Feed to sleep... Yes or no?

[Savannah11]

So I've come to the realisation that I've got LO into the habit of feeding to sleep. He wakes up several times a night just to 'comfort suckle' and he very rarely falls asleep without the breast unless we are out and about etc. How do I go about stopping this? Or should I just carry on as I am? He is waking at least 4/5 times a night just to suckle as he literally goes straight back to sleep and without the breast to comfort him back to sleep he's wide awake! Xx

 

[crownest]

I think it's up to you whatever your comfortable with if your happy to continue then I can't see any harm if you want to stop will he take a pacifier. Sorry no help at all !!!

 

[jessmke]

I don't nurse my LO to sleep for naps or at bedtime, but she still wakes 3-5 times a night and needs to be nursed back to sleep. I know other babies who do nurse to sleep at bedtime and then settle themselves back to sleep when they wake at night without needing to nurse. I really think it has more to do with the baby's personality and how much comfort they need in the night. Have you tried offering your LO a pacifier?

 

[DaisyDreamer]

If it works for you guys then let it work. But I was starting to get tired of it so slowly slowly I would pat his bum while nursing to help him go to sleep. Then I would start pulling my nipple out when he was asleep. The patting would help him doze off when he noticed the nipple was gone.

Then when he wakes up in the night or during his nap (we bedshare, usually I am up watching TV or reading) I just put my hand on his arm to stop him from wiggling awake and pat him slowly.

It's all about your sleep associations with LO, but like PP said if you are happy doing it there's no reason to stop

Also as PP said it's about how much comfort they get from it. My DS is a big comfort nurser but is slowly using other self-settling techniques. We both love using breasts as a way to relax him

 

[noon_child]

There's two ways to look at it. You e said he wakes in order to suckle, but maybe he wakes for other reasons (natural sleep cycles have us getting in to light sleep around every 1.5hrs) and breastfeeding is the easiest and quickest way to get him back to sleep. I've it's the solution not the cause! I breastfed my LO till 27months but for 6months after that she still woke once or twice in the night needing comfort and reassurance to get back to sleep. She wasn't waking to breastfeed as she had given that up on her own and never asked for it or mentioned it or tried to feed. Just before she turned 3 it was like a switch flicked and she became the most perfect sleeper! We did nothing, it just happened on its own and not everyone has to wait till LO is 3yrs, I know people who had this years earlier than we did.

 

[Bevziibubble]

It is up to you. If you're happy with it and it works to get your LO to sleep then carry on I fed my daughter to sleep for like 3 years, lol. Always worked for us and she goes to bed with cuddles now. My son sometimes feeds to sleep, sometimes cuddles or sometimes just rolls around for a while and falls asleep!

 

[Savannah11]

Thanks girls. I think I'm reading too much into it when I should just be enjoying our time together! Think I'm going to relax and enjoy it whilst he's little! They grow up far too quickly xx