Almost 19 months old. She nurses approximately every hour- or about 7 times a night.
I wait until all the standard 18 mo teeth have sprouted. Also for her to understand what I am saying when I say "Nanu is asleep- wait for the birds to start singing" or "wait for the sun (light) in the window."
I will stay with her and assure her I will be there for her. And love on her in other ways.
Night #1
Pre-bedtime snack trader Joe's cultured coconut yogurt cup
Nursed her down @ 11 pm.
She woke at 2. She asked for Nanu and I said Nanu Is sleeping. She cried for an hour. I tried offering her water. I tried soothing her. Rubbing her feet. Patting her back. Nothing frantic just kind of smoothly offering comfort and backing off of each method that she didn't like. I switched on our bedtime playlist at about 40 minutes in. After about an hour she took some water and calmed down while I sang nursery rhymes.
We caressed each other for 20 minutes, she smoothed my face and hair and I did the same to her , all in the dark room with limited environmental light coming in the window. She fell asleep and I lay there for 5-10 minutes then tried to shift her off of my arm. She woke up and cried. I gave her some water. We moved over to more of a permanent spot for sleeping and I rubbed her feet with lavender and she calmed down as she held the lavender bottle and asked "what is this?" Then she tried to repeat "it's the lavender bottle". She fell asleep and I checked the time. 4:15. She slept until 6:50. I nursed her and she went back to sleep. Slept until 9:15
In the day time I expected her to be ornery and crabby and clingy- justifiably. So I was ready to be really comforting and available and not put her off at all when she asked to nurse. But she was so happy and playful and sweet. We all marveled at how she seemed to be handling it.
Night #2
Late dinner chipotle
Nursed her down @11
1:45-2:45 crying for 20, asleep, awoke when I transferred. Crying, asleep, waited awhile and then transferred successfully. Both times she fell asleep with my arm under her neck.
Nursed @ 5:30, 7, 8:30
Still such a sweet girl. She ordinarily is so high needs and mercurial. But the past two days have been interesting.
She even opened up to a friend of mine that had been trying to befriend her for a year! She was giggling and playing with her, singing songs and reading books. Like some switch flipped.
Night #3
Olives and coconut yogurt for bedtime snack
John had been sleeping with Samantha for the past two nights and was having a rough time this night so sam said she'd take alice and I could take john. She assured me she would wake up and bring alice to me when she awoke. I was so exhausted I agreed because john was closer to going to sleep than alice was. I didn't nurse her down. Sam just got her to sleep. She came into my room at some point and the sun was up so I nursed her back down in my bed. Sam later told me it was 5:30. Sam also said alice woke at 4:30 and kept trying to wedge herself against Samantha until Samantha was pinned against her side rail. Samantha then moved alice next to her window and alice looked out and dozed in and out until 5:30. I'm kind of surprised it went so well with Samantha. And that is the longest stretch of sleep I've gotten in a looooong time. 11-5:30. I should feel like super woman. But I'm fighting a sinus/allergy problem so I still feel haggard.
Night #4
Got back from a walk and she nursed down at 9:15. No bedtime snack because sleep snuck in on her earlier than normal. Tired girl!
She was cranky today but part of it is probably BC she was adjusted against her will at the chiro this morning- trying to fix her atlas that was misplaced Saturday when she had torticollis- I never know how to spell it!
Woke at 1:45. Cried for 20 minutes but was able to comfort her- rubbing her feet. She lay awake and began talking to me. "Hi mommy". She twirled my hair and lay on me. She fell asleep but woke and was upset for a minute then climbed back to her original position of being propped on me.
I went ahead and moved her to a pillow. She moved off the pillow and kind of flopped around the bed. I moved her back to the pillow and used lavender and rock rub on her feet. She held the lavender bottle while i massaged.
I assumed she was asleep so I moved to my pillow and lay down. "Hi mommy"
I turned on Clare de Lune and began massaging again. She fell asleep before the song looped back a third time. It was 3am.
She woke at 6:15 and nursed back to sleep. Then again at 8:45
Night #5
Bedtime snack : Doritos and some sips of coconut yogurt.
Nursed down at 11.
She slept on the twin bed next to the king- now that daddy is back in town(notice bedtime snack). Nursed after sunrise. Not sure of the time. 5:30?
She has been so pleasant during the day this week- except for day 4.
I was worried that taking nursing away from her at night would make her more ornery- she is pretty moody as a child already. But it has actually chilled her out quite a bit. She also isn't as demanding when she wants to nurse during the day. She realized that I can say "no" and mean it. So she is sweeter when she asks for Nanu.
I'm curious to see if she drops her night diaper as well- since she only really uses it during times when she nurses.
Also- sunrise will get later and later so I like that it started out on the shortest night and will gradually become longer and longer.
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