Charlotte Has Weaned Off Night Feeding!

Note:This post has been saved as draft for a month! Every time I try to complete the post, something comes up and it's back into the draft folder 😒

Charlotte has been sleeping through the night for the past whole week month!

So I think I can safely proclaim that Charlotte has finally weaned off night feeding and sleeping through the night woohoo~! 🎉🎉🎉
*throws confetti*
*bunny hopping*
*throws more confetti*

Even if she's awaken by the sound of a closing door when her dad steps out of the room getting ready for work in the morning, she would wake up immediately to check if I'm still on the bed. And when she sees me there, she will hold my hands for awhile, calls out to me, and give a little kiss on my hand before falling back on her bed and goes back to sleep. Sometimes she'll climb up the bed just to lay next to me for awhile before going back to sleep on her own bed.

I know because while all this happens, I'm usually awake and will observe quietly in the dark. I must say that I am very proud of her when she didn't wake me up or try to get me to lay with her on her bed. I am also very emotional because this, to me, is a HUGE achievement unlocked. She's on her way to her big-girl-hood *cue tears*

I know some of you might be eager to know how I do it. The thing is, I never plan to wean her off night feeding because she's so addicted to the breast that I never thought it's possible. Or else I might have given this post the title "How to Wean Off Night Feeding".

It all started when we're in Japan.

You see, the thing about winter wear is, it's not nursing friendly at all. I was worried cause, as much as she is fine without the breast during the day when she's in the nursery, it's a totally different story when she's with me during the weekend, especially before nap time. But I decided to brave through it, go with the flow and endure come what may.

True enough, there're storms and tantrums for the first few days when she couldn't have access to the breast as much as she likes. But eventually, she accepted it and fell asleep in the stroller/ carrier herself. It got easier after the 3rd day, I think. She could go on the whole day without latching for the rest of our days in Japan. That being said, she's the happiest at night when we're back at our home stay apartment cause she could have free access and free flow lol.

The signs.

When we're back in Malaysia, it was these 3 incidents that gave me signs.

1. 👉 One night, I think it was out of exhaustion, she slept through the night. I woke up a few times to check on her but she was all fine. Even snored a bit. 
2. 👉 The next night, she woke up once and was searching for me. I'm not sure if she was too tired. She stood up and saw me on my bed. She called out to me. I pretend to be asleep and didn't move. Instead of crying, she fell back onto her bed and fell asleep! 
3. 👉 Then there was another night, instead of sleeping at the breast, she unlatched after the lights went off. Played around a little, tossed and turned and... she fell asleep. ON HER OWN! 

And that's when I thought to myself, maybe she's ready.

How I started weaning her off night-feeding.

So the next night, I started to wean her off night feeding. She still gets her access to the breast, but I stop allowing her to fall asleep with it. So after the lights're off, I unlatched her and told her "No more.". She would cry and try to pull my hands away from my shirt. And cried even more pitifully when I didn't give in. I would hug her as she cry, pat and stroke her head to tell her that it's ok.

She didn't cry for long though. Maybe a minute or two. Then she started to roll around and give me kissessssss haha. And eventually fell asleep within the next 10 minutes.

She woke up twice in the middle of the night and asked for the breast. But I didn't give in. She cried. I hugged and kissed her, and kept telling her that it's ok. She rolled around, and fell back asleep herself!

On the second night, we repeated the same routine. She could have access to the breast as much as she wants before the light turned out. So after we turned the lights out, she was surprisingly fine when I told her "Enough"! She unlatched herself and started rolling around. She couldn't fall asleep soon enough like the day before so she did try to get to the breast but I didn't allow. Instead of throwing tantrums, she kept kissing me hahahahahahahaha. And eventually fell asleep 💜

She woke up once in the middle of the night. And as usual, I didn't give in. So she hugged me tight, cried a little, rolled over and fell back asleep.

On the third night, she's totally fine when I told her "Enough" after the husband turned off the lights. Maybe she wasn't sleepy yet, she started to wander around the room, singing out loud lolol. Occasionally came to me and gave me kisses with "MMMMMMMUUUUAAAAH" sounds hahahahahahahaha. It took her around 30 minutes to fall asleep. She didn't wake up in the middle of the night but she woke up when she heard the sound of the closing door when the husband went out for work. She frantically stood up to look for me. And when she found me on my bed, she called out to me. I was awake but I didn't response, just quietly observing in the dark. And then I saw her just fell back onto her bed and fell asleep.

On the forth night on wards, she didn't wake up at all in the middle of the night. Not a single time. And she has since been sleeping through the night for 10 hours straight!

Well, she did woke up for a few nights the following week because she was down with high fever and I think she was suffering from headache. She woke up crying pitifully. I gave in because it was such a painful sight to see her suffering.

I was really worried that all my efforts would go down the drain but I guess I underestimated her. She continues to sleep through the night after she recovered from her fever.

Some nights she still can't fall asleep easily. When that happens, she would take my hand and ask to pat her little buttock lol. Or attack me with her kisses until she's tired hahahahahaha.

Nevertheless, as of now, she is sleeping through the night and has finally and officially weaned off night feeding. 1 and a half months before she turns 2 😭😭😭

So if any of you are thinking of weaning your little one off night feeding and training them to sleep through the night, my only advise is to look for the signs. When they are ready, there will be signs. It's also easier when they can finally understand instructions like Stop or Enough or No More. It'll be tough for the first few nights but you'll eventually be rewarded. But if they're not ready, you won't be able to force them. Every child has their own timetable.

Now that Charlotte is finally sleeping through the night, can someone teach ME how to sleep through the night? 😕😕😕