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Home › Articles › Weaning › Lights out on Night Nursings

Lights out on Night Nursings

A Gentle Approach to
Night Weaning

By Teri Brown

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Her second child was not so easy. "We tried so many things and the only thing that worked was time," says Jones.

Oddly enough, Jones' third child weaned herself. "Experiment what works for you and your child," says Jones. "Things that worked for others might be totally wrong for your kid. And even if you have figured it out for one child does not mean that the same method will work for the next child too!"

The Key to Successful Weaning
West believes that individuality is the key to night weaning success. "I think there are no shoulds," she says. "It depends on the personalities of the mother and the child. We all have different needs."

Whether you wean your child from breastfeeding at night depends on what you and your child need. West believes that for some mothers the need for uninterrupted sleep is the critical factor. "For other mothers, the need for privacy is more important," she says.

No matter what your needs are, one of the key issues to keep in mind is your child's maturity level.

"I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that many 2-year-olds have big needs and really crave the reassurance of being with Mom during the night, and this usually coincides with the time that Mom is feeling she is tired of nursing and really just wants her body back and to sleep a whole night through," says West. "But making a big struggle about this now often results in deeply upsetting the child's fragile developing sense of trust and security."

West believes that if Mom can hold out just a little bit longer –even just a few more months – she might find that things change on their own. Most moms of nearly-3-year-olds find that the children are suddenly ready to give up those night feedings and most are ready to be weaned altogether.


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