Well, we started night weaning Mikaela on Saturday night, that is, two night ago. So far it's going well. Last night I *think* she woke up once before Chris came to bed (but after I was in bed), and then she didn't wake up again until 5:10am. That's not particularly unusual, she has phases where she'll do that for a few days or a week, and then she'll go back to waking at twelve or one or two or three or some combination there of. And 5. And it sounds good (sleeping from 12-5am being the very definition of sleeping through the night, oddly enough), but actually it's a bit annoying, since usually I am then up with her until six, when she may go back to sleep, but I know the alarm will be waking me up in perhaps half an hour. So basically, when she wakes up at five, my night usually ends at five.
Not so last night. Night weaning means that when she wakes up, Chris gets up to her. That's only temporary, once we've got it into a routine we'll take turns. Probably have three nights on (with both kids), three nights off and then alternate Saturday nights, or something like that. But back to the point, last night she didn't wake up until 5:10, when Chris went down to her. But was he up with her for the better part of an hour (or more)? No, he had her back down within ten minutes. And then she slept until 6:45. So like I said, so far it's going pretty well.
I forgot to prepare her the way I did with Liam (I'm sure I've talked about that here, but can't find the post to link to). I think I mentioned it, almost in passing, on Friday night when we were having our last nurse before bed. Then all day Saturday I meant to remind her with each feed, but all day I forgot. So I told her before bed on Saturday night. I said that we wouldn't be having mummy-milk in the night any more after bedtime. If she woke up in the night she could go back to sleep by herself (I always tell her that!), or Daddy would come down and rock her to sleep. And in the morning, at breakfast time, we would have mummy-milk again.
She woke up twice on Saturday night, once quite early, when Chris would usually be the one to go to her anyway, but she cried each time. Chris was able to settle her though, and in the morning she slept in till almost 7:30, which was lovely.
Then on Sunday I reminded her a few times during the day, while she was nursing. And Sunday night I reminded her again, and finished by saying "And if you wake up in the night, who will rock you back to sleep?" "Daddy!" she replied, quite happily. Tonight we went through the same routine. So hopefully, tonight will be as easy as last night. And after a couple more days of this, I will try going down and soothing her to back to sleep, without breastfeeding, and we'll see how that goes.
Right now though, I am going to bed.
