night time weaning

[marley2580]

Help, I'm looking for ideas to help me with night time weaning for Kaya. She still wakes every 2 hours at night for a feed and it's really starting to get to me - she's almost 1, surely she can go a bit longer between feeds! Last night I decided she was going to spend all night in her own bed and that I was only going to feed her as a last resort. I think we did quite well, I only fed her twice, but she was still waking every two hour or so. I brought her into bed at 6am as she was wanting fed, but would be getting up at 7am so I got her back to sleep. When she got up she only had a quarter of a wheatabix and a little bit of toast, followed by a good feed. My OH is saying I need to feed her less during the day and get her eating more solids, but everything I'm reading says I should feed her more during the day. I don't mind one or two feeds at night, just not 7 or 8. Any ideas?

 

[Tezzy]

have you tried offering her water? once she realises shes not going to get milk she will stop waking.

we stopped giving rhys milk at night when he was Kayas age and he eventually stopped waking *although occasionally he will*

 

[isil]

I don't really know (sorry!) but I think that logically it makes sense to be feeding her more during the day (not force feeding or anything!) as then she'll eventually realise that night time is for sleeping and day time is for eating! I think it's brilliant that you got her down from 7 or 8 to 2 feeds!

 

[marley2580]

Well she's still waking loads during the night, she had a late night feed about 11.30 and another 2 at 2.30 and 5am. In between each feed she woke at least twice. She is settling down again quite easily but she won't stop waking up! We did try giving her water on the first day, but it really made her scream

 

[Serene123]

Are you sure it's not a comfort thing?

 

[marley2580]

Actually I'm sure that it IS a comfort thing, but it's still going to have to stop. She's not a baby any more, she's a toddler.

 

[sonny]

Couple of things....
Why not try banana or avocado for her last solid meal in the day...its slow releasing energy etc and meant to aid sleeping.
Also when she wakes have you tried the dummy? you may have to do it over and over again but so long as there is no activity/talking/lights etc maybe she would get the message?

 

[Ragirl]

I feel your pain- my son was 14 months or so before he started sleeping through the night. The things that helped us:

1) I started extending the time between feeds (he too was an every 2-hour guy) by extending it in 15 minutues increments. So first I made him wait 2h 15m and then after he adjusted to that for a week or so it was 2h30m between and so on. If he woke up before that we have him a dummy and patted his back, but I would not pick him up.

2) We did put a bottle of water in bed with him which seemed to help.

3) A nightlight. We never thought of it but a grandparent gave him this cool "nightlight" thing which is a screen which has fish scrolling by and it seemed to help him- he could find his own binky or bottle that way.

4) Everything I read said to give him a big meal right before bed. We tried it with no success. Then I thought about it- if I eat a big meal right before bed, I usually wake up hungrier, earlier. So we stopped doing that. Instead, we would load him up during the day, really try to get him to eat a big dinner, and then I would give him a small snack right before bed (which for us was having him nurse on one side only). Someone mentioned avocado I think- that seems like a good idea. This seemed to help- as long as he was getting enough calories during the day, his body didn't seem to want to make up the difference at night.

But mostly, I think after a few months of not getting picked up for comfort and only patted, he figured he might as well sleep. Also, toward the end, we would go in and pat his back, tell him to go back to sleep, and then sit in a chair in his room. So he could still see us but wasn't getting picked up (which is what he wanted). If it gives you hope- if you can stick with it, you may end up with a great sleeper because they learn to comfort themselves and learn that the bed is for sleeping. My son now goes to bed at 6pm and we wake him up at 5:45am Hang in there- I know it's exhausting.

 

[Tezzy]

Well she's still waking loads during the night, she had a late night feed about 11.30 and another 2 at 2.30 and 5am. In between each feed she woke at least twice. She is settling down again quite easily but she won't stop waking up! We did try giving her water on the first day, but it really made her scream

i know its hard but you know what, youre right, shes not a baby any more and she needs to realise that she cant keep having that comfort at night and that night is for sleeping.

only you can know her limits, much like controlled crying, but if you are firm with her then she will soon catch on.

thinking of you!