Ten Steps To NOT Night Weaning Your Baby
Posted: December 4, 2013 Filed under: parenting, the husband | Tags: attachment parenting, breastfeeding, Down syndrome, nighttime parenting 22 CommentsRemember how Latke so confidently declared that he would one day regain the bed back from LP? How LP might be winning the battle, but that Latke would win the war? Well. Let me just share my handy ten step guide on how NOT to night wean your baby.
- Tell your partner you want to night wean, make a plan. As it is predictable that such an endeavor might involve some tears, it might be best to undertake the night weaning over a long weekend.
- On the first night, get your baby good and tired, stuff him full of dinner, then let him have a nice long nurse. Put him to bed. Stand over the bed and look at his adorable sleeping face and feel a little guilty for wanting to night wean him. Remember how much your back hurts from months of trying to sleep with him perma-latched to your boob from midnight to 7am, then don’t feel so bad.
- When your baby wakes for the first time expecting perma-boob time, send your partner to soothe him back to sleep. When partner pats the baby on the back for all of three minutes and insists that you nurse the baby back to sleep, you might give in and do it. Immediately regret it.
- The next day, discuss with your partner that perhaps more than three minutes will be required to soothe your baby when weaning him from the almighty boob at night. Maybe five minutes. Maybe (gasp!) even ten or more. Have your partner reluctantly agree.
- On night 2, listen to your partner cursing while getting out of bed to “soothe” your crying baby. Also hear him irrationally arguing with your baby about how rude it is to yell in the middle of the night. Devolve into a whisper-scream argument about how to soothe the baby to sleep. Your baby will momentarily stop crying because he will be inwardly laughing. His plan has worked, the ‘rents are crumbling, milk will come soon.
- Repeat steps 3-5.
- The next day, when your partner gamely suggests that he really needs his sleep to go to work (your long weekend is over by now), remind him that not only did you lose sleep while you carried his child for nine months, but that you woke up every two hours in the beginning to nurse the sleepiest-baby-ever. Yes, there was a blissful couple months when he slept through the night, but that bliss ended many, many months ago. Invite your partner to sleep with a kicking, 20 pound bundle that is permanently attached to his nipple all night, every night. Would a few tired days at work be the equivalent experience? Would it???
- Finally, be relieved when the partner wakes up and soothes the baby back to sleep with no cursing or arguing. Unfortunately, this night, you wake up the baby with your own allergic sniffles and snores. When your partner demands that you must then nurse the baby, recall the eight bajillion times that he woke up the baby with his snoring, and wait, oh, he never woke up and did diddly-squat about it except roll over and mutter about imaginary legal briefings in his head. Drowsily try to recall why it wasn’t like this when you night weaned your other two children, then realize you’re too tired to remember anything.
- Wake up in the morning to this little person:
- Take stock. Crook in my neck from sleeping funny, check. Tired parents, check. Irritated mommy, check. Outrageously cute baby who is still on the all night milk train, check. Night weaning: mission not accomplished.
And that, my friends, is how NOT to night wean your baby. In case you were wondering.
Kimchi Latkes 
Awww, it is so so hard. But look at his adorable face! I hope it gets easier, it sounds like it is your turn to get a good nights sleep :)
Thanks! His face in the morning gets me every time. It is really a hopeless situation, I have no defenses. ;)
I remember the difference with the other two: they obeyed my midnight cursing and yelling, and were persuaded by my “irrational” exhortations.
As for the rest of your fictional account, I take the Fifth.
Yes, I recall many other times you’ve taken the fifth, eh, husband?
I never did night wean. And I don’t even want to say how many years I spent nursing babies through the night. But now my youngest is eight and it’s all just a distant memory- mostly a happy one :-) All kids sleep through the night eventually… hang in there! The day will come when you will miss those nighttime snuggles. Although I’m not really at that point yet- if my kids try to come in my bed I’m like “no way! get in your own bed!!” Unless my husband is traveling, then I’m a little more likely to let one of them sleep with me.
Man, it isn’t the sleeping through the night, it is the permanent nursing. Although, sleeping through the night is an added bonus. ;) I wouldn’t mind cosleeping, if it didn’t mean there wasn’t a person permanently attached to my boob.
I tried to take a nap with Mouse a little while ago, she’s only 5 and the cuddle factor is already gone! I think she nearly broke my rib. Sheesh.
Hilarious! Men – ugh!
That’s what I’m saying.
Pitch perfect.
:)
Ohhhh…I feel ya.
Katie’s nineteen months old now and not interested in weaning. And I’m too tired to do anything about it. *Sigh*
(They are too cute for their own good–and mine.)
P.S. LP looks like he’s wearing a halo in the second photo. Such an innocent young babe!
Haha, it does look like a halo! Yes, *coughccough*, very innocent. I don’t know why, but of all things I’ve always had a hard time with the perma-nursing at night. It kills my back and just generally makes me miserable. I don’t mind nursing–I nursed Mouse until she was nearly 2 and Chipmunk until she was 1. But the all night business, it is killing me!
Awww…what a sweet face! Thank you for triggering some sweet, perma-boob memories. I weaned my perfect little daughter (now 19)exactly on her first birthday (just like the Toddler book told me to!). My son (now 14) wasn’t so easy. Though the nursing stopped years and years ago…he still needs a little of his mama in the middle of the night from time to time. His face is still adorable, too. Thanks so much for sharing…I love your words :-)
Yes, I think some kids just never go by the books! And we probably will always think our kids are adorable, won’t we? I envision irritating the kids by calling them cute when they are married and thirty. ;)
:-)
You are so bittersweetly hilarious. I feel your frustration and applaud your wisdom (well it IS wise to know exactly what you are up against and pick your battles). LP has the upper hand because he is your adorable baby. I doubt you would have it any other way. I do so love reading your reveries.
Thank you! Yes, definitely the upper hand!
Oh, we are right there with you. The little guy wasn’t eating much at night for a week or so–and then the sickness hit, and he was uncomfortable and whiny and hungry all night long for a week. And now everyone is healthy, but he’s back to liking those midnight snacks. Grr.
Illness throws a terrible wrench into everything, doesn’t it?? Hopefully this week will be better for us both!
I’m not laughing! Really, I’m not!
Oh, but you are. ;) I suppose I deserve it, as our attempt was clearly not designed for success to begin with. I just don’t remember it being like this with the girls, have I blacked it out??