When I started nursing my first goal was to make it to a year so that William-Weston would never receive formula. (Not trying to ruffle feathers...our older daughter Addison had to be on it some when she was baby. It's just not the best option for babies most of the time if it can be helped. Just a personal hope that he wouldn't need it.) Anyways... I wanted to make it to a year but in my heart of hearts my goal was 18 months. Part of the way that I nursed Weston was in fear of it not working out because of my experience with Addison. I let him nurse all the time! Nursing about every hour and a half during the day for a very long time. At night if he cried, I nursed him. In my head I felt like if I let him get attached to it at night, he would be dependent on it and not wean early. I was very successful in this. Weston has only slept through a full night twice in his life and that was a long time ago. He currently wakes up 2-3 times, sometimes more. Not always drinking much milk, but at least sucking for a few seconds before I lay him back down. It's been an exhausting 17 months! Trust me, I'm tired every day...but I did it to myself. My goal for long term nursing was more important than my desire to sleep consecutive hours. Occasionally I had days that I really wished he'd sleep (especially when we traveled or people came over) or in the middle of the night if he'd already been up 3 times I would get frustrated. For the most part though, I was used to it and did it willingly.
Yesterday Weston turned 17 months. I see no signs that we wont make it to my nursing goal of 18 months. I talked to Nathan about really being ready to get him to night wean. I have no intention of making him stop nursing the day he turns 18 months. As far as I'm concerned, my view on this...
"The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mother and baby desire. The World Health Organization recommends continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond."...is that I agree and if he wants to continue nursing as long as both of us are in agreement then we will for right now and address it later. However, I am no longer really ok with getting up this much at night. Ideally for me at this point, would be to let him nurse before bed and then not allow it again until around 5 am or later. If he stays true to his current schedule he would be nursing... when he wakes up for the day, after his morning nap, when he goes down for his second nap, and at bed time (4 or 5 depending on that early morning feeding also). This will probably adjust soon when he drops the morning nap.
I've tried to deny him in the middle of the night and he gets really mad at me. Trying to lift my shirt in panic, throwing his snuggle and pacifier, crying, etc. I cave in because that breaks my heart. So I told Nathan I really needed his help. Last night Weston woke up around 9:30. When Nathan walked in the door Weston screamed NO!! and I could hear him just crying and calling for me. Nathan said he was trying to rock him and he kept kicking his legs and pushing him away and crying. Basically it took about an hour to get him to go back down. Nathan left room a couple times and put him in his bed and he would of course keep screaming. He would wait 1-2 minutes and then go back in. In the end, Weston wouldn't even let him pick him up and threw himself down on the bed crying. Nathan got him to calm down, picked Weston up and rocked for a couple minutes, put him back down, and rubbed his back for a minute. He finally drifted off to sleep. We prepared ourselves for him to be waking up in the next 30 minutes and probably many times throughout the night...I woke up to him crying at 5:36AM!!! Couldn't believe it!! He hasn't slept that long in at least 9 months!
I hope we can see this through. It might get worse for a few days before it gets better. I'm so thankful that Nathan is finally ready to help me in this! I know I'll cave if I do it alone and I will not let him just lay in there and cry. It was hard enough knowing Nathan was in there and hearing him scream! It's also good to know there weren't any hard feelings. He nursed at 5:30 and again a little after 7 when he woke up and then was cuddled up with his favorite guy and giving him lots of kisses and smiles.
So here's to night weaning!! :)
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