Night Weaning, the Gentle Way. Day 4

Last night was much improved.  I decided that as I was so tired, my main focus was going to be on sleeping, rather than sticking to the night weaning.

So I wasn't pushing the whole fall asleep without the breast thing so much, but I found that he was naturally starting to do that!  So I was very pleased.  He was sleeping for decent stretches (around 2ish hours) and immediately going back to sleep.  So I feel quite rested today.

By now I should be on phase 2 of the night weaning method, but I am going to stay on this first phase for a few more nights, just til I feel we have it mastered!

Night Weaning, the Gentle Way. Day 3

Last night was a complete and utter disaster.

It started out brilliantly.  My little man was sleeping for good stretches (2 - 3 hours at a time) til around midnight.  He even got to sleep quickly without feeding himself to sleep once.  And then Mr 3 year old starts up, having a very loud dream and wakes us all right up and then promptly falls right back to sleep himself.
But me and the baby?  Awake from 1ish to around 5.30am.  Yes.  thats right.  bad night.  He just wanted to be awake, and would not lie still,

So I am very tired.  And I know what you are thinking, and the answer is No - I have not been operating any heavy machinery in this state.

I don't know how tonight will go.  I am so tired I just want to do whatever will get me the most sleep.  Quite short-sighted, but I do have to function.

Night Weaning, the Gentle Way. Day 2

Success (of a kind)!

Last night I stuck to the method, and I ended each feed whilst my son was still awake and then managed to get him to sleep by patting his back.  And we did this every time he fed between 11pm and 5am.

So we did successfully stick to the method.

HOWEVER, he only slept for between 15 and 45 minutes between these wakeful periods so then we had to do this process many, many, MANY times during the night.  So that was the not so successful part.

I do feel like we are getting somewhere in the process though, so we will keep at it.

Night Weaning, the Gentle Way. Day 1

Last night was not exactly a success.  I fed my little man about 3 times before 11pm.  Then after that I was meant to feed, stop whilst he was still awake and then coax him to sleep.

There was a major problem though, he had a sore tummy!  So the first feed after 11pm went something like this:

11.15: Stirs, grizzles, so I feed him.
11.18: feeding slows down so I quickly remove breast from his mouth and then pat his back to try to get him back to sleep
11.20:  He is crying.  He does a big fart and obviously has a sore tummy
11.21: I feel too mean not feeding him, so let him feed for comfort.

Then he basically fed all night long.

Nevermind.  We will try again tonight :)

Night Weaning, the Gentle Way. Day 0

My lovely second child is now 14 months old.  He is a happy, and a joy to be around.  He loves boob.  He likes to breastfeed a LOT.  I have always feed on demand (and demand is definitely the right word!) day and night.
However, I have come to the decision that I am ready to attempt to night wean him.  My reasons are:

1. He currently feeds a minimum of 5 times during the night, sometimes more than 10 times
2. I am really really tired
3. I am starting to resent the night feeds, and I don't want a 'negative' breastfeeding relationship
4. I struggle to maintain my weight.  I get skinny.  I find it hard to eat enough to sustain this many feeds.
5. On the nights he does decide to feed a little less, I end up with very painful plugged ducts

I have decided to go with the Jay Gordon night-weaning method (full outline here).  It is specially designed for older babies (over 1 year), who co-sleep.  Tick and Tick.

Basically you pick a 7 hour period during the night that you want to be feed-free.  I am actually just going to make this 6 hour, to begin with, as I think that will work best for us.  I am going to have 11pm - 5am as our set time with no feeding.

Stage One - The First Three Nights:
"At any time before 11 p.m. (including 10:58) nurse to sleep, cuddle and nurse when he wakes up and nurse him back to sleep, but stop offering nursing to sleep as the solution to waking after 11 p.m.. Instead…..

When your baby awakens at midnight or any other time after 11 p.m., hug him, nurse him for a short time but make sure he does not fall asleep on the breast and put him down awake. Rub and pat and cuddle a little until he falls asleep but don’t put him back on the breast (or give him a bottle if that’s what you’ve been doing). He must fall asleep with your comfort beside him, but not having to nurse to feel comforted enough to drift off.

Now, he will tell you that he is angry and intensely dislikes this new routine. I believe him. He will also try to tell you that he’s scared. I believe he’s angry, but a baby who’s had hundreds of nights in a row of cuddling is not scared of falling asleep with your hand on his back and your voice in his ear. Angry, yes. Scared, no, not really.

During these first three nights, repeat this pattern only after he has slept. He might sleep for fifteen minutes or he might sleep for four hours, but he has to go to sleep and reawaken to get cuddled and fed again."

So, as simple as that!  Yeah right.  I am very very nervous about attempting this.  I really don't like my baby to be upset.  It breaks my heart to hear him cry, so I will do what I can to avoid that.  I know that for these few nights I will get even more tired.  I worry that it won't work.  I worry that I am depriving him of his favourite thing in the world.  That he will be hungry.

However, despite these fears, I am going to push ahead.  I am ready for change.

Wish me luck and I will let you know how we go tomorrow.