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Infant feeding

Nursing to Sleep

7 replies

user1490955528 · 25/09/2017 21:49

my DD is 11 weeks old and I nurse her to sleep every night/nap. It's a nice feeling to watch her drop off on the milk and pop her in her cot and off she goes to sleep... niiiice

However, she may have a bit last feed before sleep, and then wake up again and i pat her in a cradle hold and she may nod off... but most times she will turn her head toward the food source (boob) and curl her body (her signal to say more milk pls) i let her go back on the boob and she may just nurse for a few mins and not take much milk and bingo she is off to sleep... occasionally she can ask for a little bit more two or three more times before sleep.

Am i forming a bad habit... is this wrong to let her "nibble" or "use me as a dummy" and do this?

it's only when she is going to sleep for day naps or night time...

thanks.

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Bosabosa · 25/09/2017 23:02

Sounds very natural and normal to me. Lovely to comfort and nurture your baby in this way. Enjoy

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Killerqueen2244 · 25/09/2017 23:09

I did this just cause it was a definite way of getting baby to sleep and I was too exhausted to try and enforce a routine. If it works for you then don't worry about it, maybe in a few weeks start introducing a dummy just to see what your baby's reaction is and eventually, if it works, you can start nursing then break off to pop in the dummy. Don't be in a rush and don't question your instincts!

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teaandbiscuitsforme · 26/09/2017 08:14

It's totally normal and if you're both happy, then no reason to change anything.

I fed my DD to sleep and currently have 8 month old DS attached whilst he naps.

Remember that the dummy is an invention to replicate the comfort given from sucking a nipple. There's nothing wrong with using a dummy, but equally there's nothing wrong with using the original product if it's right for you!

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user1490955528 · 26/09/2017 21:06

Ok thanks. I won't worry then ! i do like nursing her to sleep - it's a great feeling for both of us I suppose!

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QueenAmongstMen · 27/09/2017 09:06

My six week old never nurses to sleep, he always delatches and then I just rock him for 10 minutes.

When my older child was a baby he always fed to sleep which I had no problem with and it was all very lovely. It wasn't so lovely however when he was 10 months old and still couldn't sleep unless he was nursed to sleep and it caused a lot of problems.

Sometimes I feel disappointed that DS2 won't nurse to sleep because that's always a handy tool, however, I'm also grateful he doesn't because it means I won't have to go through what I went through with DS1.

As young babies it's lovely to nurse them to sleep but I would always keep in mind that at some point, as they get older, it's a habit that may be best broken.

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Greylilypad · 27/09/2017 18:44

I guess all babies are different but I did this with DC2 and while it was lovely in the first few months, it caused big problems from around 9 months on for several months. Had horrendous trouble with sleep for those months. DC3 is 3.5 months now and was feeding him to sleep until just recently but have now gently stopped doing it over last 3 weeks. Was actually quite easy to do it now compared to the nightmare we had with DC2.i just couldn't go through all that again!
Like I say, all babies are different so while it might not cause a problem for some babies, it does for others.

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Csd17 · 06/10/2017 12:03

I do this (my son is 6 weeks) and it's the most beautiful feeling, especially post-witching hour when he's warm and comfortable and soothed. Apparently they are too young to habit form at this age. Everyone gets so worried about bad habits developing but this just feels so natural. I don't need to nibble my Mum's boob to sleep now and I didn't when I was a toddler either. Good luck to you and enjoy the magical boobie power.

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