Help with 7 month old sleep please

[CharleyFarley82]

Hi all,

I have a 7 month old DD who is BF and who we have started baby-led weaning with. We have never had a set routine but a typical day includes -

• wakes up for the day between 5-6am
• BF 5-6 times a day and normally once at night (occasionally twice, v occasionally she'll sleep through)
• 3 'meals' a day (the amount she eats will vary)
• dinner between 4.30-6pm, bath at 6pm and will have her last BF with the aim of her being asleep between 7-7.30pm. We try to put her in her cot awake but drowsy.
• 2-3 naps in the day of varying lengths either in her buggy whilst out or by being BF to sleep and then put in her cot.

So many people have been telling me recently that she should not be being fed straight before bed as she will be developing sleep associations.

I have also had people telling me she should not be feeding in the night anymore and that I should start offering water. The problem is she has never taken a bottle. Also, although she always has plenty of milk, some days she doesn't eat much in the way of solids.

How can I help her to take naps without breastfeeding? When should I be giving her her last BF if not right before bed? And what are people's thoughts on the night waking/feeding?

Thanks in advance for your help!

What unsuportive comments you have had.

Firstly its biologically normal for a baby to feed to sleep. You produce hormones in your milk that helps them sleep. At 7 months its unusual for a baby to sleep through, (ok some do but not many). think about it do you as an adult go 12 hours without a drink? the answer is poetically no some if us even wake in the night for a drink and we sleep less then a baby.

If its working for you and your family and you are happy and baby is happy then ignore any friendly advice.

Thanks MigGril that's what I thought!

On the whole I'm pretty relaxed about everything. It's just when people start telling me I'm storing up problems for later (the words "rod" and "back" have been mentioned) I start to wonder if I am doing the right thing.

I know I'm doing the easiest thing for us, and we're all happy. I wouldn't say no to unbroken sleep but then who would?!

Thanks again.

I'm not going to help for this one reason:

"- BF 5-6 times a day and normally once at night (occasionally twice, v occasionally she'll sleep through)"

DD is 7.5months and I have never had only once at night!!

have to say, though, I don't think you're having any sleep problems at all!
why on earth should it be a problem for her to fall asleep so soon after a feed?
Your sleep patterns sound perfectly healthy and normal for a BF baby of 7months.

tell your unsupportive dictators to butt out.

Rods and backs are bollocks - your baby is still very very young, and even those baby sleep gurus don't advocate routines like that for under-ones.

and i agree with Mig - biologically normal to fed to sleep, and also biologically normal for a person to wake once in the night for a quick drink. I do it as an adult, so why shouldn't a baby?

I wish my DD had your DD's sleeping/feeding patterns.

Thanks Nickle

Here's hoping your DD gets there soon!

I had never thought of it being the same as a person waking for a drink - probably because in my previous existence I could sleep 12 hours straight without stirring...