Love breastfeeding but wish he'd sleep better!!

[mrsp14]

So I try to be and am mostly baby led. DS usually bed shares with me. I put him down in his cot after his bedtime feed and he stays there until around 11 when he wakes for another feed, after that he usually fights going back in his cot so ends up in my bed. I'm set up to safely bed share so I don't mind this at all. BUT... He wakes up for feeds about 5 times a night... Even bed sharing he wakes me up. So I'm tired, he must be (it's hard to tell as he's like an energiser bunny) and it just is starting to feel a bit excessive!! All my friends that's I've spoken too say not to feed him and its habit but I feel that to not feed him could be more of a battle and if he's wanting it it's for a reason?
Should probably mention he's coming up to 17 months.... Really would love a little more sleep now!!!

 

[sue_88]

Sounds like he's just wanting it for comfort. At 17months, he can comfortably go overnight without requiring any feeds.

This is a good read for night weaning
https://drjaygordon.com/attachment/sleeppattern.html

 

[w8ing4bean]

As sue said, he shouldnt need the feeds now. Have u tried offering water? And if its a comfort thing, does he have a special cuddly toy or snuggly blanket he could start taking to bed? X

 

[Noo]

I think at this point I'd feed when he wakes then put him back to bed. I couldn't cope with night feeds that long. 5-7 feeds are killing me now, let alone when going back to work. Can you tell him its for bed time then morning only now and give a sippy cup in between?

 

[Mummy2onexx]

Wow I was expecting you to say he was a newborn .. you poor thing! Definetly sounds like comfort feeding .. does he take a dummy?

 

[Brieanna]

No advice, just wanted to let you know you are not alone. DD has always been a boobie monster, especially at night. At 4 months I moved her to our bed and that made it better but she still nursed all night. It is more of a comfort thing (I am sure that's what your lo is doing too) and some babies just want/need more comforting. Comfort nursing at night is actually biologically normal and it is hard for babies/toddlers to stop thousands of years of evolution just because it drives us crazy, lol.

Only recently, not sure if it is because of pregnancy or she is just slowly weaning, has dd started to sleep longer between feeds at night (started when she was about 29 months). Like you, I was going insane from lack of sleep and have even had to call OH to come home because I was actually hallucinating from lack of sleep. She has only truly sttn twice her whole life and she never took a pacifier (I tried every kind I could find!).

OH really helps me out and takes her out during the weekends so I can take a nap and I also try to sleep whenever she does (even naps) but right now taking care of her is my primary job so I am able to do it because I don't have to go to work or school or anything so I am lucky.

Sorry I don't have any advice! There is an article I read once that made me feel better about comfort nursing/nursing a toddler at night, but I am on a different computer so I can't get it right now but will look for it.

 

[Brieanna]

Here is the article. https://www.kathydettwyler.org/detsleepthrough.html

 

[Bevziibubble]

I am having the same issues with my LO who is almost 2 years old. Luckily I'm an insomniac, so I'm awake most of the time anyway, but I know how hard the lack of sleep can be. It does seem like the feeding is for comfort. Could you try to offer water instead? It worked once with my LO when she was sleeping next to my husband.