"Night weaner, night weaner..."

The title of this post should be sung to the tune of "Night Fever" and danced to with all the enthusiasm of someone who has a better night's sleep in their not-so-distant sights.

"Wait, your kid's like, almost two and you still nurse...and at night?"

I DO, people. Or rather he does, while I pull my shirt up, flop back and close my eyes, or better yet catch up on Pinterest or my favorite blogs by the glow of the iPhone screen. Midnight inspiration y'all!

Despite the cray-cray-crazy advice you may have read in certain evangelical-baby-training-books-that-will-not-be-named, not all babies are ready to sleep through the night in the first months or year. Mamas are ready to, for sure, but babies work a little differently. Dr. Jay Gordon, who I often wish I could hug, says,

"I don’t recommend any forced sleep changes during the first year of life. Probably the only exception to this would be an emergency involving a nursing mom’s health. There are many suggestions in books and magazines for pushing “sleeping through the night” during a baby’s early months or during the first year. I don’t think this is the best thing to do and I am quite sure that the earlier a baby gets “non-response” from parents, the more likely he is to close down at least a little."

It's not a "science reason," but it's one that makes sense to me. Nurturing needs get responded to in my neck of the woods. My little dude, always quite little, has needed those extra nighttime calories to stay on the growth charts. Is it convenient? Not so much. Is it part of my job? Absolutely. I feed the hungry bee.

As he's grown though, the nightnursings have become more of a habit, a cozy and sweet yet increasingly exhausting habit, and so a pattern change is in order. I'm mustering my spirits and strength, gathering wisdom from friends and the mamas of the world wide web, and making a plan for a gentle transition. We share a bed, so it's going to mean some rearranging as we figure this thang out. 

Big sister is usually in her own bed, but this arrangement was too cute not to enjoy for a bit tonight.

Sleep, I'm coming for you!

Because I'm nearly almost mostly sort of sure thinking that we're done birthing babies in this family though, I have a tendency to hold on to these things. There are all of these fleeting little things that I know I'll miss in a few better-rested years. I will miss this, I will. When Kelle Hampton shared that she kept her hospital bracelet on for days after her son's birth, I totally got it and I'm sure you did too. We hang on. 

Breastfeeding in general is still going strong. I think the little dude has entered into a bit of a renaissance with it, wherein he now can ask for it (gasp!) by his own words instead of just curling up in my lap and nuzzling in. And he is asking for it...from the backseat of the car, when the handyman is here, and sometimes from the shopping cart at the grocery store, just for kicks. He likes the look I give him when he says it..."Na na?" And then I'm all, "Oh no you di-int..." and he laughs at me as if to say, "But seriously. NA NA."

So until these dream feeds are fully ready to make their exit, I'm slipping into something more comfortable. I've been trying out a comfy and fabulous nursing tunic from a fabulous new sponsor to this blog, Lady Lait. I can't wait to share it in a review with you (and give one away to a reader)! Soon soon, friends. 

And if you night-weaned an older baby or toddler, how did you do it?