Comfort nursing at night?

[LittleNugget]

My LO just turned 1 month old. We've been giving her 1 bottle if expressed milk a day to get her used to taking a bottle (I go back to work in a few weeks). She is doing great taking the bottle but has a really hard time going to sleep afterward. Especially when we give the bottle at nigh, she is obviously tired but won't go to sleep until I BF her. It's very frustrating and I'm concerned this will be a problem when I have to leave her with a sitter. Does anyone have advice on her to break her of needing to nurse to sleep? Will she grow out of it?

 

[CupcakeBaby]

She's only a month old. X

Breastfeeding is only 50% about food the other half is comfort and security.

Babies (& all humans really) aren't meant to comfort themselves or be alone.

My DD feeds to sleep and cuddles me in the night. And until she decides she doesn't need it then I will sacrifice nights out etc.

 

[LittleNugget]

I'm more concerned about when I go back to work. I don't want her to be awake all day and cry because I'm not there to BF her. I don't mind nursing her otherwise--very happy to.

 

[Kelskiii]

My LO feeds to sleep. If I'm there she will only sleep on me. I leave her once a week to do a food shop & she falls asleep without me, usually a few whingy tears first though & has to fall asleep on a woman(???) this is only after she's had an expressed bottle & has a full belly.

Are you able to leave LO with your h a few times & see if LO will settle without you & try to get used to you not being there. Even just go upstairs out the way?

 

[LittleNugget]

Yes, last night my husband fed her a bottle (4 oz) then tried to rock her to sleep. She wasn't having it. After listening to her scream for almost 30 minutes, I finally went upstairs, nursed her (which she didn't really eat--just sucked), then fell asleep. And slept for 7 hours! My poor DH feels hurt...

 

[sun]

You might find that once you go back to work, her caregiver is able to get her to sleep in other ways. With my kids I could only nurse them to sleep, but caregivers could get them napping by rocking, etc whereas if I was there it was boob or nothing lol

 

[seaweed eater]

^ Yes, my LO needed to nurse in order to sleep when I went back to work, but he let his daycare teachers rock him to sleep. They know that different caregivers do different things.

 

[NoodleSnack]

Baby can smell your milk from very far, so try staying outside the house while your partner or sitter put her down for nap? I know how you feel, you need to know that she can go to sleep without you to be able to leave her, but it can take a few tries so just keep trying.

 

[BigAl]

Don't know if i'm allowed to say this, but try a dummy/soother?
But like pp say, she will be different when you are not there, she will be fine. Maybe a bit grumpy at first, but she will get over that.

 

[angela98661]

Don't know if i'm allowed to say this, but try a dummy/soother?
But like pp say, she will be different when you are not there, she will be fine. Maybe a bit grumpy at first, but she will get over that.

Binkie/pacifier right....?
I use the tomee tipee one with my bf baby. Hasnt effected mg bf experience. Dh uses it when im at work. Because the bottles babies drink from i dont care if it says "for breastfed babies close to mom" or whatever. The bottle milk comes out much faster and the baby will wanna continue sucking even though shes probably full! My husband feeds babygirl and takes the bottle out her mouth periodically so shes not eating too fast....shes 1 m one week. She eats more than 3.5 oz shell toss up! So he offers her binkie. She usually wont use it long lol

 

[dairymomma]

If you can find a copy, read The Happiest Baby on the Block. The book is full of awesome advice for getting babies to settle down and was the only thing that saved my sanity when DD was getting up every 2 hours at night and taking over a half hour to get her back to sleep.