Well, we did it. JJ is completely weaned. I think it was more saddening for me than for him. At a year I stopped pumping at work and was nursing 3 times a day. At 13 months, I dropped the afternoon feed. At 14 months, I dropped the morning feed and now at 15 months we are done. I was sad to have it happen. JJ could have nursed forever if it were up to him. He didn’t even put much fuss up about it. As long as he’s not reminded of it anyway (i.e., I’m covered up), he doesn’t throw a fit. He is down to one bottle a day as well–generally before bedtime. He has 2 sippys of milk and 2 sippys of juice a day. He’s such a precious boy. I am truly sad to have this part of our relationship end, but figured since I was doing it more for me than for him at this point that it was time. I am so thankful to have lasted this long especially because there were times when I wasn’t sure I was going to make it much longer.
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As I posted before, JJ has successfully gone from 2 feedings a night to one. That was a while back when that happened. About a month or so ago, when he was ten months old, we stopped night feeding all together and that has worked out wonderfully. So we are 2 for 4 on successful weaning.
One of the other stages, sleeping all night in his crib instead of our bed, has been absolutely successful in the past 3 days. However, I believe it is due to a couple of factors. First and foremost, he has been able to sleep as late as he wants in the morning because it is my spring break. He goes to sleep around 930 or 10 and sleeps until 7 for his morning feed and then back to sleep until 8 or 9 am. He’s rested and not over tired so it’s easy for him to stay in his crib. Secondly, I haven’t been putting him in our bed on his first wake up. I give him the binkie first and if he’s still crying after a long while or wakes up again, only then will I put him in our bed…but it’s been a while.
The last stage, putting himself to sleep, well that has worked for 3 out of the past 4 days. We get him relaxed with us in our bed…not asleep mind you, just relaxed, and then stick him in his crib. He whines for a few minutes–1-5 minutes, then crashes and sleeps all night. I don’t think this stage will be fully met until I stop with the bedtime nursings and I’m not sure when that will happen.
Currently, we are on 3 nursings a day–wake up, get home from work, and bedtime. During the weekends, I add one more in. My supply is decreasing dramatically. The past two weeks at work, I’ve only been able to pump less than an ounce each day. It’s sad. This week I’ve been trying to pump during spring break so that I don’t have to pump when I get back to work and it’s been disappointing–I pump 3 times a day for 15 minutes at a time and I got a grand total of 2 oz….I’m so close to my goal–JJ will be 1 in 14 days. I don’t have enough frozen milk to get him through that time. On his birthday, we’re cutting out all feedings except wake up and bedtime and who knows when those feedings will go. I know I’m going to miss it though. It’s nice having those mommy and baby bonding times.
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Just thought I’d give everyone an update on how baby JJ and family are doing. JJ is transforming into a more goregeous little boy each day that passes by. He’s 10 1/2 months old now. When you slick his hair back, he really looks a lot like John. He is still eating broccoli, which amazes me since it is green. He eats it plain for grandma and Brittney, disguised in fruit for the babysitter and for me, only when he wants to. He’s turned into a picky eater for me and will only take cereal and maybe fruit from me. He’s still not walking, little booger. He has gotten so quick while crawling that I think he figures out, “What do I need to walk on my legs for?” After all, he’s been crawling for almost 5 months now and he’s been cruising for about 2 1/2. He just doesn’t seem to have the confidence to let go. One night I decided that I was going to try a technique for night weaning. I’ve heard that if you make their middle of the night feeding 10 minutes or so later each night until it runs into the morning feeding, that they’ll eventually stop wanting it. Well, the night I decided to do that, he never woke up for his feeding and the same thing has happened 3 nights in a row. Yay! I’ve figured that the key to doing this is not letting him snack during the evening so he is extra hungry at bedtime and gets more full to last him longer. Seems to be working. **fingers crossed**
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We have successfully completed the first stage of weaning! JJ is only waking up once a night and is eating then and sleeping til morning! Now, if only I didn’t fall asleep during that feeding, he’d probably stay in his crib all night and then we’d be done with stage two as well! YAY!
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So I’ve determined due to my lack of nighttime rest, that there are four stages to nighttime weaning. The first stage is going from two nursings a night to one. The second is (and this was a problem caused by me falling asleep during nursings) weaning him to feel comfortable in his crib instead of our bed. The third is going from one nursing a night to none and the last is being able to put himself to sleep.
I’ve determined that this is going to be a long and hard process. We’re working on simultaneously doing the first two stages. It’s going ok…just ok. It’s been about a week now and I only feed him the first time he wakes up. The next however many times it happens, John or I will put him back to sleep. He always sleeps better and wakes up fewer times when he’s in our bed. It’s like he can’t get comfortable in his own. But I’m trying to be diligent with getting him back in the crib every time. I’m hoping to have completely night weaned within the next month. Well, when I first started writing this post, I was much more motivated. Now I’m completely tired because I’ve been up so long and have been out of the house much of the day…sorry for the abrupt ending!
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Our little one has a bad habit; can you guess what it is?
Every night daddy and I give into little JJ’s cravings for one more bed time snack… and one more after that… oh and another one after that!
I’ve read that at six months of age that he should only be eating roughly six times each day but I swear my son must have been paying attention to TV commercials in the womb where the actor / actress suggests eating many more smaller meals a day to help lose weight. Unfortunately that means 9 - 10 feedings a day for our little guy!
The reason daddy and I give in is because he makes us feel bad for him right before bed. It is as if he knows he is going to be going to bed and won’t get fed again until morning… accept that never happens that way because he certainly wakes up for a midnight snack or two! Anyways, the water works and the crying starts up and does not stop until he gets his way.
I long for the days when our little one will be breast feeding and eating other foods. I can FINALLY have my husband get up in the middle of the night and feed him! My husband on the other hand often has conversations with me about why I think he should wake up in the middle of the night with me.
Anyways, one bad habit we will have to break little John of sooner or later.
Lord give us the strength!
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