https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:59:23 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2535929 Thu, 28 Apr 2016 11:49:37 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2535929@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PawPrints: thank you! He hasn't been... It has an opposite affect of making DS cry harder and get all agitated! Plus he has to get up early for work. He'll be on bedtime all weekend and Friday though. Interesting you mention the dinner time thing. DS hasn't been wanting to eat much at dinner and I can't help think that makes it tougher at night. </p> <p>I think it would be very helpful if I could get him to fall asleep on his own. I was planning to replace nursing with rocking and then slowly get rid of the rocking but since that's the big difference between when my husband does bedtime and me... That must be a main issue! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2535840 Thu, 28 Apr 2016 10:58:10 +0000 PawPrints 2535840@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: Hugs, I'm sorry this is such a rough time for you! I hope your DH at least can give you some relief taking over some of the soothing and rocking. I'm sure you will get through it.</p> <p>On our end, we've been really lucky and had an easy time re-sleep-training DD. Monday night she woke up at 1:30 and cried for 45 minutes while DH did Ferber checks. Tuesday night she woke up at 2:30 and cried for only five minutes and put herself back to sleep. Last night she woke up at 4:30 and let out one single cry and then put herself back to sleep. I think we're back in the groove. I had worried when we put her to bed last night because she didn't eat much of her dinner, mostly because she hadn't napped at daycare and so she was hysterical in general and didn't want to deal with anything. But she nursed a lot right before bed so I think that was able to fill her up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2535778 Thu, 28 Apr 2016 10:23:53 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2535778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cole: your progress sounds great! At least it's progressing! I agree it's exhausting. This week has been absolutely terrible, way worse than first week. Monday I chalked up to wanting to nurse more since I had just worked my three days, cause he nursed like crazy all evening and then woke up frequently hungry. Tuesday night I could barely get him down at the beginning of the night. Started at 830 rocking him and he was asleep by 845. TriEd to set him down but I couldn't and we ended up cycling through the same sort thing until 930! Which point I yelled for help from husband since i was losing it. Then he tried to put him to sleep and he was hysterical, so I just brushed my teeth, washed my face, and came back in with Motrin since he is teething after all (but he has been for at least a month). Then I nursed him again and brushed his teeth again and finally was able to rock him to sleep by 10. So late!<br /> Then last night, bedtime went decent and he was asleep by 9. But he woke up at 12, 2, 245, and possibly another time needing to be rocked back to sleep each time! Luckily the two later times were pretty quick but it's so hard to physically get up and pick up all 31 lbs over and over. He nursed finally at 545 and I actually had to rock him again after to get him back to sleep! There was no way I was getting up at 6 after the night we had. He went back to sleep until 745 or so but I had to keep settling him from side to side. </p> <p>So yeah. So discouraged. Trying to stay positive and at least pat myself on the back for being consistent. I just feel like it's clear something else is gonna change, my slow advance the first week was too good to be true. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2535710 Thu, 28 Apr 2016 09:37:12 +0000 Cole 2535710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Two more nights under our belt. She's still waking a bunch but maybe one or two fewer times? Her first stretch was longer last night which was awesome. She is going back to sleep faster at her wake ups and she's not as mad-except at 4 when she's furious. We've been nursing at bedtime then she falls asleep on her own. We nurse on one side between 12&amp;1 and then not again until after 5. She used to cluster feed from 4-7 but now she just nurses once and then sleeps until 7. </p> <p>It's exhausting and slow going but it's progress. We'll keep plugging away and this weekend my husband can take a turn or two. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2534655 Tue, 26 Apr 2016 19:57:42 +0000 Cole 2534655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: Thanks! It's so helpful to have someone else to bounce ideas off of! I'm going to try and get ahold of that book. I've been trying to tell her the milk needs to sleep too and she can have milk in the morning but it's still so abstract at this age-especially since it's not actually light out at 5:30. The first night I said when the birds start to sing- who knew that was at 4am?!</p> <p>My daughter sleeps better for my husband too, but frustratingly she will not tolerate him if I'm nearby. Last week I put her to bed and then left and she was inconsolable when she woke up whereas when he puts her down she sleeps soundly for hours and then goes back to sleep easily when she does wake up. I will definitely be giving him a turn this weekend!</p> <p>It's awesome you've managed to get some good stretches from him though- the exhaustion from bouncing and patting all night can be overwhelming. I just keep telling myself it will be worth it soon! </p> <p>I hope your efforts with his teeth prove helpful! I'm worried about her molars, they each have a speck on them in the same place and I'm afraid it will be bad news. