Toddler night wean

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Toddlers

Toddler night wean

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amother

Wed, Mar 27 2024, 5:06 am

My 18 month old will only fall asleep nursing. I am going crazy being the only one who can put him to sleep, and he doesn’t sleep through the night yet - he wakes up multiple times. When dh tries to put him to sleep LO cries hysterically and just wants me. I’d really like to night wean and also have dh be able to put him to sleep. Has anyone gone through this? Any advice? I will not do CIO/ferber/etc. thanks!

amother

Topaz

Wed, Mar 27 2024, 6:31 am

I am not a proponent of CIO but at 18 months, the habit of nursing to sleep is already very ingrained and he’s old enough to know what he wants. There is no magic way to take away something he wants and expect him to be perfectly fine with it. There will be some level of crying involved. You need to be aware of that going in and not give in to nursing him if you really want to stop this habit.
You can offer other ways to self soothe but it will take time and he will not be happy about it.
I am doing similar now with my 15 month old, for falling asleep at bedtime.

amother

Wed, Mar 27 2024, 6:37 am

I’m okay with some crying as long as I don’t leave him on his own to cry. What other methods are you using to help soothe?

amother

Topaz

Wed, Mar 27 2024, 6:45 am

I hold her, offer a sippie cup, sit with her while she’s in her crib and I take turns with my husband doing this when possible. It did not take longer than a day or two for her to not expect the nursing anymore but it still takes her a little longer to fall asleep.
(This is what I’ve been doing for bedtime, I have not nursed her at night for a long time. during the night may be harder because the baby is half asleep and less reasonable)

amother

Dahlia

Wed, Mar 27 2024, 8:02 am

Switch over to a bottle with milk and explain to the toddler that the (breast)milk is shut , not available at night in whatever language he’ll understand. There is crying at first, but stay consistent with it and eventually , he will understand.

amother

Wed, Mar 27 2024, 9:46 am

Should I be the one doing this? Or have dh do it? Normally I do all the wake ups with nursing but hoping to have dh take over some. Not sure if we should do the switch all together - have dh take over instead of me right away now or first night wean then have dh take over.

amother

Dahlia

Wed, Mar 27 2024, 10:08 am

It takes more than one night to wean. If Dh is capable and willing to do it, have him take over for the night for a few weeks straight. He will need to be able to bear with the crying for the first few nights. My Dh did it for 2 nights and then quit.

amother

Topaz

Wed, Mar 27 2024, 10:16 am

How many times is he waking up a night at 18 months? More than once or twice? If so, maybe you need to do a more gradual wean, cutting out one feed at a time.

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