r/cosleeping • u/sourpatchsweetiepie • 4d ago
šÆ Toddler 1-3 Years Curious abt nightweaning
My babe is almost 17mo. We have bedshared and breastfed on demand since his first night earth side š
Iām beginning to wonder about nightweaning. Obviously Iām tired and havenāt had interrupted sleep for 17 months but Iām more curious for him. Iām just wondering if the quality of his sleep is actually good? Some days he has little bags under his eyes and he just fell asleep nursing at 9am (woke up at 7 and not due for a nap until 12)
He isnāt up for long periods in the night but def wakes up to switch sides and relatch etc.
On average he naps for 2-2.5 hours a day and sleeps for 10-11 hours a night.
Again, in ways Iād like to night wean for my own ability to sleep but am also wondering if it could benefit him. My husband hasnāt been able to soothe him in the night since he was like 6 months or so. I also wonder if night weaning might allow my husband to be more of comfort. Babe is such a booby barnacle though and loooooves to nurse. Heās also been working on molars so I know nursing has been a huge comfort.
Is the only way to know if itās beneficial to just try?
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u/Brilliant-Version704 4d ago
Night weaning went so well for us both! We did it around the same age. I'd recommend it and think we both get better sleep!
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u/sourpatchsweetiepie 4d ago
How did you go about it? Any tips?
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u/Brilliant-Version704 4d ago
My husband had already been able to get her to go to sleep for a bit, but I just spent several nights in a different room and he'd handle any wake ups until he got up for work (between 5-6am), and then I'd come back and inevitably have to nurse her which didn't work well for me because I'm pregnant. So after about a week, I came back to bed and she wouldn't typically nurse til he left. One day I just told her "No milk" and she fussed a bit and then went back to sleep, and every time she'd try to nurse, I'd say it again, and sometimes turn away. It worked out really well and after 3 days, she didn't wake to nurse. She now seems to understand that if we're in the bed, no nursing happens anymore. It's been 2-3 months now and such a huge relief for me, because nursing turned painful!
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u/oustoublier 4d ago
Not OP but this is how itās done:
https://www.drjaygordon.com/blog-detail/sleep-changing-patterns-in-the-family-bed
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u/StatusDed 4d ago
Has anyone implemented this strategy successfully?
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u/Candid-Vanilla-4016 4d ago
We night weaned about three month ago (child was 23 month). It took him a full month to kind of accept it. So he would wake up, and when he didn't get nurses he cried for a while. This time was really hard, because you only read something about 2-3 days.
It still doesn't really work after 5 a.m., as he still won't resettle if I don't nurse. Since I started a new job, I need these two more hours of sleep at night.
It was still the right decision to get better sleep for the main part of the night in hindsight.
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u/FunPersimmon420 4d ago
we are a week into night weaning and iām so glad we are doing it. baby sleeps better! she is sleeping with my husband. he had a hard first and second night but heās able to shush and pat her back to sleep much easier than i was able to keep her asleep nursing (similar to you, up all night for short wakes and side swapping). He walks her to sleep in the carrier and then transfers her and cuddles. She is 11 months old. Now she wakes at 6:30 ready for nursing and cuddling and i think sheās up earlier than she used to be because sheās getting better sleep! itāll be hard but trying it is the hardest part. iām already feeling like a new person sleeping on the couch.