April 15, 2012

A bit of a sleep related post...

So, after 15 months of co-sleeping and regular nighttime waking and feeding, the time has come to make some changes. The co-sleeping will continue but I am feeling the need for a full night's sleep - it's been two years (counting pregnancy night wakings!) and I'm a bit over it. Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed the way we have night parented (did I just coin a new term?) and I actually feel like I have slept pretty well since he was born, as well as having created a beautiful attachment with our little one. But it's just reached a point where I feel that I'm ready to have a bit more of a normal night's sleep. And perhaps an extra glass of wine in the evenings!

And so, the tumultuousness that is night weaning has begun.

Last night was our first night of The Plan. And I was taken back to the early months of walking up and down our apartment in the middle of the night rocking a baby boy in my arms. A little observation... 15 month toddlers are a LOT heavier than newborns.

Anyway, we survived the night with a few tears (from both of us), a bit of a sore back from above mentioned midnight wanderings and an hour or two less sleep than usual. But hopefully, it's the first step towards a better night's sleep for everyone.

I'm kind of writing this here to keep myself accountable, because it's hard work and in the middle of the night, it's very tempting to go back to the usual way of doing things. But I want to be able to look back in a couple of weeks time and see that the effort put in now has been worth it.

Wish us luck...


so cute. and so cheeky (and with a face recently planted firmly in the dirt). 

6 comments:

  1. good luck! sleep is such a tricky one, no right or wrong answers. would be a lot easier if each baby came with its own magical handbook.

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    1. Thanks Leslie. Yes, it's dominating our lives at the moment!

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  2. Oh lady, it's all bloody hard. I night weaned Olive a little before she turned 2, I just told her I didn't make any milk at night anymore and she basically started sleeping through after that. (She was already in her own bed.) It's given me the most amazing amount of confidence to know that usually, we just lob her off to bed and don't hear from her until the morning. You'll find your way through it, too. Good luck with it. Kellie xx

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    1. Thanks Kellie, nice to know that so many have been through it before us. We're getting there!!
      xx

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  3. PS That little face in that hat! Adorable.

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  4. My daughter is 19months a few weeks ago she woke at 3.30am for 2 weeks straight, wanted to play and wouldn't go back to sleep.
    Now she wakes at 4.30-5.00am, I can't wait to one day sleep until 7am. good luck with your sleeping, not sleeping journey!

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