On the epic & eventful journey of breast feeding there comes a time when you NEED TO GET MORE SLEEP. In fact you know beyond a doubt you have to have it. Night weaning is simply choosing not to nurse your baby at night. I am writing this for all the momma’s who practice attachment parenting, co-sleeping, and nursing on demand as well as others who may be interested in the practice of night weaning. Here are some of the signs that you are ready.
· You have begun obsessively fantasizing about how wonderful it would feel to NOT be abruptly interrupted at all for an ENTIRE nights sleep.
· The idea of deep REM sleep feels like a blurry memory of a time long past.
· You’ve become so used to your dark circles that you don’t even flinch when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror.
· Your zombie like demeanor feels like “normal” behavior.
If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms or identify with them in a way that shouts YES, YES, YES!!! PLEASE TELL ME MORE ABOUT NIGHT WEANING, then read on. I will explain what I did to get myself out of that funky place of beyond imaginable exhaustion. I do not claim to be the genius behind this method yet I can’t seem to remember (mind-bogglingly tired) who suggested it to me. Yet I owe that person immense gratitude. It did work extremely well for my family and was a stage I looked forward to reaching with each of my 3 children. For me this practice began after my babes were eating consistently, looking healthy & hearty, beginning to walk and working on communicating~ every baby is different and each mother has a unique relationship with their children so please do what you feel is right for your child.
Step by step Night Weaning Instructions
*Note: This could take anywhere from 1 week to 3 months depending on how consistent you are and how attached you babe is to the boob! I’d say (based on my experience) an average time is 3 weeks.
· Step 1: Get your husband, partner, mother, housemate whomever it is that is closest to your baby to commit to sharing the room and/or bed with baby for about 3 weeks. This may take some persuasion. Let me suggest if you are pitching this idea to your husband who may not be all that enthusiastic about losing his sleep, mention all the more time & energy you will have for sex! Not to mention improved mood, enhanced ability to think clearly, parent better, work, clean and cook more~ whatever it is that has been put on a side burner due to sleep deprivation.
· Step2: Relocate your sleeping scene. With your loving support person on board, get started by creating an alternative room, couch, corner, whatever somewhere for you to sleep away from the sounds of baby.
· Step 3: Be honest with baby. Take a deep breath, say a little prayer and trust that baby will be okay without you, then explain to your babe what it is that you are doing and why~ be completely honest so that they know what to expect.
· Step 4: Keep your regular nighttime routine. Make a hearty dinner and then at baby’s usual bedtime lay him or her down to sleep and nurse one last time until morning. Remind him or her that when they are finished nursing there will be “no more mommy milk (fill in your own cute breast milk term) until the sun comes up”.
· Step 5: Stay awake long enough to detach yourself & gracefully roll out of bed! Rejoice, you are free until morning!
· Step 6: Repeat! Especially the first few nights make sure to run through the game plan with your husband/partner/friend. As they will be the one to go in if/when baby wakes up. It is key that your helper repeats them same phrase you used~ “no more mommy milk until the sunrise” while gently rubbing babies back until they fall back to sleep.
And that’s it! Night weaning has begun! Yes there is a good chance baby will resist/cry~ all three of my children did for about 3-7days. Then with each passing night it got easier, more graceful with less drama, more and more sleep for all involved. For successful night weaning, it is very important to be consistent. Admittedly, I found it challenging the first few nights to block out the crying. I felt a bit guilty about denying my sweet baby the loving comfort of the boob. It’s very normal and you may feel this way too, but just remember “no mommy milk until morning” and you should be able to make it until then as well. The myriad of benefits of a full nights rest will help you to feel upgraded in your everyday ability to mother and your baby will reap the benefits of solid night of sleep as well. So, please enjoy this transition as you move in the direction of more personal space as a mother and more autonomy for your babe. Hears to many rejuvenating nights sleep to come!!!!
I’m interested in hearing how Night weaning went for your family; please share your experience in the comments section below. Blessings, Jai & the SMB team
