My 18 month old has pretty much never slept through the night. And she's been in a bad sleep regression, so I decided to wean her. I cut it off cold turkey on Friday. Her sleep is actually a tad better and I'm wondering if its just a fluke, or might weaning actually have been a good decision? Please let me know if weaning helped you because I wish I could see into the immediate future to know if I made a good decision, and to know if sleep will keep getting better!
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@agold: My LO1 was weaned at 18 months because i found out i was pregnant. He was sleeping through the night before i weaned tho but depended on feeding before bed. Once i stopped he was fine. I offered water or whole milk.
hope that helps alittle.
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@cake2017: Thanks! I am thinking about starting to offer water soon instead of a bottle of whole milk. And lucky you! My first slept through the night easily and early. But second... phew! She's giving me a run for my money.
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Mine didn't sleep through the night until they were weaned. So 20 months, and 30 months
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@MrsSRS: Do you think that it was the weaning that helped?
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OMG I am dealing with this with my 16mo twins. They are driving me crazy with the MOTN wakeups. We only nurse in the morning (or if they wake up in the MOTN). I turn them down if they ask during the day. They completely freak out if I try not to nurse them in the morning or MOTN though.
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I do think they often go together. Mine happened in the other order ... I sleep trained at 13m or so and he weaned himself after he started STTN. Definitely nursing at night can be a habit at that age and it’s totally ok if you wanted to stop that!
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Yes! Mine started sleeping 11 hours after he kinda self weaned at 11.5 months. He got hfmd and couldn't nurse for a week so I couldn't do anything when he woke up in the middle of the night and he'd cio for 5-10m then go back to sleep. Right before that, he was still waking up 2-3x a night and nursing back to sleep. After the week, he had a 1-2 rough nights a week for a few weeks and then he's been sleeping pretty consistently through for the past 5 glorious weeks.
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@ElbieKay: I'm so sorry you are dealing with it times two! My girl was waking up and wanting to be rocked and nursed. She'd go back to sleep easily but not let me put her in her crib. this was happening three times a night. It takes me close to, if not, an hour to rock her and put her in her crib. Since weaning, she wakes up once and then sleeps fine until 730. I'm hoping to break this no-put down habit.
@bhbee: Yep. I really felt the nursing was out of habit. I would have continued if I wasn't dealing with this sleep regression. Thanks for telling me its okay to stop!
@PurplePumps: I'm hoping to get to those glorious weeks soon! I tried one night of CIO, but she cried off and on for 75 minutes and then started breathing funny. (She has mild laryngomalacia, so I don't know if that is an issue or what) I'm hoping the weaning is going to help! I'm so happy you are having some great sleep finally.
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@agold: yes!
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Both my girls slept much better after I night weaned!
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Yup my first didn’t STTN til I night weaned at 2. And the second is 21 months, still gets up once a night sometimes twice. If I could get them to go back to sleep with rocking or sending dad in I would but like @ElbieKay: it’s just a total freak out if I try not to and we all get less sleep. With my older daughter she finally accepted dad going in around when she turned 2 and started STTN shortly thereafter. My younger one does STTN occasionally but it hasn’t stuck so far. Going away on a 9 day work trip after she turns two so I figure if she’s not nightweaned by then she will be once I come back!
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My oldest two night weaned at 15-18mo once they were finally eating enough solids to sustain them through the night. My third child is 19mo and frequently wakes to nurse (anywhere between 0 and three times a night) but she has quite a different temperament and requires a lot of comfort so I’m not sure that night weaning would help with the waking (she was also a colicky baby so I’ve learnt to respect her particular needs and not compare her to my older two). Youngest babe goes to bed in her cot then we bedshare once she wakes.
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DS1 self weaned at 20 months and started STTN around the same time. I don’t remember all the details, he’s 6.5 now!
DS2 just turned 15 months and is usually up twice to nurse. I want to wean as I know this will help with night sleep but I’m going to wait until after the holidays and then come up with a plan and timeframe.
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@petitenoisette: I'm planning to go away for two night when my girl turns two and leave my husband with her. I hope that helps her figure her sleep out.
@Kemma: For the last couple of nights, when my girl wakes around 4 or 5, I can't get her back down and I've brought her to my bed. This is so strange to me, but I just don't care anymore and I want a little more sleep. I hope its not a habit now, but if it is, ugh. I'm actually going to get a TV for my room tomorrow. Not sure how this is going to work, but I see morning cartoons in my future.
@ALV91711: FWIW, I just cut out nursing cold turkey. I'm one week done and still praying I don't get mastitis.
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