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2534525 Tue, 26 Apr 2016 16:24:46 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2534525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cole: Totally, everyone I know is all about sleep training and its so not me! Honestly if it weren't for the teeth issue we have, I wouldn't even be trying night weaning at all yet. Even though all that nursing and writhing around at night was getting old... so even though I am really sad about his teeth I am glad it motivated me to make a change. I feel like he's clearly ready since he did so well on my nights at work! I just have no idea what to do to merge that with my normal routine on my off days.<br /> So, Day 2: Did the same thing for bedtime except I nursed in a different room and then went straight into bouncing to sleep after I brushed his teeth. He was asleep by 915. Woke again at 1205 on the dot, and I was able to sooth him back to sleep after some combo of bouncing and him rolling around. I didnt nurse him till 230.<br /> Day 3: I already forget! I think he didnt nurse till after 3 and he woke up around 2 something? I didnt have to rock or bounce middle of the night at all.<br /> Day 4: Woke and nursed after 5, which was even later than I was planning to allow him to nurse! </p> <p>Day 5 was Friday which was my first day back at work this week. I nursed him before I left for work, and then decided reluctantly to pump at work and just see what time he woke up. My husband gets him to sleep by just lying next to him and singing and gently patting his back, which I have tried and he gets pissed! I slept on his floor bed in his room and DS didnt wake up until 530! At that point I went to bed with them and just nursed him back to sleep and he didnt get up until 730 which his normal wake up time. Then on day 6, Saturday, he didnt wake up at all until 730! I nursed him and lazed around in bed for a bit and we got up for the day. Day 7, Sunday, he woke around 530 again and nursed back to sleep/cuddled until we got up at 730-8ish. </p> <p>Monday night, last night, I was nervous about. I did basically the same as last week when I started, with a tentative goal to nurse after 4am. He had been nursing like crazy all afternoon and evening, and did a really long session before bed before teeth brushing. He rocked to sleep decently well, I think he was asleep by 930. And then he woke up between 10-11 which he hadn't done all week! My DH went in and soothed him back to sleep while I quickly got ready for bed. I was hoping if I went and cuddled him he might stay asleep, although I was nervous since I slept in the other room all weekend. But then he woke up at 12, and easily rocked back to sleep without me even getting all the way up. But then at 1, I had to try bouncing him again and he was pissed off. He might doze for a minute but kept waking up angry and crying. Finally I decided to just nurse him after 2. I was gonna wipe his teeth after but I just got too tired. He was pretty unsettled and needed a lot of resettling and switching side to side for basically the remainder of the night. Thankfully he slept in till almost 8. </p> <p>So now I am stuck! I don't know what to do. I am gonna try the same routine tonight and see if he advances to sleeping till at least 3 again. Unless DH volunteers to put him to sleep and Ill sleep in other room again. </p> <p>For your situation, I think it sounds perfect to start the main stretch of sleep in her own bed. Thats my eventual goal, and then I suppose bring him to bed and cuddle/nurse once its light. I forgot to mention we got this book, you should try it! He loves the book for some weird reason. The only thing that bothers me is that they call it nursies. I just replace it with leche which is what we call it. </p> <p><a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81tSHqoZ0SL.jpg&#038;imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.com/Nursies-When-Shines-Katherine-Havener/dp/0615756425&#038;h=1360&#038;w=1360&#038;tbnid=DIL7NSb8O0brDM:&#038;tbnh=160&#038;tbnw=160&#038;docid=k6gWOve4vQ7OJM&#038;itg=1&#038;client=safari&#038;usg=__YC04SB-CGre-APNlm-pe7VJpI4c=" rel="nofollow">https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81tSHqoZ0SL.jpg&#038;imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.com/Nursies-When-Shines-Katherine-Havener/dp/0615756425&#038;h=1360&#038;w=1360&#038;tbnid=DIL7NSb8O0brDM:&#038;tbnh=160&#038;tbnw=160&#038;docid=k6gWOve4vQ7OJM&#038;itg=1&#038;client=safari&#038;usg=__YC04SB-CGre-APNlm-pe7VJpI4c=</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2534514 Tue, 26 Apr 2016 16:01:57 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2534514@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PawPrints: that's the key but I have a hard time getting him on board since he leaves for work early on weekdays and I am off until Friday. My son slept through the night all weekend on my nights at work! So clearly me out of the picture helps. I am pretty discouraged because he was nursing all afternoon and evening before bed, did a marathon nursing session before I brushed his teeth,, went down decently for me rocking him, and woke up an hour later at 10, and then 12, 1, and 2. Dh soothed him back to sleep at 10, and I got him back to sleep quickly with gentle rocking at 12, but by the 1am wake up he was pissed and barely settled until I finally nursed him after 2. It's just like we took a major step backwards and I don't know how to merge the two totally different routines.</p> <p>Sounds like your plan should be pretty straightforward I hope! I need to focus on getting a very filling dinner in him tonight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2534455 Tue, 26 Apr 2016 14:55:01 +0000 Cole 2534455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: it's perfect, I will take all the gory details! I'm kind of consumed by it right now too and everyone else says put her in her room and close the door...