Hi Ladies!

I might have to reintroduce myself! :) I have taken a sec to see a few threads...and there have been more babies! And some on the way! FUN!

I need some advice...and it made me think of all of you. (Sorry to just plop in for some much needed advice :( )

Our third is now 18 months old.....??? where has the time gone!! (maybe i better update my profile pic!). All this time she has been in bed with us... and I think it is time to move her to her bed/crib. I have tried to do it before...but she acted as if I had betrayed her! Abandoned her! One night I thought....I would start boot camp...and let her cry it out...but...she climed and then fell :( No more boot camp. So goes to sleep easily in our bed. Our routine is that I lay down and nurse her to sleep. The only however, she likes to nurse several times a night (at 18 months old...I assume this is purely habit). So all that to say, we are not sleeping like we should (her nor me). So I would like to move her to her little toddler bed (the crib I don't think will happen...too enclosed), but realized that also means the weaning too. I'm thinking it's too much all at once, and not even sure how to go about this the right way. (I must confess i love having her with me at night...but I always told myself that when we were not getting enough sleep, then it needs to end).

Any suggestions?? Anyone been there?? (btw...I am not nursing in the day just at night. This is the longest have made it with any of my three!)

HI!!! It is so awesome to see you! I can't belive your little one is already 18 months...time does fly. I don't really have any advice (mostly wanted to say hi) but I would think you might want to do one and then the other. Maybe wean her first and then move to her own bed. That way she isn't shocked by everything. That is a tough one, maybe someone else has help. hmmmm...maybe change her to a toddler bed (would it fit in your room? or maybe just a little bed on the floor) and go to her room to nurse and then slowly wean her

Welcome back!

Time sure does fly! I don't have any advice for you, but I just wanted to say hello! I've wondered how you were doing. I'll be praying for you and your upcoming transition. Best wishes!

Megan

03/06/98 - Married DH
10/10/08 - Welcomed Rebekah Faith

If I were in that situation, I would nurse her to sleep in her own bed and then have DH go in to rock her and comfort her when she wakes up. Then if she escalates, you can go back in and nurse her. Gradually, you can eliminate the nighttime feedings that way.

Be sure to go gradually, babies are just like us, abrupt changes can be traumatic.

Ditto Ruth - exactly what I was going to say...she may only want to nurse because you're right there and she can feel you and smell you. :-) Blessings to you!

Caaaaatringa!!! Hello gal!!! So nice to see you back! :) That's awesome that you've made it this far nursing but it's totally understandable that you're ready to move on in this situation. It sounds like things are just getting hard, for *both* of you! Ruth had a great idea. What if you had your hub take her in a sippy cup of water? Does she take a cup? My Eliya wakes up in the middle of the night when she's getting a new tooth, and if I just offer her a sippy cup, she is content with that and will fall back asleep in her own bed. I sure hope she can "wean" off you, for your sleep sake~ :) Welcome back gal!

I have SOOOO been there girl! I went through the exact same thing with Micah. I decided to night wean him as I was pregnant and nursing him was driving me bonkers. He was about 18/19months. I read an article about night-weaning when you are co-sleeping and it worked wonders. Will see if I can find it for you. We night weaned and then once he was fully night weaned, then we moved him into a toddler bed in our room and let him sleep there for a month or two, and then after that we finally moved his bed into his sisters room. Doing it gradually and one step at a time worked really well for us. I will go look up that article just now and be back with it.

Ok, here ya go.

http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/ap/sleep.asp

I went through this with Abby, my first child. At about 18 months we took the front part of her crib off, and pushed it all the way against my bed. so she would sleep in her bed next to mine and when she wanted to nurse she would crawl over to me.
But she was use to sleeping in her own bed. Then, it was time to wean. Left her in our room and slept in the guess room. Every time she woke up crying we would put her back into her bed without nursing her. she would lye in her bed crying, but didn't get up, and after 3 nights she was sleeping in her bed on her own all through the night. Eventually we moved her bed into the other room and it wasn't so bad, Once she was weaned it was easy to move her out on her own.

We did the same thing as Esther with our bed pushed up against the crib (crib front removed). DS still sleeps in our room, but he's in his own crib all night, which helps me get MUCH better sleep.

Ok, here ya go.

http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/ap/sleep.asp

Can't read that whole artical right now but I'm bookmarking it. Sounds interesting. TFS

WOW ladies!!! SOOOO good to hear from ALL of you!!!! Jen, congrats on a BOY!!!! too fun!!! :) He'll be the lucky one wth the new clothes and no handme downs from big sis :)

Eva, you rock. Nice article. I have already read it...and will give that a try. I think you guys are right...one thing at a time. So first the nursing. (however she gets WAY angry when i deny her in the middle of the night...so I will brace myself!). We have a toddler bed...that will be in our room. Right now the crib is in there....but I think I might as well sell that puppy! (i'm a bit nervous of the not being contained thing for her in the toddler bed....but I don't see a crib happening).

I wish I was around more...I will try to plop in more often!!! (I'm back to teaching supposedly part time...but....it seems to be full time....and so I am exhausted...and we have had some major political issued down here.....all robbing time in a day..:( )

I think I am going to start the weaning over Christmas break....b/c I know they won't be easy nights...and I know it won't be a fast change :( So hopefully in Jan I will report that it all worked and then I can give advice myself! :)

Blessings to you all!!!

I'll be praying for you. I remember the first 2 nights were the hardest and then after that it got a lot easier. I had to stop the weaning and then restart a week later as Micah got a cold and I felt bad for him, so gave him that extra comfort. But once we resumed he didn't have any problems with not getting boob in the middle of the night. Let us know how you get on:-D