Tired of Night Nursing...

[ocfb16]

My daughter stopped night nursing 3 1/2 months ago. Only because I was getting no sleep at all. My doctor told me she no longer *needed* to nurse at night she just wanted to. I gradually took a feeding time out and replaced it with another way of comforting her. Every baby is different so I do not know what would soothe your baby. Mine really liked her back to be patted. Which turned out to be another bad habit I had to break but at least she was learning to sleep with out nursing. Within a week there was no more night nursing. However, anytime she woke up I had to pat her back. She gradually outgrew that after about a month.

[bethn]

During good times DS wakes once at night to nurse. During rough times (sick, teething, etc.) he needs to nurse 3-4 times. Those are rough night for me because DS only wants me - no DH. Oh, DS is 10.5 months old and doesn't each much baby food as he just doesn't like it. We are working on small amounts of table food but he's taking his own sweet time adjusting to the texture and mashing of the food in his mouth.

But I will miss the one middle of the night nursing when DS gives it up. It's a quiet time for just the two of us. Nothing else going on. No TV, DD needing attention, phones ringing at work (DS comes to work with me), DH asking for stuff, etc. Just peace, quiet, and a gorgeous baby getting his needs met by me. Perhaps it's because I know this is my last baby so I'm trying to enjoy even the difficult moments.

That being said we have just come off 3 weeks of DS waking 3, 4 or even 5 times a night. I was hitting my limit on what I could handle but he's back to a more normal cycle now.

[Taowensf]

Originally Posted by bethanyjoy Oh, finally, the biggest thing for me was working on my own attitude...when I resent the nursing, it seems worse...if I just try to expect it and not worry about it, it's less of a big deal and I rest better. Surrendering the "right" to a full night's sleep was HUGE for me years ago, and continues to help.

This is exactly the case for me too! I go through phases, like when is this going to end (or at least decrease)? But then I go back and read up on why babies sleep the way they do, remember that this period of night nursing will only last a short time of the total span of my baby's life as a child, and then I remember how much I love her and would do anything for her, including feed her the best food she will ever get in her life since it was made specifically for her, and then I just sigh.

I have found that napping when dd naps helps me a lot too.

And no matter what a doctor tells you about your child not "needing" to nurse at night anymore, you should NEVER night-wean before your child starts solids. And what statistics tell you about what a child "needs" is not infallible--it's just based on supposed statistics (or whatever type of info that was gathered from someone else's child) and NOT on what your specific child needs.

The 9-month mark is pretty big as far as milestones go--always a rough time for sleep for the little ones with so much new going on. Eventually, things will calm down.
Good luck!