Please help me get more flexibility in bedtime routine so I can go and see Beyonce!

[tory79]

DS is 17 months. Everynight I breastfeed him before he goes to sleep. 99% of the time he does go in to his cot awake and settles himself, but he always has that feed. He also feed in the morning and afternoon, but will happily miss either of those. To be fair, we have actually never tried, so I don't know what will happen, but I'm assuming ds won't be too impressed as its such an important part of his wind down time.

DH does bath etc, but is regularly away with work so its not going to be possible to be consistent about who puts him to bed, but now ds is getting older, I feel that DH should be able to put him to bed without me being there.

I am desperate to go and see Beyonce in concert at the end of April which will mean me being away for the night, so really I am looking for any tips on how to make breastfeeding a flexible part of the bedtime routine, so if I am not there its not a problem. (He doesn't drink cowsmilk btw)

Thank you!!

(have posted in sleep as well)

Watching with interest. I have theatre tickets for an evening performance in April, DD is almost 14 months and BFs to sleep most of the time. We've just started DH putting her to bed once a week to get her used to someone else doing it but I still feed her beforehand with the lights on, then she goes to DH for him to rock/sing/cajole her to sleep. The night we're at the theatre, I'm thinking we'll have to leave home by 6pm so I'm thinking I'll be able to do a last feed just before I go and then if it doesn't send her to sleep (it probably won't at that time) MIL will have to put her down. Sometimes if she won't feed to sleep with me, if I lie with her on the bed and sing baa baa black sheep a million times she'll drop off but she's never gone in her cot awake and dropped off so you're doing better than us!

well, I've booked the tickets now, so its got to happen somehow!

When my dd1 was about that age my mum put her to bed a few times. We didn't actually do any prep work.

Bit different because she took cows milk from a sippy cup, but my mum just took her into a darkened room, and offered her sippy cup and cuddled her. Dd settled fine.

Maybe you could go out for the evening and still be close at hand while DH does bedtime. That way you would be at hand if needed. But I bet it will be fine and will give you the peace of mind to go away happily.

I think you need to be out of the house as if you're sitting down in the living room your ds will want you.

You'll be fine! I remember thinking that DS1 would never go to bed without me/boob as a young toddler, and lo and behold, when I wasn't there he settled fine for his dad or grandma. Enjoy the gig!