Shameless traffic-seeking post about breastfeeding

[MolliciousIntent]

DD2 is 12weeks. Usually sleeps for an hour, is awake for an hour, rinse and repeat from 6am to 9pm. But today, she's fallen asleep on the boob (v normal) and slept for 2hrs, every time she rouses a little she gets my nipple back, has a microsuck and goes back to sleep. Should I take the boob away and let her wake properly? Or let this keep going?

I used to be a sensible, confident woman who made high-risk decisions easily. I am now an exhausted lunatic who can't decide what to do with her own nipples.

YABU - let the baby keep your nipples.
YANBU - those are your nipples, put them back in your bra.

...I WANT my baby to depend on me for comfort! That's what I'm here for, I'm her mother! And even if I did give a dummy I'd want to remove it at 6m before her teeth started coming in anyway, and at that age it's very normal to still need mum for comfort. I don't get why everyone has their knickers in a twist about me saying a dummy is a piece of rubber. I guess plastic is probably more accurate.

She does 6hr chunks overnight and had a 3hr nap today, I don't think she needs a dummy.

...I WANT my baby to depend on me for comfort! That's what I'm here for, I'm her mother!
Well said. DS wouldn't take one anyway, he always wanted hugs instead. He's been calm and kind throughout toddler years, it's nice for kids to have consistency that mummy is there to help.

Hmmm - I always took the kid off the boob if he started to fall asleep while feeding, and put him in his moses basket - so he didn't need to suck to sleep. But you do you.

Whatever you teach your child to need to get to sleep as a baby is what she will continue to need to sleep, at least short term.

And you are her comfort, not your nipple

With my first baby, I started worrying about all of that after she was 6m. Before then I just went with whatever worked - she slept best in my arms and I loved having her close. We weaned off feeding to sleep after that and she was sleeping independently within a week or so. I felt pretty good about that and intend to do it again. I don't think you can spoil a baby that small, or teach bad habits.

All those saying just set up camp on sofa with Netflix and snacks and basically not move…
that can’t be good for you can it?

Not when it’s day in day out. We need to move our bodies and exercise! we’re supposed to walk 10k steps a day as a minimum! I’d be getting arse ache from so much sitting

Reclaim your nipples Op and look after yourself as well as the baby

@LuckySantangelo35 No one has said anything about doing it day in, day out. They’ve said make lazy hay while the sun shines. If you can’t have a day on your bum watching Netflix while on maternity leave, when can you?! Honestly. Can’t think of anything I thought about less on maternity than getting my 10k steps. And I got plenty as DD only liked being in the sling and walking. Better believe that when she pulled a snoozy boob day à la OP’s baby I parked myself on the sofa and didn’t move a jot.

@stuntbubbles

some babies do want that cluster feeding type thing where they are on the breast for hours and hours at a time most days don’t they?

@LuckySantangelo35 And breastfeeding mothers dealing with cluster-feeding babies have enough on their plate without a scolding about “don’t forget to exercise!”. It’s not going to do anyone any harm to spend the fourth trimester on their arse if they fancy it.

and if you have that kind of baby and Whether you’re on maternity leave or not, you’re still a person and still have needs. To exercise and eat healthy food, not snacks that you don’t have to move off the sofa for.

and if taking care of your own needs means giving baby a dummy so be it!

And as a person with a need to sit on the sofa, watch TV and breastfeed, it’s OK to do exactly that. It doesn’t affect you at all if someone chooses not to exercise for a bit, or eat some chocolate; and we have no idea if the OP is out doing marathons every morning followed by a green juice, or not. Absolutely no evidence to suggest she’s neglecting herself as a person. Weird derail.

Aww it gets better I promise ! Absolutely nothing wrong with nursing like that and my second born was similar. He is 18 months now only nurses 5-6 times a day ( see it does get better ) 😆

Your approach sounds perfect to me OP. As long as its working for you, and you're happy of course. I have 4 kids, and I've always done things along the lines you describe. They all breastfed until about 2 yrs and didn't use dummies. I never had strong opinions one way or another about dummies, but just never really wanted/needed one. Two of my babies started sleeping through the night before they were 1 year old, and one needed more input at night until about 2 and my youngest is 16 months and still has one or two quick feeds at night. Anyway, the point is, I've always just let them nurse etc whenever and for how ever long they wanted. Definitely hasn't led to any 'bad' habits! 😎

I have a toddler, time on my arse is rare. By the time I'd posted this thread I'd already been awake for 6 hours and done the nursery run and a trip to the shops. No idea how many steps it was but it was a good two hours out with the pram. I definitely needed a sit down, I'm running on pretty little sleep at the moment!

Also, cluster feeding is a vital part of breastfeeding - it's the baby's way of making sure mum's body is producing as much milk as possible in preparation for a growth spurt. Giving a dummy to a baby during cluster feeding is massively counterproductive and could be damaging to the breastfeeding relationship.

Looking after my baby is looking after myself.

Aw I giggled at this. Think I fed my kiddo for the last time this week (he's 4 🤪)

Have to say number one I didn't let him and I wish I had as he was a bit on the low birth weight side. But he napped well in a pram. I slobbed with no 2 and he was roly poly.

They suckle to stimulate milk even if they don't get any - she's heading for a big growth spurt.

I used to try to put them down though. Have to say 4 - 5 months it's near impossible as They Know. Pram walks worked better (wish I'd done it more with number two as he found his thumb on one once!)