Night-weaning: please tell me it will get better!

[slknight]

We just started the gentle night-weaning plan by Dr. Jay Gordon (recommended here) and last night was AWFUL. Absolutely, positively AWFUL.

I hadn't really done the first 3 days very methodically, but I had gradually been trying to cut down the length of his night nursing sessions. He also goes to bed and takes naps without nursing to sleep, so I know he can do it. So last night, we went to "day 4," where DH goes in if he wakes between 11 and 6 and tries to comfort him.

DS had woken up at 11:15, and since I was still up I nursed him back to sleep then. He then woke up at 1:45. I sent DH in. It took 2 hours to get DS settled back to sleep. He screamed most of the time. A few times, DH has him calmed down and mostly asleep, but when he went to leave the room, DS would wake up (our wood floors creak) and start screaming again. So we were all up til almost 4:00. DS did finally go back to sleep and slept til 6:45 (fairly typical for him).

I think Alex is teething, and did finally get DH to give him some motrin. I think that, combined with a bottle of water, finally got him calm enough. DH did not want to give him water because he thinks that Alex will wake up in the future wanting some water. I figured he was probably pretty thirsty after all that crying so he might like some. Do you guys think that was a bad idea?

Dr. Gordon's website says that some babies will be upset for 10 minutes to 1 hour. Do I have a particuarly stubbon child? Is tonight going to be any better? Please, someone tell me that this was the worst that it gets.

ETA - DS is 14.5 months and still breastfed but also eats a ton of solids. He's about 25 pounds.

[Rachels]

I'd give him the motrin and the water right off the bat. If he's teething, he's hurting and needs comfort. And I get thirsty during the night-- it's reasonable to think a baby would. I have heard that there tend to be two or three tough nights with the Jay Gordon plan, but remember that the baby is never alone and never not comforted. That's the essential thing. So if comfort means holding and rocking, great. If it means water and Motrin, do that.

Hang in there!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/character/2/character39.gif

"We have a secret in our culture...it's not that birth is painful, it's that women are strong!!" - Laura Stavoe Harm

[slknight]

Thanks, Rachel. If I had been in the room, I definitely would have done the Motrin and water at the beginning. In fact I got up, got them, stuck my hand in the door, and put them on the changing table. But DH doesn't quite think the way I do. ;) Anyway, we talked about it and I think he will do them at the beginning tonight. Of course we're out of Motrin, so it will have to be Tylenol. Or I may just run to the drugstore right now. I'm really hoping tonight is easier because last night was rough. But I also know that I have been getting up at least 2 times a night for the last 14.5 months, and I am so sleep-deprived and miserable at this point that it's time for a change.

[tarahsolazy]

On the water thing, my sister gave her kids sippys of water in their beds at night after they night-weaned, and they still at 5 and 7 sleep with glasses of water next to their beds. I think its a nice idea, and the water can't cause tooth decay, and the sippys don't leak!

[kaitlinsmommy]

Day 4 was hell here too. Dd was up for 1.5 hours twice. Day 5 was better & she did sleep through the night by the end of a week. But weeks later she was teething so I nursed her again at night. So, I've got a lot of work to do on the nightweaning again.

Oh, we also offered dd water & milk when she woke up at night but it just made her angry & she threw them on the floor. I would definitely offer water but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't want them.

Good luck! It's a difficult process.

[ohiomom]

We just went throught this with our 11 month old. I had an out of town business trip and she completely slept through for DH 2 nights. (And how exactly was that fair?!?!?) When I got home she got up middle of the night and I nursed her for 2 nights, but she was teething and had a fever. She then just started getting up between 10 and 11. This past week we were at my parents for 5 nights and she slept through all but 1 night. So I definitely encourage the motrin or tylenol at bedtime and I bet it will get better in a few short days. I hadn't had more than 4, occasionally 5 hrs of straight sleep since DD was born, really for even longer considering the getting up to use the bathroom while pregnant!! I finally feel human!
Nicole's Mom 7/03

[houseof3boys]

It is tough Susan! The 3 days was just way too short for us so I extended it so I could really establish a pattern of short feedings all the way down to 2 minutes on the last night. Ryan had 3 really bad nights and DH didn't really do much to soothe him execpt rub his back (the minute his hand would come off of Ryan's back the screaming would start up again) since Ryan didn't particularly care to be held and rocked.

Keep on trying and I promise it does get better. It is so stressful to go through but once it is done, you guys will be so much happier and Alex will sleep great. Ryan is still doing great 1.5 month later and he has only woken up a handful of times but managed to put himself back to sleep. :)

I was prepared to bring in a sippy of water but thought better of it when Shannon (sntm) said to try it without it and the more I thought about it I realized that it would be possibly creating another habit.

I hope tonight is easier!!! Hang in there. :)