A few weeks ago I decided that I need sleep more than B needs breast milk during the night. The night we started, I explained to him that he is a big boy and he should be sleeping at night and not drinking mummy-milk. I told him that if he needs a drink in the night he can have water, but he won't be allowed mummy-milk until morning. I am constantly surprised at B's comprehension. Because he speaks so little, I often forget that he understands everything I say, so I wasn't ready for his reaction to my explanation - the pout, the quivering bottom lip, the protesting wail.
For the first few nights we had full blown tantrums at 3 am. The water beaker was hurled across the bed. I had to apologise to the neighbours. Gradually the duration of the tantrums lessened until they became nothing but a few seconds' protest before lying down and falling asleep again.
We have always put B down to sleep in his cot and then taken him into bed with us the first time he wakes. Before night weaning he used to come into our bed around 11pm or midnight, and from then on, he would feed several times. Now he usually sleeps in his cot till around 2 or 3am at which time he comes into our bed and falls asleep immediately, sometimes sleeping until 6am - the time that morning officially starts and mummy-milk is allowed. B's internal clock is remarkably accurate. The neighbours say they know when it's five to six because they can hear B crying. He sometimes wakes earlier but can generally be persuaded to fall asleep after a sip of water and a cuddle. We do still get the occasional 3 am tantrum but they are becoming less and less frequent.
I think part of the reason I am blogging again after a long silence is because I'm finally getting enough sleep to be able to string a coherent sentence together.
