Need advice on weaning 13 month old

Caitlin - posted on 06/14/2009

Thank you to all of you, for your advice and tips! Hopefully it will work out for me, as well as the rest of you who are in my same situation! :) I know we could all use a good night's rest again!

Christine - posted on 06/14/2009

Caitlin...I am in your same boat. My 10 1/2 month old nurses exclusively and I had tried so many times to get her to use a bottle just to free me up a bit. I nurse at will and it seems like I am up every 2 1/2- 3 hours a night nursing her back to sleep...if I hear her cry and don't go in right away, I keep hoping she will get herself back to sleep but I end up going in and nursing her to help. I want to start to wean her after 1 year, but I think I started a bad habit too.. If you have any success with new ideas, please share them with me. Best of luck to you!

Geralyn - posted on 06/14/2009

Yes, some nights, my son wakes up almost every hour, and then other nights, he'll nurse a few times in the beginning of the night and then can go 5-6 hours without nursing. But there is no consistency, and I can't identify what would be different on the nights when he sleeps longer. I was trying to see whether he may have had more success with his meals during the day, but I haven't noted any patterns....



One thing we tried was for my husband to take him and try to get him back to sleep. I could hear him crying with my husband. I think it helps because he's not near the milk supply, but I had a hard time with not having him cuddled up with me. We'll see... If I come across any info, I'll pass it on. And please do the same! Good luck!

Caitlin - posted on 06/13/2009

And thank you Lori, I plan to definitely pick that book up!

Caitlin - posted on 06/13/2009

Geralyn, I just wanted you to know that you are not alone! That is EXACTLY my situation. He also wakes multiple times each night, wanting to nurse! And he will cry until I give in, and let him. I always try to let him fuss for a little bit first, to see if he will go back to sleep, but it never works. He will wake up anywhere from 2 times to 5 times a night, and I feel like I still have a newborn! LOL.

Geralyn - posted on 06/13/2009

Caitlin, thank you for asking this question! I am at that point as well where I'd like to wean my 14 month old from nursing to sleep and wanting to nurse during the night. I do, however, want to continue co-sleeping. He will wake up during the night seeking the breast. He's half asleep, eyes closed, and he'll cry if he cannot nurse. He does not like whole milk, he refuses his cup with a straw, he has never used a bottle, he does not want to be picked up and rocked (that worked for the first week, but now he cries and arches his back), he does not want his back rubbed, he has never used a pacifier (and I would hate to try to introduce it now, I am not even sure he would take it).



The good news is he seems to be sleeping longer between 11:00 and 4:00 or 5:00, but there are nights where he will try to nurse every hour.



Its challenging. Other tips would be great.

Lori - posted on 06/12/2009

I went through a similar situation with my son. He was breastfeed and we also co slept. There is a wonderful book called "The No Cry Sleep Solution" , and it saved me when it came to weaning. It has every kind of weaning situation from breast weaning to pacifier weaning to getting them to sleep in a crib. The best advice I can give you is to just stick with whatever method you use. Any little change will throw them off. There will be some sleepless nights, but it is worth it. My son is 18 months old, and I have been through it all. I gave my son bottles of breastmilk as well as letting him nurse, so it was not difficult to wean him from the breast. I am now in the process getting him off the bottle. It just takes time, so be patient and good luck.

Kathleen - posted on 06/12/2009

have u tried putting him into the crib once he is asleep. bottles are good to wean him from the breast u can still provide the milk just in the bottle he will get use to holding the bottle and you can let him fall asleep than move him. these are just suggests always go with what you think is the best.

Lisa - posted on 06/12/2009

Quoting Heather:

I nursed my daughter to sleep, waited 30 min and laid her down, then each night put her down 5 min earlier. my goal was for her to resettle herself to sleep in a lighter sleep each night. Worked like a charm. The 1st night I put her down awake she fussed a little bit and went right to sleep. Once this was established, I did naps the same way, making sure the room is as dark as it is at night.

Good tip!!! I am going to have to remember than in these next couple of weeks as I start weaning #2.

Lisa - posted on 06/12/2009

I'm not a CIO Mom either :-) I weaned my first at about 13 months also and I just substituted warm milk in a sippy and lots and lots of cuddling for the feedings. One feeding a week would be swapped. It went pretty smoothly. My second son is going to be a year old in 2 weeks and I'm going to try the same thing, but they are such different kids I'm not sure it will work as smoothly! 2nd son is also still nursing at night.

Caitlin - posted on 06/12/2009

That isn't corny at all! We have considered even moving his crib into our room, but not sure if it will even fit! haha. Thank you!

Nicole - posted on 06/12/2009

I was in the same position when my daughter was that age. She slept w/me until she was almost 2 or 3yrs old. Bad habit I developed as I was a single parent n my daughters' father lived 2 counties over from me an he was barely around. The best way to wean your child w/out letting them cry in a crib, is to start putting your son down a few minutes earlier b4 his reg bed time an simply rubbing his back an playing his favorite bedtime music if he has any that he seems to enjoy. If that doesn't work, get a small square mattress an put it in your room an let him sleep there w/the sound of your voice, breathing, etc. Sounds kinda corny, but it works.

Caitlin - posted on 06/12/2009

Thank you for the tip! I will have to try that!!

Heather - posted on 06/12/2009

I nursed my daughter to sleep, waited 30 min and laid her down, then each night put her down 5 min earlier. my goal was for her to resettle herself to sleep in a lighter sleep each night. Worked like a charm. The 1st night I put her down awake she fussed a little bit and went right to sleep. Once this was established, I did naps the same way, making sure the room is as dark as it is at night.