Feel like a human pacifier - help!

[moomin momma]

LO is nearly 6 months and exclusively breastfed, almost always directly from the breast (won't take any bottle we try, has taken a sippy cup of expressed milk for my DH a couple of times).

She nurses to sleep at night but by about 3 months we'd got her to self-settle for naps, by sucking her fingers and thumb, so we were pretty much doing EASY (in pattern if not in timings!). However, as she went longer between naps (around 4-5 months) I found I had to feed her to get her to nap, as she was hungry. The problem is she now will only nap if I nurse her to sleep (she won't even sleep in her sling any more, she always used to!) and then sit holding her - if I try and put her down she wakes up and won't settle herself.

I actually don't mind this - I sat for over an hour this morning while she napped on me and just enjoyed it, read a book and chilled out and it was great. However, I'm going back to work in 6 weeks, when she'll be with her daddy all day 4 days a week. Not really sure what he's going to do, not having the necessary equipment! During her nap this morning she kept having little sucks every so often, but I don't think she was really feeding, just comfort sucking. We tried a pacifier on her before but she just spat it out every time. Just wondering if anyone has any advice how to fix this. Am hoping that when we start solids (next week!) she might stay fuller longer and so not need to eat before she sleeps, but I seriously doubt she'll be eating enough solids after 5 weeks for it to help!

Any advice?

 

[moomin momma]

really? nothing?

 

[Elmo5]

You might find she naps perfectly well for Dad. Mine does, but as soon as I try to get her to nap on the floor on her own she tries it on and whinges at me. Sometimes if I give her a few mins of sitting with her she gives in, othertimes I cave first and let her sleep on me.

 

[midori1999]

Will she sleep for your husband? Have you tried it? My daughter is younger, but she will no longer sleep on/with me unless I feed her to sleep. My husband or anyone else can rock her to sleep though, presumably as she knows they can't feed her or comfort her in the same way I can.

I appreciate it's tricky if you're going back to work, but being able to nurse to sleep is a wonderful thing and can be a very useful tool.

 

[Thumper]

Same problem here, but he will nap for DH without the boob. It is as if he knows he can't get anything from him. He still won't be put down anymore though since the 6 month growth spurt from hell. And now he has a cold so isn't napping or sleeping well.
Get your OH to try getting him to nap by rocking, walking etc and see if it works.