Do you nurse to sleep?

[hlynne]

My son is 2 months old and I have been nursing to sleep since he was born. I have been reading lately about it being a bad thing to nurse to sleep because when he gets older he won't be able to put himself back to sleep once he wakes.

If I shouldn't be nursing to sleep, how do I do that? He cries a couple of minutes after I put him down if he's awake.

 

[bbbbbbb811]

Majority of the time yes. Maybe a couple of times a week she will go for a nap without nursing to sleep and I too had the same concerns but then I read this article( https://kellymom.com/bf/normal/comfortnursing/ ) and it made me feel much better and I don't believe it's an issue

 

[hlynne]

Thanks so much!! I love Kelly Mom! That takes some stress off of me now. Thanks again!

 

[noon_child]

Nursing to sleep (or sucking to sleep) is how babies are designed to get to sleep. I think the idea that you need to start weaning them off their 'sleep crutches' comes from people trying to offer advice to fix problems that are not rooted in the baby, but rooted in societies unrealistic expectations of babies and toddlers sleep.

Not many people want to hear that it is still perfectly normal for a baby to want to nurse to sleep at 10months, 1 year maybe even 2years, because that means "What I have to be there every night and every nap time for how long?????", so people search for ways to make this not true. However I strongly believe that it depends on the child. Children of a particular temperament may respond to being laid down while drowsy from about 4-5 months thus "proving" that it can be done, and reinforcing the myth that therefore everyone "should" do it. This makes parents of babies who scream hysterically when put down to feel like they are doing something wrong, or they've created a bad sleeper, which is IMO b*llsh*t.

Babies are not fixed beings, they change constantly in response to developmental stages, so it is hard to believe they can fit in to habitual patterns if those patterns don't meet their needs.

Of course you can try to use helpful sleep aids like relaxing sleep environments etc., so that when your child is ready the transition is easier and more familiar but a 2 month old is so young and so reliant on you for everything that stressing about sleep habits will not do anyone any good.

 

[Bevziibubble]

I nursed to sleep until she went into her own bed at just over 3 years old. We now cuddle to sleep. When she wakes in the night she comes into my bed for the rest of the night and I nurse back to sleep there.

 

[Elsa50501]

I nurse my 10 month old to sleep still. She has no problem falling asleep on her own if I'm not there. She's so busy all the time that these are great quiet time breaks in the action for her. I'm a teacher, so she doesn't nurse to sleep during the school year when at daycare, or if my DH takes care of her for the day. During the summer and at night though, I nurse her to put her down. When she wakes at night I don't HAVE to put a boob in her mouth to get her to go back to sleep either. Sometimes she just grumbles and repositions, sometimes I just shush her and lay her back down and she goes right to sleep.

I think depending on your family and your child you can do what's best for you. But, I don't buy the whole "They won't be able to sleep on their own if you nurse them to sleep" because frankly it hasn't been the case for us. If I cover my boobs she'll just go back to sleep without.

Elizabeth Pantley, MD has an article about transitioning babies from nursing to sleep to not as well, so whenever the time comes that it doesn't work for you anymore you can ALWAYS teach them new skills then. You won't ruin your child's sleep habits by nursing them to sleep.

Do what works as long as you want/can, then when it doesn't work for you anymore teach them new routines.

Hope that helps .

 

[Mannie89]

My son is 14mos and we have nursed to sleep since birth. I'm in no rush to stop it either. He will stop when he's ready.

 

[Pink Sarah]

I nursed my lo to sleep up until a few weeks ago and now most of the time he falls asleep himself, it was a natural transition and he has been happy with it so far.. I think babies normally nurse to sleep or fall asleep drinking a bottle as it is such a comfort for them, don't worry you are doing what baby needs.

 

[JumpingIn]

If you nurse to sleep, what about burping? I have a massively windy and refluxy baby who must be burped, but he also wakes up really easily, any movement wakes him

 

[hlynne]

Yeah its hard not to wake them for a minute to burp them but I have to burp my son because he's very gassy. That's all I mean, nurse to sleep but burp before they sleep

I can burp him though then let him eat for another minute until he falls asleep without having to burp him again before I put him down.

 

[JumpingIn]

I'm actually going to give nursing to sleep a go. I'm so sick of all the jiggling and rocking, my back is killing and soon he'll be too heavy but he won't sleep any other way. The doctors told us not to feed him before bed because of the reflux but it's getting desperate!

 

[hlynne]

I'm actually going to give nursing to sleep a go. I'm so sick of all the jiggling and rocking, my back is killing and soon he'll be too heavy but he won't sleep any other way. The doctors told us not to feed him before bed because of the reflux but it's getting desperate!

I'm sure that everything you are going through is so hard!

I couldn't imagine having to rock my son to sleep, that would take forever! He always falls asleep eating. He's 15lbs so that would be very hard on the back standing and rocking him

I really hope things get easier for you

 

[JumpingIn]

Thanks hlynne, or means a lot to get moral support. He's 12lb5 and sometimes it can take an hour and a half. I'm 5 feet tall and despite having put on 20kg during pregnancy I'm now back to pre preg weight because of it all. It's just luck of the draw...We both had the same due date didn't we? Look how different babies can be! In the end we'll both have healthy happy delightful toddlers and I just keep that in my sights as much as possible. I'll let you know how the nursing goes tonight! Your little guy is a beauty by the way

 

[hlynne]

Yup, we did have the same due date, but I was 4 days late and I believe you were induced 2 weeks early? Funny how things end up. I was thinking about you when I put my son to bed tonight. I tried to burp him but I couldn't get a burp out because he was so tired and I didn't want to fully wake him. Usually this means that he will wake up early because he has to burp, but as he is getting older sometimes I luck out and he doesn't have to burp, or it comes out the other end in his sleep I Hope this is one of those nights!

Yes, let me know how tonight goes.....I hope it works for you!

 

[coz]

My little one is 11 weeks tomoz and usually he falls asleep on the boob but he will also just go to sleep on his own too, usually when hes just sat in his bouncer or if hes lieing in his activity mat x

 

[babe2ooo]

I nurse my lo 2 sleep and she is just over 8months

 

[kajastarlight]

My LO is not a fan of comfort nursing, so I nurse his to sleep if he is hungry and snuggle him to sleep if he is not. Then I can usually get up and do my night activities and he usually starts reaching for me just about the time I am going to lay down with him again anyway. *gasp!!* yes... in my bed where he sleeps with me and my husband. He doesn't even have a crib. He doesn't usually nurse in the middle of the night but he reaches for me in his sleep and if I am there he will settle back in and if I am not he will wake up and cry. Does this mean it will be like this forever?? Well, it wasn't with my other sons so I have no reason to think it will be that way with this one. My friends say "what about time to relax in the evening after baby has gone to bed??" and I respond that I can relax in bed with him just fine! They say "what about time to drink wine and watch TV and just hang out with adults?" and I say "In a few years I will be able to do that stuff again." They say "You let your baby's needs run your life!" and I say "yes I do...."

Usually I roll him over me to switch sides and that produces a burp

 

[misspriss]

DD (3 months) I nurse to sleep at night and sometimes for naps, but more often than not she is rocked to sleep for naps.

DS (2.5) I still nurse to sleep, but he also goes to sleep without nursing, in fact, sometimes I still rock him when he's being a problem. When he wakes during the night I just tell him to go back to sleep usually, sometimes I nurse him but he will stay awake so I then quit nursing him and tell him to go back to sleep.