All you need to know about night weaning
Do YOU want to night wean?
Let’s start with normalising night feeds and some reassurance
You only EVER need to night wean when YOU want to!
It’s normal to need night feeds at ANY age
Night feeds are NOT a bad habit
There’s NOTHING negative about night feeds
Feeding your Small at night is NEVER wrong
Your Small and their night feed needs are as unique as they are.
And there’s NO set age or stage that they should have a certain number of feeds or drop them all by
Why do you want to night wean?
Night weaning is always an emotive and personal subject. However, you only need to wean because you want to and not because:
Baby Bob down the road has night weaned
You feel pressure to stop the feeds from someone else
You feel that you should have weaned by now
When is the right time to night wean?
There’s a LOT of conflicting conversations about this!
Some say from 6 months they won’t need night feeds and it’s ok to wean
And others say you need to wait until they naturally wean themselves.
I would never suggest night weaning as a strategy to improve your sleep and will always encourage you to wait as long as possible to wean but there’s always nuances.
Honestly, only you know when you and your Small are ready to night wean.
Because YOU are your Small’s expert. And the best person to know when you’re both ready to wean or put some feeding boundaries in place.
What you really need to know about night weaning
There isn’t a magic weaning wand. I REALLY wish there was but there’s no quick fix, short cut or hack to weaning.
Weaning is hard work. There’s never the right or best time for it to be easy and it takes time. It’s likely to be tiring. It’s likely to be tough. And you will all get less sleep!
Weaning won’t always stop their wake-ups. I know you really don’t want to hear this but sometimes you just lose what gets them back to sleep.
Weaning doesn’t always work. Sometimes they just aren’t ready when you first try. But it doesn’t mean you have failed or it’s never going to work.
Is it possible to wean responsively?
Weaning won’t be tear-free.
And I’ll always be honest about this.
Because it’s changing huge boundaries and your Small is bound to have big emotions about it.
So it’s totally unrealistic to expect it to be tear-free. It’s likely there will be tears (from both of you at times!)
But crying with a calm and responsive parent or caregiver present who’s supporting them through their tears is not the same as cry it out.
However just because myself and other parents feel this is caring and responsive doesn’t mean you do! You need to make an informed choice that you feel comfortable and confident with.
Night Weaning tips on time and timing
Take your time. There’s no rush and you don’t need to drop every single feed at once
There’s never the perfect time but try to avoid weaning when they’re ill, teething or going through a learning leap
Take the time to prep. Chances are it’s going to be tiring so think about how to make this temporarily easier for everyone. Can you plan some lower-key days/activities? Can you batch-cook some simple meals? Can you ask for some support or help?
If weaning doesn’t work it’s not your fault and you aren’t failing. Chances are it’s about the timing. Pause it for now, give it more time and then try again
Do you want to night wean?
If you’re looking for an honest and pragmatic approach to night weaning that doesn’t involve leaving your Small to cry solo or unsupported check out my Night Weaning Workshop.
Explore: my Courses could help you manage your child’s sleep
Are you exhausted from your Small rising early? The early-rising workshop is here!
Join me for this workshop and I'll talk you through:
- Realistic early rising expectations
- The early bird basics
- The chicken and egg cycle of early rising
- How to move away from the early rising cycle
I created the weaning webinar for families who would like to explore night-weaning - with care. Whether that’s slowly reducing night feeds or stopping them altogether. If you can’t make my live Weaning Webinars, spaces were sold out, or you would prefer to work through the steps in your own time - then this self-paced workshop is for you!
WHAT YOU’LL GET:
Access to the Night Weaning Webinar recording, plus an accompanying Sleep Plan PDF - which you’ll use to create your own customised sleep plan, in your own time, and at your own pace.