my 16 month old uses me as a pacifier during the night!!
By mama4kids
@mama4kids (690)
United States
May 12, 2007 7:55am CST
i still co sleep with my 16 mo old who is still nursing twice a day. in the middle of the night, i wake up to him nursing, but mainly just using me as a pacifier. i dont know how to get him into his own bed so that we can wean off the breast. i think it is almost time so i am trying to get him started but he isnt allowing it. he is a booby boy and he asks for it at least once or twice a day. he now just nurses in the morning and before bed but at least once during the day, he rips at my shirt and ask for it. i feel bad but enough is enough i guess..lol. anyone have issues weaning their baby or that their baby uses them as a pacifier during the night?? help!!
3 responses
@amoreco (180)
• United States
12 May 07
I have the same problem..my 18 month old boy doesn't want to quit!I am trying to stop for months, but We are getting better.At night, I won't nurse..he cried a lot in the beggining,but I gave him a bottle (flavored milk), and now he is taking the bottle at night.He is sleeping on his crib and this helped a lot.Now I have to stop nursing in the afternoon nap!...Buy a soft bottle and try at night.he will cry but he will take the bottle.The doctor told me to let him cry because now is just for confort.
@jolanda33 (720)
• Netherlands
13 May 07
i hope you don't give him that bottle all night?
it's so bad for the teeth did you know that? i did,and i stiil give my girls just a pacifier during the night.
a friend of mine gave her daughter a bottle every night and now her teeth are very bad, pieces of teeth are breaking and it is not sure the next teeth are healthy(when she looses her first teeth)
i let my girls sleep in their own room from the beginning and never had any problems during the night. My youngest one will be one tomorrow, and she sleeps the whole night(after her last bottle around 9 pm)
@amoreco (180)
• United States
14 May 07
Hi !I know about the bottle...I just started 3 weeks ago to give him milk around 4;00,5;00,when he wakes up for the first time.I am worry about that too,but i had to stop nursing,especially because I am 5 months pregnant..My doctor told me I had to stop.I give him 1 bottle and I brush his teeth in the morning and night.He won't take the pacifier...I hope he will sleep all night soon...Thank you for for writing about this!I hope other people will read.
@mommy20212004 (350)
• United States
16 May 07
I had this problem with my last two children, and will probably have it with my newborn. When I wanted to wean them I just had to take them off cold-turkey and endure a few nights of what seemed like endless crying. Luckily, it only took two or three nights for them to get used to no booby at night. I didn't take them completely off though. I continued to nurse some during the day, but I gradually reduced the amount of time they nursed until they were completely off. Both of them were weaned by 18 months and I haven't had to deal with any relapses. My advice would be to just cut them off at night as abruptly as you can, if you can deal with a few nights of screaming and no sleep. You can still co-sleep if you want, just don't give in and let him nurse. And, try to let him nurse at least a few times during the day, gradually decreasing the feedings until you've completely weaned him. Hope this helps. Good luck!
@wdiong (1815)
• Singapore
12 May 07
I had quite a similar problem as you with my son who just turned two a couple of weeks ago. He still nurses when he wants to nap in the afternoon and used to nurse himself to sleep at night too. It was really a difficult process but you need to be firm. When he wakes up in the night, I'll offer him some water and bring him back to his bed. (We do not co sleep)All I can say is that it takes time because my son is now able to fall asleep at night without nursing although he still wakes up in the night now and then. I am praying that the day will come soon when he will sleep through the night so that I can have my rest:)
