Any ideas on how to stop breastfeeding a 14 month old who is not in her crib yet. I am just now putting her in her crib she is pretty good but at night she wakes up and there are people sleeping so instead of fighting it I just breastfeed and she is quiet. Plus now I think I am a pacifier for her she eats all night Please help any ideas
Well thank you all for the advice it was interesting to see the different views. I have decided to drop the afternoon feeding and I will start there. I am going to get the two books reccommended and start there. My husband goes to work and the baby sleeps in the room so I am going to pick a weekend and put him on the couch and breastfeed still but then put her in her crib because my boobs hurt and this way she is still getting the comfort but also she is getting in her crib. Then I will address the stopping the breastfeeding I am still unsure but hopefully with the books and time I will truly decide what to do I do not want to deprive her of anything cause I know she still needs me,but I need to stop too. As you all can see I am torn with this but it will all work out thank you all sooo much
There is a great book oout there called "Good Night, Sleep Tight the Sleep Lady's gentle guide to helping you child go to sleep, stay asleep, and wake up happy" by Kim West..I recommend it to EVERY mom with ANY sleep questions, it is the best book I have ever read on this topic. She does a lot with breastfed babies! Good Luck!
Yes, it sounds pretty accurate. I went throught the same thing. I breastfed until she was 2.5 years old. Trust me, I am aware I was a paci. for the last 18 months of our brestfeeding history. It just seemed easier and this is how my Mother did it with my sisters (she is from a village in Eastern Europe) If you really want her out and in the crib, you will have to reteach her and let her cry it out in her crib. I couldn't do that... for my own sanity, but I do not think it is wrong to do if you want your baby in her own crib at night. My daughter is now three and she sleeps on her own. At 2.5 I told her that the breast was going to sleep and to kiss it goodbye. She understood and no more paci! It was just over. Good Luck!
Hi N.
You may want to try to address one transition at a time... either weaning from nighttime nursing first or the bed. It would likely be easier for you to night wean her, then once she is accustomed to getting through the night without nursing, begin the transition to the crib. My daughter was two when I night weaned her. It took about a week. Each night got easier, though. My husband was very helpful. He would hold her and rock her or I would pat her back and reassure her. I would show her that it was dark outside and tell her that we would nurse when the sun was up. Shortly after that, I became pregnant with my son, so our daughter moved out of our bed into her own. That was a longer transition, because we really didn't mind her in our bed. She still ends up there most nights anyhow. The Dr. Sears web site www.askdrsears.com has some great suggestions for both weaning and transitioning from co-sleeping. Best of luck to you!
A.
I nursed all 3 of my girls until about 14 months and then weaned. Are you nursing during the day? I would cut out all other feeding and then end the night feeding. You might actually have to ferber a little at this age. Saying I love you honey but its not time to eat. Also I wouldn't worry as much about waking your 3 year old, mine always slept through a lot of the night wakings of their siblings.
Good Luck
B.
Hi N. -
I was in the same situation with my DD at 14 months. She would wake just once a night for a really quick suck and then I could put her back in her crib. It started to wear on my as I was working FT then so I decided to wean her - at that point that was really the only time she nursed. I told her one night (I was feeling strong one night and just decided to take the plunge!) that mommy wasn't going to come in anymore as she was a big girl and could sleep through the night without nursing so if she woke she could grab her pacifier and blankey and be fine. I let her cry out a couple of nights and granted she did cry about a half hour or so a couple nights and then all was done - she was weaned! There were still times after here and there where she'd wake but I'd just let her cry and soon enough we were done!
The Ferber book (Solving your Child's Sleep Problems) has a chapter on eliminating night feedings. Basically you use the same progressive decrease in feeding time that you use for sleep in general. I haven't tried it yet but may soon.... Rest of the book's advice seems to work great.
I agree with a previous comment on using Ferber's method. We used that when our son was about 4 months old and got him to sleep in his own crib while cutting out the feedings at the same time. If you're willing to try this, just be sure to read the book and devote a weekend as your child may take a couple of days to learn this new routine. The first night he cried for 2 hours, the second 45 minutes, the third 15 minutes and really ended up cutting his own feedings out because he slept through the usual times he'd wake up in our bed.
I breastfeed my one child until she was 14 mnths. I had problems breaking her. I found using the platex bottle that is design to help support breastfeeding work for us. But i was never able to get her to sleep in the crib she would sleep with my husband and me. But now that she two she sleep with her sister. Good Luck.
Hi N.. I b/f my son only in the middle of the night for the same reason as you until he was 14 months. Well, he is now 15 months and sleeps in his bed almost all night! (My daughter never did this so I'm so excited!) Anyway, I just stopped. I picked a weekend and stopped nursing to get him back to sleep (in my bed also). He fussed for a couple days, but not screaming. I had to pat his back and he would eventually fall asleep. Now that I'm done nursing he sleeps fairly good. I also put my son in his crib when he first goes to sleep and my bed when he wakes up, we all need sleep, right? Good luck.
