4.21.2006

night weaning update #3

i am having major guilty feelings about what we are doing.

the boy used to sing us a song, happily babbling away every morning before we started. now he doesn't do the "morning song of boy" anymore. he generally seems a little more agitated during the day too. i think it is because we are nightweaning *sniff*

it might just be because his bottom two teeth are just under the surface. we have been dosing him with tylenol and homeopathic remedies to help with the pain, but we don't want for him to be sad too.

my brain tells me that this is important to do and get it over with and that he does not need to eat every forty five minutes at night

my resentment is motivating me to find a schedule that works for all of us.

i tried to go back into the bed for a few nights b/c he was down to waking up once or twice, and as soon as i came back into the picture, he was sleep eating all night all over again.

my guilt is making me question if i shouldn't just throw in the towel and stay up all night with him every night until he grows out of it himself. i am even scared that i am doing something that is not in accord with "attachemnt parenting" and that he won't be as attached to me anymore.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Sweetheart, if he's teething he's going to be cranky. I can tell you from recent personal experience (with my own wisdom teeth)-- Tylenol may dull the pain, but teething still has lots of discomfort, itchiness, etc that Tylenol won't totally kill. If he's cranky, that's probably the cause.

Weaning is the first of many things that you have to say "no" to him about, and it isn't ever going to be fun, but you know that for both of your own good you need to do it. I know you know that, it's just scary.

Look at it this way: He's asleep with his daddy all night. It's giving the Manny a chance to be a source of comfort for him, and it lets you be with him all day when he's awake. If you're well-rested, you'll be much better able to take care of him, play with him, and have good interactions with him while he's awake. By taking away something that he wants but doesn't "need", you're able to give him something that he really does need -- a happier, more-rested mom.