I posted a few months ago about trying to get my son to sleep in his room and just wanted to update. After my last post I just started cosleeping again, we were exhausted and he was having nightmares and I felt more comfortable being with him for that. The day after his second birthday a little over a week ago I night and nap weaned my son from the breast..I'm about 4 months pregnant and haven't been producing milk for months and wanted to break the nurse to sleep habit for my sanity and for the new baby on the way. I figured it would at least make naps easier when I have a newborn if I can tell him to lay down and that's it. I was scared to start this, but it was way easier than I thought. Honestly he was just ready I think..he sleeps with Winnie the pooh as comfort. I'm not really a schedule person, I suck at making and keeping one..I've always followed my sons cues on eating and sleeping and it's always worked..he carved out his own schedule. He sleeps from 10:30pm-10am and naps from 1(1:30)-3(3:30).
For naps: we are on day 8 of the no boob nap. After lunch we gather the pillow and pooh out of the bedroom and put it on his toddler bed (which is currently in the living room.) We brush teeth and change his diaper..And I ask him to get in bed and lay down, he usually does it but verbally protests while doing so. (I don't want it, I want daddy, go away I don't want night night) and for the past few days he's been out within minutes. In the beginning there was some fuss, and by that I don't mean crying I mean he'd protest laying down. I ignored his fussing and laid him down. The first day took half an hour to get him to nap and he woke again after an hour and it was a fight to get him down to finish his nap. In the end he asked me to lay with him, but I let him hold my hand and it was good enough. Next day he asked to hold my hand, I obliged and he went to sleep within twenty minutes. Day 3 and on was like today..he verbally protests but gets in bed anyway and is out within minutes with no help and he didn't ask for any physical contact.
Now he's sleeping like a dream during the day, one or twice he's woken up but saw that I was still in the room and he just goes back to sleep.
Night time-we don't really have a solid routine and never have. I always try to do lotion, jammies, brush teeth, book and bed...but most of the time he sleeps in a t-shirt so the only thing we do most nights used to be brush teeth book and boob. I was so scared to take away the boob..he usually tucked in for it while his daddy was reading so we stopped reading for a while because as soon as daddy starts reading he asks for a boob. Also, in another post I explained we had been sleeping in the living room because a bed I inherited was taken from us and all we had was a matress on the cold floor (warmer in the living room thanks to carpet)
Night 1-we laid down..as soon as I was beside him he started pulling up my shirt. This was turning into a fit and I'd rather not make him cry over me..I've brought him comfort for so long and now all of a sudden it's a no? And I'm still gonna put it next to his face? I gave in, he suckled for 3 minutes and rolled over..out like a light.
Night 2 - I didn't want a repeat of the night before so I asked him to lay down..told him night night..and sat on the couch beside him. Took half an hour of watching me to make sure I want leaving and he fell asleep curled into daddy. I laid down with him and we slept good for a while..then at 3 am he woke up with a raging fever, screaming to nurse saying momma I want you! We gave home Tylenol and I gave him boob, extenuating circumstances..my boy is never sick and he needed me. We slept horribly after that, but mostly his sickness.
Night 3 - still sick but Tylenol kept his fever down, he couldn't breathe through his nose when laid flat so I sat up and he slept on my chest, but he didn't nurse all night. I slept horribly but he slept good, woke once and was given Tylenol for his fever and once that was back under control he was back down. His daddy also slept wonderfully in the bed in his own
Night 4- no longer sick but I felt like this was gonna be impossible. Not only have we not been following the weaning thing because of illness but we got a new bed and in a new room he hasn't been in for months. Nevertheless we put together his twin bed, our full bed, and put the sidecar crib on the other side (baby one the way!) I put my sons pillow and pooh in his bed and asked him to lay down, not expecting much to come of it. He went to sleep in minutes..woke up early in the morning (8am) and asked for snuggles, I obliged and he went back to sleep until his normal wake up.
Night 5 - same!
Night 6 - No wake up!
Night 7 - we were out all day, he fell asleep normal sleep time in the car and woke up when we were laying him in his bed..asked for pooh and went to sleep for the night! Kicked the cover off in the middle of the night and asked for cuddles..I obliged and he slept until normal wake up.
Night 10 we are gonna reintroduce the book.
I can't believe it has been this easy, no tears at all. It's probably mostly him, he's such a good little boy especially for two but he was extremely addicted to the boob so maybe this will help someone else. Feel free to ask any questions!
Sorry for any typos, I looked through but I may not catch some.. my phone makes me look illiterate.
ETA: we're going to dress him warmer tonight, since he coslept if he got cold he cuddled, if he got hot he moved further away. We've never dealt with this do it didn't occur to me that hed need something warmer at night.