</p> <p>She's 18 months, we have the 4:30 snooze button situation too and it's miserable! We've skipped the 4:30 nursing session two nights in a row (much to her dismay) and held off until 5:30 at which point she was hungry/tired enough to eat and just go back to sleep until 7 instead of the on and off switching nonsense. Truthfully, if she would have dropped that on her own I probably wouldn't have ever even bothered night weaning. </p> <p>I have loved bed sharing and initially didn't intend to stop but it's seeming like that's the easier option right now. I'm kind of sad about it and kind of relieved. She's been starting every night in her own room for months though without issue so at least it isn't brand new. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2534436 Tue, 26 Apr 2016 14:38:28 +0000 PawPrints 2534436@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: Can your DH take over some of the soothing, so LO isn't angry at being close to your boobs without getting to nurse?</p> <p>My LO is 12.5 months and was night-weaned by 4.5 months, but over the winter months she was sick all the time so we slowly let her reintroduce a bunch of night-time nursing sessions to help her heal. Now she's finally healthy for like the first time since Christmas so we're re-night weaning. Our approach is to make sure she's stuffed as full of food, breastmilk, and cow milk as possible before bed, then we do a dream feed at 11pm when we go to bed, then if she wakes up at all then DH soothes her and we do some modified CIO. She knows how to self-soothe (she puts herself to sleep for every nap and bedtime with not a peep) so I think those habits are going to come back to her quickly once she realizes the milk bar is closed when it's dark outside. Fingers crossed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2534286 Tue, 26 Apr 2016 11:55:03 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2534286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cole: I would love it if you pick my brain! I want to talk about this all day long and my husband is no help and most other people can't relate in the slightest cause they never nursed this long or they don't even have kids! How old is your LO again? Ill tell you exactly what we did. Things went super well over the weekend and then last night was absolutely terrible!</p> <p>SO before we started:<br /> I would nurse to sleep, although about 75% of the time he wouldn't fall asleep all the way and I would have to bounce him on the ball till very drowsy and then nurse him lying down again till fully out, then sneak away. We bedshare all night long, and he would wake up frequently during the night, first time being anywhere from 2-4 hours after going to bed. By 430 or so he's nursing constantly for comfort and I have to keep switching sides. It was my snooze button and its so hard to imagine even doing anything different in those early morning hours when your body says do anything possible for sleep!</p> <p>So Last monday was day 1.<br /> Day 1: Change bedtime routine to involve not nursing to sleep. We did Bath, lotion/pajamas, stories, nurse in dark room in bed with white noise on, then go in other room and brush teeth. I tried lying down with him till he was asleep but he was getting really pissed, hitting me and pulling at my shirt and crying louder and louder. My plan was to let him work out his frustration but I ended up changing my mind, cause I was getting too frustrated as well and I am sure my tense energy wouldn't help. So I bounced him to sleep on the ball, and eventually rocked him on the bed until I could lie him down. This took a few tries! My plan was to nurse him after 1am. He woke at 1205 and I tried rocking him back to sleep but he was getting angrier, so then I just let him lie down and roll around. He did that on and off for at least an hour but not crying. I nursed him at some point between 1-2 and then did the rest of the night as usual. </p> <p>Ok I need to go do something but Ill finish the rest later. This is probably way more detailed than you expected! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2534053 Tue, 26 Apr 2016 08:14:24 +0000 Cole 2534053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: how are things going? Can I pick your brain a little? We just started last night and it wasn't a raging success... Did you nurse at all over night the first few nights or did you just go cold turkey? I kept her in her bed last night until 5:30 am then we went back to my bed to nurse and snooze again. She woke up 8-9 times, I did nurse her at 1&amp;2 but not all the other times. She chugged both times, I know she'll shift her calories to the day time but I was afraid she'd be miserable and I most want to drop the 4:30 feeding. We're both exhausted this morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2533243 Sun, 24 Apr 2016 21:45:09 +0000 catomd00 2533243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: great news! Hopefully he keeps it up. It was around 15 months that DD first started consistently STTN. I hope it's coming for you soon - it's amazing how much better you feel after a few weeks of uninterrupted sleep! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2533119 Sun, 24 Apr 2016 16:10:21 +0000 jmarionsmith 2533119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How old is he again? Your situation is just so unique. With my daughter I don't nurse her until 5 am, no matter how hard she fights ( :crying: ) but she is getting her bedtime nurse in. I think with your LO not nursing from 1:30 until the next day, that would be hard... especially cold turkey.</p> <p>My LO's dentist was ok with night nursing as long as I wiped her teeth each time. If you're willing to do that, I think it's fine! