Feeding to sleep frustration - advice please!

[TeenageMutantNinjaTurtle]

Hello lovely lactating ladies... Some advice please...

My dd is 6 weeks old and breast fed. So far things are going fine, I have a ton of milk, dd is gaining weight well and sleeping well. She's a very easy baby.

My problem is that she wants to feed to sleep, which I don't much mind but I don't think she wants the milk. She will latch on but then rear back, tugging my boob along with her. If she lets it go, she'll cry and snuffle around till she gets it again. This goes on for a while until she falls asleep.

She will fall asleep on my dh, but not on me unless she's sucking. He's obviously not around during the day and I really can't be doing with all of the fussing, the rearing back and re-latching. It's uncomfortable and difficult in public.

She won't take a dummy... And she won't take expressed milk although we're working on that.

Does anyone have any tips that either mean she doesn't need a boob to fall asleep or to make her more comfortable as she's sucking?

Just to be clear, this is always at the end of the feed or after some awake time, she's not hungry, I'm sure of it and I don't think it's a fast let down. I think she's tired and wants to suck but has a full tummy and doesn't want the milk.

Have a google of the pantley pull off, I think that's the right name.

I would try another type of dummy too as it may help, try a cherry shaped ones etc

I personally wouldn't worry as yet 6 weeks is v little x

Have you tried letting her suck your finger, nail side downwards. My ds did this for a bit in the early weeks, then he finger sucked for a while around 12 weeks before stopping altogether. He never would take a dummy.

I have the No Cry Sleep Solution (dd1 was a nightmare sleeper!!), I think the Pantley Pull Off is designed to help wean babies off feeding to sleep. Dd does her own bloody pull off, a gazillion times before she actually goes to sleep so I'm not sure it would help.

Will try some other dummies, I've got Avent and MAM ones so far. Is it common for them to refuse them at first but like them after a while?

Mamababa, I really don't mid feeding her to sleep, I'm more than happy to do it. It's just the rearing back and re-latching that is hard work, especially when we're out and about. It's quite sore after a while. Her latch is good when she's actually feeding, no pain at all.

And museum - she used to finger suck but she's wise to us now. She gives it a go and then spits it out.

I will persevere with the dummies!

i think she is very little andit will probably settle on its own but i agree if you want to try something the pantley pull off is probably most helpful, so use your little finger slipped between your breast and into corner if her mouth to break the seal then gently remove nipple from her mouth and snuggle her in tight, if she gets upset pop nipple back in and repeat once she is chilled out.
i find i can get away with doing this if i give him a really big snuggle and rock a bit, not sure if this is just creating another sleep association but i think worth a try?

Yes, it's very cimmon. One tip is when you put the dummy in to tap on the plastic with your nail - it makes them suck.

When ds did this sore head bobbing boob ravaging thing it was wind iirc

If you're out pop her in a sling and walk her around. In fact that's how I got dd to take a dummy - there was nowhere to feed, she was crying so I went into a chemist, bought some and popped one in (she was my second and I wasn't worried about sterilising quite so much ).

Also have you tried to anticipate when she's tired and rocking her instead?

Oh yes wind - try burping her.

Ok this is good stuff. I will try substituting nipple for finger when she's sucking, that might just work.

And dummy tapping.

Not sure about the wind. She is quite a farty baby but the boob ravaging (perfect description) is only happening when she's trying to fall asleep. Is there anything I can do to tell if it's wind or help alleviate it for her?

DS will go to sleep with the motion of the pram as an alternative to breastfeeding. He wouldn't when he was 6 weeks old though, I think you just have to do whatever works at that age!

Our best winding technique was up and down the stairswwith ds over the shoulder. Not sure how to tell what's bothering her, it could be both.

Pulling up legs etc is wind related.

This will pass quite soon, promise.

Oh yes, if I try rocking her she just hurls herself at my boob. Her cues are all very obvious so I know when she's hungry vs tired.

Honestly it's not a major deal because she does fall asleep eventually, I'd just like to make it easier on her. She sleeps really well at night and doesn't do the boob ravaging overnight (she only a wakes up for one 3am feed and goes straight back to sleep).

I think I need a new sling, we have a wrap one which dd1 lived in (Velcro baby) but I find it a faff now with a toddler in tow.

Hows it going this evening op?

Not too bad as it happens... Ive been letting her do one or two frantic re-latches and then popping her off and snuggling her in really close. She seems happy to drift off to sleep that way. Currently just waiting for her to be asleep enough to put down and then I'm off to bed.

This is certainly preferable to letting her bash about on my boob until she passes out with exhaustion!

Glad you had a better evening

Thanks TheresALot. Really appreciate the advice!! I wasn't able to breastfeed dd1 so this is all unchartered territory for me!

• TheresLotsOf... Sorry!