My son is 2 and still nurses first thing in the morning and before bed. It is a nice cuddle time for us & I am sad that we will be giving it up soon. So, I can't comment on the total weaning, however, he did wake up to nurse during the night for what seemed like forever! Finally, I had to cut him off so I could get some sleep. :) I started giving him water when he woke up in the night. At first i would hold him & let him drink. Then I would take him the bottle, but make him stay in the crib. Then I just started putting the drink in his bed, so he didn't have to bother me at all.
Um, I wouldn't recommend Babywise in the LEAST...first off Ezzo is NOT an MD or anything, not a Ph.D, not any sort of expert with credentials. www.Ezzo.info is a great source....worst case scenarios for sure are there, but a good overall picture of the real man. ANYWAY I too recommend waiting until your child is ready to wean, it can be too traumatic if they aren't ready, BUT you can set limits obviously. The No-Cry Sleep Solution or Good Night, Sleep tight are really great books IMO.
I had the exact same issue with my daughter and it was very hard at first to wean her. I was so ready to wean her though but it took me a few months to get it done completely. You really need to start weaning her from night feedings first. The reason why she wakes up is because you get up and nurse her and she is in a routine. I would not try to wean her from day feedings until you get the night ones done. Then do the day feedings one at a time.
You could try a couple of different things. I did not have any other children so I let my daughter cry and tried to soothe her back to sleep with soothing noises and a little bit of rubbing. I also let her have a sip of milk in a sippy cup to help soothe her. It is easy to stop using a sippy cup later after they are completely weaned. It only took me a couple of nights to get her weaned from the night feedings that way. I could not just do the cry it out method.
Or, you can work on getting her to go to sleep on her own by like nursing earlier like thirty minutes or more prior to putting her down for a nap or bed. She will cry but I really learned the hard way that children really need to learn how to go to sleep on their own earlier the better.
I found a book that really helped me alot called "Good Night, Sleep Tight" Nothing about my weaning process was easy because that is how she went to sleep but I did not give in and finally got her weaned. Once you can get her to go to sleep without nursing, then the rest of weaning is a piece of cake.
I do the same thing with my 15 month old, but I don't want to stop. I'm going to let him decide that. Unless he gets REALLY old. Ha ha! Anyway, there is a good book called GOOD NIGHTS that has a section in the back on weaning at night. It's a 10 day deal. It focuses on stopping nursing with a co-sleeping baby, but I would think it would be even easier with a crib baby. It mostly says from a certain time you choose, like 11pm to 6am, to stop nursing them to sleep,just nurse them to tired..for three nights...then the next 4 you don't nurse but you can hug, etc....then you start just patting and talking..I think. I had to return the book, but that section should help you. Good luck! If you are in ABQ, you can get it at a place on 4th street across from Garcias' restaurant....it's a midwife place.
Is there a reason you need to wean her when she turns 1? Our society has built 1 up to be this magical age when our babies grow up. I think it has a lot to do with doctors OK-ing babies to go from formula to cow's milk at age 1 and to get rid of the bottle. But breasts are so much different than bottles and breast milk is so incredibly healthier than formula or cow's milk! She will still be benefiting from your milk when she is 1. :) Your milk is made perfectly for her whether she is 1 year or 1 week.
A suggestion on weaning is to begin to wean her in the day first. Start with the feedings she seems most content to forgo and be replaced with a sippy cup, snack and smiles from mama. Take it slowly. :) She is still a baby and this all goes by so quickly. A couple great books on the subject are How Weaning Happens and Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning.
The middle of the night nursings are so very normal. She is most likely becoming very active during the day. Night is time for rest, but she still needs you and to feel secure after a day of exploring. This link offers some great information on a gentle way to wean your baby at night: http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/ap/sleep.asp I did a similar way of night weaning my children except when they were closer to 2. Just don't wean by abandoning her. Make sure she knows you're still there for her, just not at your breast.
You have given your baby such a precious gift by nursing her. I know it is hard work, but parenting is hard work. Whether you nurse or not, she will still need you (help falling asleep, help eating, help being comforted, etc) whether it's at the breast or pacing the halls. My toddlers also nursed during the night and it is not always fun. But neither is listening to them scream. Listen to your heart, to your mama instincts.
I'm sorry this probably isn't the advice you were wanting to hear, but my vote is to wean gradually. :)
