Bedtime Routine after weaning

[lmr1101]

Hi,
I'm curious how everyone gets their kids to bed if you're not nursing.
This will be the first week after my DD weaned. She's just over 12 months and my DH will be the one putting her to bed. In the past I would nurse and then sometimes read her a book and then leave her room and she'd quietly fall asleep... my DH is planning on also reading to her but should he try to give her a sippy cup of milk as well?
I don't want to give her any milk after we put her in the crib, so should he try before reading to help her get ready for bed?
My concern with that is once she gets her teeth I know we would have to brush them after giving her milk, and won't that wake her up more than the milk helps her get to sleep?
Just curious how everyone else gets their kids to sleep once you're done nursing.
Thanks.

[Kestrel]

I was hoping someone else would answer first, but...(shrug). My baby is 13 months, only a little older than yours, and we are still struggling a bit with it. But here is what's working right now.

We have dinner, then an hour and a half or so of relatively quiet play. Not any big deal, but no Daddy throwing him up in the air, catch with the dog, ect. Then we change into pj's, eat bedtime snack, sippy of warmed milk, and clean teeth. Up the stairs to the bedroom, last diaper change, a book, then lights out. When we go lights out, I turn on the rainforest waterfall soother, sit with him in the rocking chair and rock. The soother has a built-in timer that you can set for 6 min, 12 min, or 20 min. I take my best guess on how long it will take him to settle down, but I almost always choose the 6 min. When the timer goes off, the music and night-light goes off, I put him in his crib, pull up his blanket, and walk out. Generally, he's sleepy but not out when he goes down, but he understands that when the soother goes off it's time to sleep.

A lot of the moms here recomend Ferber, but I didn't like it. I read and liked "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. I recomend that you go to your local library and read different methods, and do what works! Be aware that you're changing things by weaning, and it will take at least a couple of weeks to settle out, no matter what you do!

Good luck and sweet dreams!

[twowhat?]

We "Ferberized" our twins at 6 months of age because we were desperate for sleep, so they have been able to fall asleep on their own since then. I still nursed before bedtime, and they would usually fall asleep nursing. But when they got teeth, I would wake them to brush their teeth, then put them in their cribs and they'd fall asleep. Our bedtime routine when they were nursing was: dinner, play, bath, cuddle a little, nurse, brush teeth, read a book, and put in cribs to go to sleep. They weaned at 18 months and our routine changed to: dinner, play, bath, play/read books/watch TV (this is really the only time we let them watch TV and it's the Elmo bedtime DVD which they LOVE and it does help wind them down). While they watch TV they get a cup of cow's milk. They only drink a couple of ounces, but it's part of the routine now. Then brush teeth, read bedtime story, put in cribs to go to sleep.

If your DD is dependent on nursing to fall asleep, then it will be harder. If she can fall asleep on her own, it will be easy.

[truly scrumptious]

We transitioned pretty easily once DS was weaned. He is 18 mo. Our bedtime routine for the last 6-ish months has been:

- Bath
- Milk (bottle - yes, he won't take a sippy at bedtime, but that's another story)
- Brush teeth
- Turn down the lights and cuddle/play (low key) in our bed, usually with his lovey
- Take him to his room and put him down

I think the key was getting him used to the teeth brushing. It only took a few days for him to catch on that this was part of the bedtime routine, and it wouldn't wake him up much. We would use the cuddling time after that to wind him down, especially effective with the lovey and pacifier. He is alwasy awake when we put him down, but never makes a peep, and goes to sleep quite happily.

ETA - we also really liked the Weissbluth Healthy Sleep Habits book, as well as Pantley's "No Cry Sleep Solution"

[lmr1101]

Thanks for all of the advice. We've now been getting my dd to bed for the last 4 nights. I think I was much more worried than I needed to be :) My DH has been the one actually putting her in her crib - each time she's awake, but sleepy.
The first night she cried for less than 5 minutes! And it's only gotten better. Tonight while he was reading her the bedtime story she actually started to cry because she WANTED to go in the crib! He ended the story, put her in and she settled down and drifted off to sleep.
I should have made it clear that I had been nursing her but not until she fell alseep - she was always just "drowsy" and I'd put her in her crib.
I'm going to keep all of this advice as soon as we have to add the teeth brushing portion to the routine.