Not Working Anymore (#weaning, #co-sleeping, #breastfeeding, #ineedsleep)

Maybe if I put enough hash tags in the subject line this post will make the feed if someone who actually has a solution.

I'm starting to think the people who said it is possible to night wean while cosleeping were full of shit.

I really love sharing the family bed with my little one. And I really love breastfeeding. But I am really, really, REALLY tired of Mom's All Nigh Boob Cafe. I've spent the last 2 months trying to night wean with no success. Here is a timeline if my efforts:

- August: tried to remove myself from the picture and break the habit from midnight to 5am. Bug woke up and cried a couple times a night. DH took to wearing earplugs to sleep. Survived at this for about a week then MIL came to visit so I moved back to bed

- September: Tried to pick up where we left off only this time I stayed in bed and just refused to give it up. I got my own earplugs. Everyone got sick and I got an ear infection. Set night weaning plans aside in favor of rest and BFing a sick baby.

October: Tried to pick up where we left off with refusing to give it up, but the Bug has gotten more persistent. We had several nights where we "fought" about whether or not he would nurse for almost an hour before I caved and nursed. Back to the cold turkey plan. I spent 4 luxurious full nights sleeping upstairs again. From what I could tell, it seemed like we were making progress because I was only hearing one wakeup a night.

Tonight: DH was tired and grumpy from losing sleep the last few nights, and I was missing my family so I came back to bed sporting a boob blocking sweater and fully intending to stick to my guns.

2:00 am - bug decides he wants boob. I play possum for 40 minutes while he pulls my hair, scratches me, kicks me, and screeches. The part of my brain that read all those stupid baby sleep books says if I cave now, I just taught him that throwing a 40 minute tantrum is the way to get mom to wake up and nurse. The part of me that is tired says fuck it.

Now: wake up and blog about it.

There seem to be zero resources for this. Books about baby sleep don't really cover cosleeping issues, and the very few books I have found in cosleeping don't really cover night weaning. A few friends say they have had success doing what we are doing, but I am at my wits end. How much longer will this take?


- Blogging from my iPhone

Location:The All Night Cafe