Weaning Process?? - DeKalb,IL

I don't think it's so much a habit as it is that she needs to nurse. When they are teething, they nurse a lot more, for comfort and for nutrition because it takes a lot of energy to get those teeth in. I would NOT night wean her now. She needs to nurse now more than ever.

Also, are you going to wean her before she's one? Just curious as to why. I totally understand if you are wanting to wean, but if you can possibly do it I would keep up until at least a year. It really will help her with all of the transitions she has to make this year. You've done great so far, you only have a little while to go!!! :)

Plus, with her heart problem, the breast milk and daily immunity she gets from you will protect her from illness the first year. Everything she is exposed to on a daily basis, she will expose you to through the breast and you can pass back immunity to her. It's really important especially for babies with heart problems or other things going on.

J.:

I agree with Elizabeth... you did not create a "bad habit" babies need different levels of comforting at different times in their days/ and lives/ - just like the rest of us.

Meeting her needs in not "creating a bad habit"...

She needs the nutrition and antibodies and immunological properties that you are affording her as well as the nurturing.

You may find night times easier of you bring her into bed with you... you can both then get more sleep.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

Since you're asking about trying to get both your and your baby's sleep schedule back on track, I'll answer from that perspective. Have you tried sending in dad to comfort her since he doesn't have breasts? I'm going to guess that she does not need nutrition 4 times a night, but it looking for a source of comfort.

I would agree that in order to get more sleep, you could bring her in to bed with you the first time she wakes. This way she can nurse when she wants and you will barely even notice (I often fell right back to sleep once he latched on). Once she is through this teething stage, you can think about night weaning. The way I did that was that I would still get up and get him when he woke the first time. Then in bed, I would only let him nurse for a very short time (10-15 seconds). If he fussed, I would let him have it again, but only the short time. After a while he learned that it was going to be more effort to get the nursing that what he would get out of it, and he just plain stopped waking/fussing...but this was more around a year or so.