breast feeding to settle

[reyhansmummy]

what else can baby do to settle other than breast feed.. when my 7 month old son wakes in night he doesn't always want to feed because he's hungry more to settle. also at night he has to fall asleep feeding to be put to sleep he can never settle or get to sleep on his own. how do i get baby to sleep on his own? sitting rocking him doesn't work he cries to feed and putting him down in bed he just screams

Both my boys just sort of grew out of always needing to be fed to sleep, though I can't remember when DS1 outgrew it completely. DS2 (14 months) now doesn't feed to sleep for naps but does at bedtime, though will also fall asleep with some rocking/being walked around on someone's shoulder if I'm not there.

Is it causing a problem for you or do you just feel he should settle on his own? I always thought it was like having a handy ninja skill to make them conk out....

yes i do think its handy to get them to sleep, i was just wondering why thats the only way he will sleep as some of my older relatives saying why doesn't he just go down in cot and drift off to sleep and saying I've spoilt him (which i don't think is true i don't think you can 'spoil' a child its just what they are used to) was just wondering if other bf mums feed baby to settle too. thanks for reply x

I always feed to sleep too- always at night time, I literally can't imagine how things would work otherwise. DD is very hungry and would want food last thing and will only drift off on boob or in buggy/sling/very occasionally being rocked.
For naps I try to send her to sleep in buggy or sling, just so she doesn't get to dependent on the boob.
If she wakes after falling asleep then I normally have to pop her back on otherwise she grumbles louder and louder until eventually she is screaming and can make herself vomit. She has never just grumbled for 10 mins then drifted off. But I've only left her a couple of times to see what happens.
I'm planning to limp along like this until 5-6 months then try some sleep training. DD is 14 weeks now, so only another 8ish to go until I might get some freedom!!

I always bf my dd to sleep, til she was a year old. I also bf her if she woke in the night. I figured that it comforted her and she may be hungry.

After a year, dh went in to dd if she woke at night and gave her water and cuddles, saying that milk was for daytime. We had two disturbed nights then dd slept through.

Bu your DS is too young for sleep training, IMO. It's very natural to bf to sleep, and very common with bf babies! Don't worry about it.

It depends what you can cope with. I read that after 6 months babies do not need food at night, especially if solids have been introduced.
I'm quite keen on not waking for feeds after 6/7 months but I understand a little gentle sleep training may be required, and that's not for everyone.