Am I creating a problem for myself?

[LKS]

I'm currently breastfeeding and find that my 10 week old is very difficult to get to sleep unless he's been fed, or has at least been offered the breast. He sometimes falls asleep after just a couple of sucks whilst other times will feed for longer. We don;t use a dummy, though I have no particular reason not to, just haven't so far.

I'm not terribly bothered by this except that I wonder if I should be concerned that he needs me to fall asleep - a night out or day off seems an impossible dream at the moment... I also wonder if I'm storing up huge problems for the future. I'd be really keen to hear how others encourgae young babies to sleep.

Nah. At 10 weeks old its all about the cuddles. My son first started self-settling around 18-19 weeks I think.

I wouldn't worry too much. I also feed 11 week old to sleep in the evening and often for naps.

If you do want another idea though I've found that picking up and putting down works with her, even at only 11 weeks. I put her in the cot until she starts to moan (she doesn't cry, its more of a shout that says 'pick me up!'), I pick her up and calm her. Put her down for 10 seconds (I know, very short time), pick her up till she is calm, put her down for 20 seconds and repeat adding 10 seconds each time. She has never gone further than 40 seconds, just stops moaning and goes to sleep.

It works for us because there isn't really anything wrong with her when I put her down to sleep, she just moans that she has been put down. Yesterday she actually settled herself without moaning for her morning and lunch naps so we have seen progress.

But today I fed to sleep! Like I say, I don't think there is anything wrong with it as long as you are happy to do it. As PaschaAndCustard says, it is a nice cuddle!

Oh and for the first 4 weeks I kept being told to 'put that baby down' and that I was cuddling her too much. I didn't listen and am glad I didn't :).

I worried that my DD would never settle without breast but she is now 19months and still feeds but goes down awake.
I miss those sleepy cuddles...

I used to worry about this. DS (5 months) now sometimes wants to feed to sleep, sometimes happy to settle himself, sometimes wants his daddy to rock him... I've stopped panicking and go with whatever he wants

My DS is 11 months and normally needs to sleep but will go to sleep no problems if i' out. Sometimes he just wants dad too so snuggles up to OH ans drops off.

Hi LKS. Really to echo what everyone else has said, please don't worry about this. It's normal. As the baby gets older he will be more able to put himself to sleep with less and less input from you. As a general rule, anyone who tells you that you are storing up problems for later or 'making a rod for your own back' can be ignored. The alternative is controlled crying, which a 10 week old is far far too young for (if that is ever appropriate at all, but that's a whole other debate!!).

However, I understand it feels a bit suffocating. When I left DC1 with daddy, he would just rock him off to sleep. Yeah he grumbled, but you know what, he was safe, had a bottle of expressed milk, and daddy just had to put up with it. Could you leave him with your DH on that basis?

Oh, and please ignore the books that say to put baby down drowsy, fully fed but awake. Ha! They don't have a section on what to do when this inevitably results in a screaming baby. Just try to ignore the books and go with the flow! Easier said than done but resist!!!