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How Does He Know?

Well, after Scott's 21 day trip and Ethan's new schedule of waking up 2-3 times a night to nurse, I've decided to start weaning him. By that I mean that a few times, I've tried to offer him a bottle of formula or rice milk (I'm trying to get rid of some eczema on him so we are avoiding cow's milk). Everytime he has tasted, and then rejected the bottle. He will take juice from a bottle & sippy cup but apparently, not milk. I even put strawberry syrup in one to make it taste good and I offered vanilla rice milk. No way jose.

Now, it seems as though he knows what's going on and wants to make sure I know where he stands on the issue. He now wants to nurse every 2 hours and his latch on is better than ever. Also, he makes this little humming noise while he nurses as if to say, "this is the best thing ever, I'm so happy and satisfied right here." How does he know? How does he know that I am trying to move him onto the next step? Scott and I have always based our parenting on the idea that the babies/ kids know and get way more than we think they do. So far, we've never gone wrong with that theory. I guess this is just one more example.

So, for now, it looks like I've still got a breastfed baby. Those of you that have/are nursing after a year, are your children sleeping through the night? Any tips on getting him to sleep through the night again? Should I just ignore him? The tricky thing is that he doesn't eat much of anything else. So maybe he really is hungry?!?! 

Posted on Sunday, April 22, 2007 at 08:44PM by Registered CommenterSheryl Bane | Comments16 Comments

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Ha- they are very, very smart little people!! Gray does sleep all night. I'd say he started doing that after 1 year. Occasionally he'll still wake to nurse, but he sleeps with us, so he just goes right back to sleep and we never have to get out of bed. I would just go with your instincts on this one if you can!!

Steph
April 22, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterAdventures In Babywearing
Hmmm... My kids were all sleeping through the night by 1, breastfed or bottle (had both). Other than just not offering anything at night (and toughing it out, rocking and singing and such) I don't have much advice. Good luck!
April 22, 2007 | Unregistered Commentertracey
I've been out of the baby/breastfeeding stage for so long. My 'baby' is 8 yrs. old! I know it would be tough to let him cry at night, but I really think if you start with letting him cry for 5 minutes before you go get him, then increase the time to 10, then 15 minutes...things would get better. I remember doing that with Alisha when she would wake at night. He's not going to starve himself, either. He's old enough to eat table food, and maybe when he's not being nursed through the night so much, he'll expand his tastes to more than black beans and Chex.
I hope this doesn't seem mean or harsh to you, and I'm sure someone will have something to say about how horrible it is, but I did let all 3 of my girls 'cry-it-out' at one time or another, and they are well-rounded, stable, A & B honor roll kids!
Hope this helps some and you don't hate me now!
April 22, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterLisa
Ok! I looked around your website for an email address and couldn't find one... so this has nothing to do with the post! Hope you don't mind! This morning on our local morning show on NBC they had a segment about a website called Helium or something like that where you can answer questions, write articles, etc and make money. They showed you! Not your picture! But one of your posts! I was too far away to see what it was about, but I saw peanut butter jelly boats in blue letters! I thought it was sooo cool! Anyway.... I was getting ready for work and thought I was going to bust if I didn't get to a computer quick! :) You're famous! Have a great day!
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterLu
You were on the news!
now you gotta let us in on what you find out!
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered Commentercrookedeyebrow
My philosophy (lol!) on weaning wasn't replacing anything with a sippy or bottle. I just extended the time b/w each feeding. That's how sleeping thru the night happened for her, too. Then at the very end of the bf/weaning, I still wasn't replacing per se (I mean, obviously, I was b/c she had to eat...but as far as our routine, it wasn't replacing bf, kwim?), I would just redirect. So, for example after her nap is when I usually nursed her. Instead I'd get her up and we'd look at a toy, or change her diaper and then go get a snack and a sippy cup. If she asked to nurse, I would, but I didn't just do it.
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered Commenteramanda
My pediatrician said that most normal-sized babies have the capacity to sleep through the night at around 6 months. After a while, it just becomes habit. Even though I stopped nursing my son when he was six months, he formed terrible habits with waking up at the exact same time every night. After a week of sleep training, he is FINALLY on track to sleeping better!
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterAmber
I can't help much on the sleep issues as my bf baby has slept through the night since before 4 months. However, I can commiserate with the weaning/cup training issue. At 9 months mine has decided that she can't lie down long enough to finish a feeding most of the time (does okay at first morning feeding and usually at bedtime feeding). I'm considering going to a cup during the day (she won't even look at a bottle), but she doesn't do real well yet. Good luck with whatever you decide, and especially with the sleep issues!
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterJana
The Boy and The Baby both nursed past a year - The Boy woke up multiple times at night until his dad slept downstairs with him for several nights. It worked, but he also weaned during the day at the same time, so be aware that might happen.
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterBeck
I have always been an advocate for teaching babies/toddlers to sleep thru the night without a need to nurse or bottle feed on their own. But some parents do not have the same opinion -- which is fine. I think what Steph says about using your instincts is best. What one parents believes may differ from another.

If you would like your nights back then maybe you should consider a sleep-training method??? It's not popular, but a decision you and Scott can make as you both will hear a lot of crying. Again, you do what YOU feel is right!!!
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterGlass Half Full
AH! It's SO pretty, your new look!!!!!!!!!!

Steph
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterAdventures In Babywearing
I of course don't nurse, but I have several friends who do, with babies over one year, and they don't sleep through the night yet either! Heck, the Beast barely does and she's 16 months now! I really could use some un-interupted sleep, gosh, that'd be heaven!
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered Commenterflipflopmamma
new look!
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered Commentercrookedeyebrow
I like the new look! Very Spring!
April 23, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterLisa
I've run the gamut with my nurslings... #1 slept through the night early and nursed until 20 months, #2 night nursed until 2.5 and weaned at 32 months. #3 is waking up once or twice to nurse at 11mo and that seems pretty normal to me.

We don't do CIO and it's just easier to nurse the baby back to sleep for me. As ds got older, sometimes dh would get him back to sleep just by rubbing his back in the time that it took me to wake up enough to open my bra and that showed me he was just waking up by habit.

A lot of people really recommend the techniques in the No-Cry Sleep Solution.

Oh, and weaning doesn't have to be all or nothing... you can work on night-weaning but continue nursing during the day. :)
April 25, 2007 | Unregistered Commenterbusybusymomma
Hi Sheryl! I'm just checking out your website. Very cool! Anyway,while you know I have no children, you do know I have raised many puppies and trained many dogs. ;-) Reading all the replies here, I locked on to Lisa's advise right away. That's exactly how you train a puppy to make it through the night! It takes will power to not want to run to the crying baby or puppy immediately and give it what it wants, but doing just that is just reinforcing the behavior.
There, that's my doggy wisdom of the day. :-) Good luck!
Hope to visit you in Tampa!
April 28, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterDebbie O

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