breastfeeding

Julie - posted on 06/09/2010

I had to stop co-sleeping because Amelie would wake up every time I moved and she would only fall asleep after having nursed. So I decided it was time for her own bed in her own room. She woke up three times, then twice, then once. Then she got sick and regressed and we are back to three :) or 2 if lucky. I always let her cry a little bit and sometimes she will fall back asleep by her own, sometimes no. I live in Jordan and it's really hot, so I don't know it it's because she is thirsty or it's just a habit. but one day she won't need me as much anymore and i'll be sad about that!

Heidi - posted on 06/05/2010

I thought my daughter, Mae (9 months old) was the only one waking up several times a night to nurse. It usually takes only a few minutes for her, but it takes me longer to go back to sleep. I'm so over it, but if she doesn't get to nurse, she screams for ever...., it's just easier to give it to her to move on with the night. Can't wait for this phase to be over....

Heather - posted on 06/02/2010

My son is 9.5mos old and our solution was to change his bedtime routine. Instead of me nursing him and letting him fall asleep on the nipple, my husband swaddles him , and rocks him with the lights off. Our son is usually out within 5-10mins. He only wakes up once or twice during the night, the first time my hubby will get him and rock him, the second time I will get him and nurse him, He usually goes right back to sleep each time. It's let us (especially me) get sooo much more sleep at night!

Heather - posted on 06/02/2010

Danielle and Michelle- maybe it's time for a crib so baby can do that in the middle of the night safely and you can keep sleeping without worrying? My daughter does that, too, in the middle of the night, but b/c she's in her crib, I usually just sleep through it. On occasion I might hear her briefly, but I know she'll eventually put herself back to sleep, so I just roll over and go back to sleep. Might be a good time to do it before they get old enough to be really upset about their own beds down the road... just my two cents. =)

Te Ata - posted on 06/01/2010

My 9month old daughter also wakes crying atleast twice before 12am which most times she settles an goes back to sleep in my arms then i put her back in the cot other times its a drink, then she wakes atleast 2-3 times before 8.30 and most times the only way to settle her is to give her a drink, i dont mind feeding its just i wish it was not so often, not to mention the fact that after midnight she ends up in bed with me and not in her cot. I know how you all feel!! and i am also glad its not just my daughter or me doing something wrong as i am a teen mum

Michelle Carpenter - posted on 06/01/2010

Danielle, I have a son who is the same way! The constant night waking is making us crazy! I'm glad to know I am not the only one with a baby who does this! I don't know what to do about it either...I've been getting very frustrated overall. Thanks for posting that!

Danielle - posted on 05/31/2010

I recently tried night weaning my little boy. My goal was to get him to sleep from 12AM to 5AM, so that I can rest. He wakes 0-3 times before midnight, and 3-6 times before 8AM. I wake up very tired sometimes, and lately I have been afraid to fall asleep. Anyhow, we (my husband and I) could settle him down at his pre-midnight wakings by holding him. At 1-2AM his was inconsolable every time, and cried until he gets nursed. At 3-4AM, he will cry, but might settle down. I will nurse him at 6AM and 8AM. Well, after trying this for a few nights, he discovered that instead of crying, he will roll over, get himself up and crawl around the bed! I am so afraid he will crawl right off the bed, I have given up on night weaning. I don't know what else to do right now but hope that he loses interest.

I give him a bedtime routine every night. I have tried giving him things that he can hold onto instead of me. I have tried putting distance between us in the bed. Nothing works.

SarahJane - posted on 05/31/2010

One of the things that helped me is the Johnson's Nighttime bath stuff (purple bottle) it worked awesome... We would give him a bottle/feed at 11 pm and the slowly weaned him off of that until he could sleep from 730 pm - 615 am (which is when he wakes up).

Molly - posted on 05/31/2010

There's a difference between nursing all night long and waking up a couple of times to nurse -- so, maybe you want to decide how often you are willing to nurse at night. For example, right now, I'm willing to get up to nurse my daughter 2 times, maybe 3 if she's sick. More than that, and I am not doing well the next day. She eats fast and I am back in bed. So it works for me.

Are you away from your baby during the day? He may be using the time at night he has with you to tank up on feedings he needs, so maybe make sure to offer to nurse a few more times during the day (or an extra feeding just as you're heading off to bed?)

I also like Jay Gordon's night weaning advice: http://drjaygordon.com/attachment/sleepp...

Emily - posted on 05/30/2010

I think this website has some great info on night-weaning:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/weani...

Though for what it's worth, I don't think nursing at night is a bad thing.. my daughter still nurses at night too. I know she will eventually stop when she's ready, as my first child did. Sometimes I think it's helpful to try to view it in a different way.. in some ways nursing at night is a very special time between mom and baby, a peaceful time when the rest of the house is quiet, something no one else in the house gets to experience. Something to be cherished while it lasts ;)

Laura - posted on 05/30/2010

my son is also 9 months and I am slowly getting him off the breast he would cry continuously with out the breast. I just slowly removed it by giving him sippys and bottles I started out with like one bottle a day during the day then two during the day and so on and now at night he is taking the bottle better.