July 14, 2014

A Big Girl Bed & Weaning

With Punkin in the way, The Man & I knew that it was time to move Munchkin out of our bed.  We didn’t want to wait too long and have Munchkin think she was getting kicked by the new baby.  Plus we only have a queen and with a growing tummy, I need a little more room to move around and get comfy in.  My side of the bed is softer than Munchkin likes (we have a sleep number) so she would wake up often and roll into my side when I got up to go potty at night.  Many Waters Getting A Big Girl Bed & WeaningWe just kept waking each other up.  I was a little sad to move her and I LOVE snuggling with her but I knew it was time.



The Man picked out a mattress for her, a not to expensive foam one.  It’s much firmer than I like but hey, I’m not the one sleeping on it.  We got Munchkin a full size bed because that’s what her crib converts too.  It’s a little big for her room but it’s working.  At some point it will go in storage so we can put bunks bed in there but for now it’s perfect.  We also liked the fact that she would have more room to move around cause she’s a wiggle worm. 

I’ve heard horror stories from friends about getting their kids out of their beds and how it took forever and there were tons of tears.  I was NOT looking forward to it.  So I let The Man put her to bed the first night.  We have always laid with her until she falls asleep (the next habit we need to break).  He wasn’t in there very long before coming out.  She fell asleep no problem.  She was super excited about her new bed.  We left her door open and our door open so we could hear her if she needed us or so she could come get us. 

She didn’t cry (that we heard) and she didn’t come get us until 6:30ish the next morning.  The next night was just as easy, as was the night after.  The switch to the big girl bed was relatively painless.  Sometimes she’ll wake up and cry in the middle of the night.  Sometimes she’ll come on into our room.  But most nights she sleeps in her own bed with no issues.  I’m kinda still waiting for the shoe to drop.  The hardest part right now is that sometimes it’s taking her over an hour to fall asleep and her bed is just so uncomfortable for me.  She also still wakes up early but often when she comes into our room I’ll pull her into bed with me and get another 30-60 minutes of sleep.  She still enjoys cuddling in bed with us which we love!

When Munchkin was sleeping with us, she was still nursing to sleep.  The Man and I decided that when she moved to the big girl bed she would be cut off from the Mama milk.  The first night when I put her down (she never fussed about not getting Mama milk when daddy put her to bed.) she wanted the Mama milk and cried for about 8 minutes when I wouldn’t let her have it.  Then she stopped and went to sleep without it.  The next night she cried for about five minutes and after that she didn’t ask again.  Just like that she was weaned.  It was interesting that about two weeks later we had her sleep with us in our bed and she asked for the Mama milk then.  She didn’t like it when I said no.  At one point she latched herself on and she nursed a little.  There was next to no milk and she’s never asked again. 

While I miss nursing, I physically felt better when I stopped.  My body did not like being pregnant and nursing at the same time.  I’m thankful to have a break between nursing Munchkin and Punkin.  I am so, so thankful I was able to nurse Munchkin.  After feeling like my body failed by not getitng the birth I had hoped for, I feel like my body redeemed itself for nourishing Munchkin for 21 months.  My goal had been at least one year and after that, for as long as Munchkin wanted to age two.  So my goal was completely, 100% met.  I’m so thankful for that!

I’m still surprised that both moving to a big girl bed and weaning were done so painlessly.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad.  It just makes me a little nervous for Punkin!  Munchkin is really getting to be a big (little) girl now!

In her big girl bed

4 comments:

  1. I needed to read this, E is 19 months and we are trying to wean and quit bedsharing. I have her crib side-car'ed to my bed and I move her into it when I go to bed (It's just easier to put her to sleep in our bed. I feel like she has been nursing more and more the last week, I think she knows what I am trying to do. You have given me new faith that it is possible.
    We're you nervous having her not in your room? I think that will be harder for me than anything. But I need to move her, she wakes me up frequently.

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  2. I wish Bee was that easy. Most nights she falls asleep pretty easy. It's the getting up in the middle of the night and coming in our bed we can't kick. She'll wake up around 2. Even if we put her back in bed, she'll come back a few minutes later. That's when the fight begins and no one has the energy to deal with it, nor wants to wake up Butterfly, so she ends up winning. :( thankfully, at 8 months, Butterfly sleeps in her own bed pretty much all night. If she wakes to nurse, I do, then she stays in her bed until morning.

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  3. We are also thinking of moving our daughter into her own bed. I find myself putting it off with excuses like she might fall off the bed, it would be hard, etc. I'll probably miss her more than she misses me. Glad to have read your post and hear that it was an easy transition :)

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  4. Congrats to your big girl! I remember when each one of my babies received their own beds, they always were so proud. It was slightly bittersweet for me.

    All the best, Mama!

    XOXO

    http://www.mrsaokaworkinprogress.com

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