..well except in the daytime, when he happily naps without a feed, DS2 almost always needs a feed to send him over to sleep. In fact he is very unkeen on bfeeding during the day (is on 3 meals though) and makes up for it with about 5 feeds during the night! I have just been going with it but am getting fed up with the advice to let him cry etc. If not fed, he gets increasingly upset and simply does not "cry down" to sleep (which my DS1 would have done).
I figure it is important to be able to put him down to sleep still awake, but he always conks out on the breast after his bath. For about 30 mins. 
He sleep in a bedside cot next to me so it is not that hard to feed him in the night (though uncomfortable) but I am feeling increasingly like I've failed by feeding him to sleep for so long, when he obviously doesn't need the milk.
Don't know which is worse, the sleep deprivation of the feeling of being judged!
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Infant feeding
7 month old always bfs to sleep - anyone else?
13Iggis · 14/01/2013 21:56
ok, enough with the guilt, who's judging you anyway?
seriously - what does it matter if he sleeps with a bottle or a dummy or boob or sucking on his thumb - as long as you are both ok with the situation???? who will come round and tell you off?
if you are ok/cope like this - great!
if you want to change it you'll find a way to do so!
so who's telling you it's not good enough? I did this with my oldest 5 but they now fall asleep without bf at the ages of 11, 9, 8, 6 and almost 3! 
yes ideally it's best if they can fall asleep on their own - so if you want to have a go at how to teach him to do it I recommend Tracy Hogg - The Baby Whisperer
otherwise don't worry about it! 
Thank you - what I needed to hear! No-one in real life probably is judging, though a friend did email me an article on controlled crying yesterday (she is child-free and trying to help). And have seen stuff on tv recently about it too.
Oh and my mum. And random folk telling me how early theirs slept through from! I just keep seeing the words 'rod for my own back' flashing when I give in and feed him again. Luckily dh supports me. I haven't read the baby whisperer, I have a largely forgotten copy of the no-cry sleep solution - think I will read them both and get a plan.
what is the definition of sleeping through? for some it's 7pm-7am, for some it's 11pm-5am!!!!!
I also consider mine sleeping through if I had to get up and give him/her 7oz of formula which they down in their sleep, so I only had to be up for 15 mins to sort that!
and people exaggerate if not lie, so only believe about 10 % of it!
I hardly remember the first year's events especially as they get older, so if I told you what my kids did at that age it is more likely I refer to what they did at an older age, say 13 months!
and not coz of lying, simply the brain get so muddled up from sleep deprivation it's a blur!
no more guilt, please, take any story with a pinch (or pound!) of salt and just enjoy the night time snuggly feeds, they won't last!
Bfed DD1 to sleep for months. She's now 9 and would love for me to sit with her every night till she fell asleep, but that doesn't happen.
Bfed DD2 to sleep until she was about 9 months, then she started of her own accord coming off the breast and wanting to be put down in her cot and LEFT ALONE thank you very much till she went to sleep. She's 7 now and prefers to be left alone in a quiet dark room to go to sleep.
Bfed DD3 to sleep in our bed (co-sleeping) for ages. She's now 4 and likes a multitude of teddies to be properly tucked in with her before she goes to sleep.
I don't think it was what I did that made the difference, it's the child in question who decides what they want to do. Enjoy your baby, he won't be little for long
poledra - how interesting that they do an older version of what they did as babies!
thanks for sharing that, very insightful!
spirited I agree with every word, but do tell "babies whose parents have stopped the night feeds still often need resettling" you mean the baby or the parent needs resettling?
when mine wake up I often get quite exasperated so resettling me would be a good idea!
spirited I knew you meant babies
well, mu older kids can read, but still stay awake
my oldest is eleven and is the worst, he was still reading at midnight the other day.......I didn't realize he was awake, only found out coz I went to the bedroom to retrieve dirty clothes!
some just don't need that much sleep, as his example prooves
and mine, doing washing at night tells it all...
have you tried or is he not happy with bottles (formula or EBM) ?
or how about baby apple juice?
"Wish I could leave the boobs behind when I go out!" I always fantasized of boobs like Mr Tickle's arms!
although having breastfed 6 kids I'm halfway there
I'm mean not as a normal state, but to be extendable for car journeies and cold nights...
at Mr Tickle boobs.
I think 7 months is a tricky age, they are getting too big to just bung in a sling and take with you to a restaurant/pub/wherever but too little to leave alone for very long. It doesn't last though!
In the meantime, are there any classes you can get to in the day? Or maybe exercise first thing in the morning before your DH goes to work, babies are usually less fussy first thing. Maybe go out for lunches instead of dinners?
I will be laughing at the Mr Tickle boobs whenever I feed him tonight, thank you amazingmumof6!
EauRouge there are classes during the day but I've no family nearby to mind him. I usually try to do lunches not dinner but it's things like a friend's birthday this weekend - a night out, which I will manage a couple of hours of hopefully.
It has been really useful for me to get a different perspective on the perpetual night of feeds, I think I will try to get him to settle himself at bedtime on his own but just feed him through the night so we both get some sleep. And I'll stop thinking about what other people might think about it
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13iggisgood girl, if you ever think some people might judge you, remember also that a lot of people just as soon would agree with you!
glad I made you laugh, you are welcome!
aye, i am another one nursing a 2 year old to sleep most nights. it is lovely!
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