Sucking to sleep: is it a problem at 3 months.

[Jane7]

My three month old ds is exlusively breastfed and he's so sleepy by the time I give him his last feed (after bath and cuddles) that he is always asleep when I put him in his basket. I'm tried every kind of jiggling, burping and roughly tucking in his blankets so that he goes down 'sleepy but awake' as i've heard that you're supposed to, but he's heavily asleep and it seems mad to wake him. Is this going to be a problem? I've begun to realize that I have to shove him on the boob to get him to sleep. If he wakes, I put him back on the boob. He doesn't seem to respond to being rocked and cuddled to sleep anymore. Did anyone else let their lo suck to sleep at this age? He manages to fall asleep without sucking during the day for his morning nap (in our bed) and in the pram the rest of the time. I could put him to bed earlier so he is less sleepy but he's already going to bed at 7am and I don't want him up too early!
Thank you in advance

[mookickkick]

Hi there. I don't see anything wrong with bf-ing to sleep. It was how my dd fell asleep for ages! Then sometime between 3 and 4 months, she would wake up when I set her down and not cry. And self-settle in about 10-15 min. Now we have other problems (rolling around in bed and not wanting to fall asleep on her back) but I still sometimes feed her to sleep. It's so sweet and I love watching her sleep-suck. Hope things work out for you!

[Jane7]

thanks mookick, that sounds hopeful that your lo made the adjustment from bf-ing to sleep to self-settling easily. shall keep fingers crossed that ds will do the same.

[Jane7]

am i allowed to bump, in search of fellow mums who have let their lo suck to sleep...

[VeryHungryKatypillar]

I let DD feed to sleep until very recently. She is now 8.5 mo and we have just started to try to get her to go to bed without a feed (naps are okay and she goes down for them without a feed). Huge resistance, she is very confused and upset about this! We've been doing the Baby Whisperer pick up/put down method to help teach her to get to sleep on her own but it is hard work!

If you can get her down vaguely awake, then that's great, but I wouldn't worry about it too much just yet. Just enjoy this time with your DS. But if you're interested in a relatively gentle method of sleep training (compared to CC or CIO) then try reading the Baby Whisperer - if you start around now it might be easier than waiting. (BTW, ignore a lot of what the BW says about breastfeeding, I'm not convinced by everything she says).

Hope that helps in some way!

[sasamax]

Whatever you do, don't take sleeping advice from me but I bf DS to sleep until he was about 1. DD goes to sleep with a dummy initially and then bf to sleep for night wakings. I don't think it has contributed at all to their bad sleeping and in fact I would have gone mad without this 'tool'.
Sorry to be so unhelpful

[Jane7]

Thanks hungrykat and sasamax. i shall invest in a copy of the Baby Whisperer and see how I get on. Shall also pursue with trying to stir my lo when he gets put down...

[ShinySarah]

I say use what you can it's such a difficult time and you need to keep your sanity!!!

[HowlingCow]

All 3 of my DD's have needed to be BF'd to sleep. 9 months has been the cut off point for me when I've then done controlled crying to get them to go down awake. Funnily enough started CC lastnight with youngest (9months)-she did incredibly well with me going in every 2 minutes to reassure her was still there, then she slept all night in cot for the first time. Would recommend 'Toddler Taming' (sorry-know this thread isn't about CC bit it is connected to my experience). I think it's definitely a time to cherish and enjoy and when the time comes to stop-as long as you commit yourself-it only takes 3 nights to train them to sleep without boobies!!

[Ready4anotherCoffee]

Sorry, but I also bf to sleep with all 3 of mine, the older 2 stopped aroound 1` when they moved onto beakers, and I expect I'll do the same with dd2. Enjoy the excuse to sit down, have a cuddle [and a coffee and a book], the time will soon come when you are no longer feeding.

Would als reommed toddler taming