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2533091 Sun, 24 Apr 2016 14:21:30 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2533091@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catomd00: I ended up pumping at work last two days at around 8-9, and luckily I did because On Friday he slept till 530 and last night till 730! Finally slept through the night at 15m without nursing since last time at 12 weeks! Now let's hope he keeps it up when I am off work and back to putting him to sleep on Monday :). I've also been sleeping on his floor bed in the other room while he sleeps with my husband so hopefully that doesn't make a difference. The dog actually came and woke me up this morning before the baby woke!</p> <p>Thanks again for all the support :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2532209 Fri, 22 Apr 2016 12:16:45 +0000 catomd00 2532209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: I hope he surprises you! I didn't find night weaning as difficult as I imagined it would be. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2532204 Fri, 22 Apr 2016 12:13:09 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2532204@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catomd00: Good point. I think for tonight Ill try pumping at work for a short time approximately around bedtime, and then just see when he wakes up! How awesome would it be if he just slept through from our gentle process this week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2532202 Fri, 22 Apr 2016 12:10:17 +0000 catomd00 2532202@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: I think it depends on your body. For me, my Body always adapted easily to changes like that. I could nurse on demand on my 3 days off even though I wasn't pumping at all during my 4 work days. If you notice a drop in supply, then I guess you may want to pump at that time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2532196 Fri, 22 Apr 2016 12:05:44 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2532196@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catomd00: What about the fact that I will always be missing that bedtime feeding when I work, but on my days off (4 per week) I plan to keep nursing at that time and on demand before it? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2532192 Fri, 22 Apr 2016 12:02:48 +0000 catomd00 2532192@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you truly want to night wean, I say pump for comfort when you get home. You're not going to stop producing if you keep pumping. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2532187 Fri, 22 Apr 2016 11:57:13 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2532187@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cole: He's missing at least two nursing sessions, thats why I am so inclined for the dream feed. And long term on my work evenings, unless I plan to continue pumping at work or at home, I am gonna have this problem since I don't want to wean him entirely! </p> <p>That's an interesting idea about pumping and nursing, I think it wouldn't work for him either! </p> <p>Thanks so much for the input and encouragement. I am only motivated because of his poor little teeth. I want to do everything possible to stop the decay from worsening. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2532162 Fri, 22 Apr 2016 11:32:19 +0000 Cole 2532162@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think my plan would be to have my pump ready and sort of see what made the most sense once I got home. Will he have missed a nursing session while you're gone? If so I would be more inclined to nurse and do the washcloth routine (maybe sip some water?) My logic is that I'd be worried he would wake more without the extra calories but that might be flawed logic. </p> <p>You could also pump and let him try to nurse and he might start to get the idea that there's no milk? This wouldn't work for my daughter but I know it would for a friend.</p> <p>It sounds tricky but it seems like you're doing an awesome job with this! I keep starting to night wean and basically chickening out after a day or two! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2532153 Fri, 22 Apr 2016 11:19:59 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2532153@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>BTW I guess option B and C could be mixed and matched a little bit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/night-weaning-logistics#post-2532150 Fri, 22 Apr 2016 11:18:50 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2532150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know I made a long post about this earlier in the week but I have a very specific question and my friends and family are sick of me asking them! Plus they really don't understand.</p> <p>So we've been night weaning this week because of early dental decay, and as of last night I didnt nurse him from bedtime until 5am (yay!!!). </p> <p>Tonight I have my work stretch of Friday/Saturday/Sunday. I normally nurse him at ~ 1:30pm before work, and at 12-1am after work would do a dream feed when I go to bed. I no longer pump at work and am pretty full by this point! He only recently stopped waking up the second I walk in the door. </p> <p>So I figure these are my options. I want to be gentle with night weaning, but don't want to backtrack too badly. </p> <p>A. Dream feed as usual at midnight, wipe mouth out with washcloth and if he wakes up soothe back to sleep without nursing.</p> <p>B. Pump at work at his usual bedtime. Try to keep the 4-5a or later time for nursing.</p> <p>C. Pump at home after work just a bit for my comfort before bed. See what time he wakes up and devise a plan on the spot whether to delay nursing or nurse. </p>