Feeding to sleep... How do you do it?

[Bellyrub1980]

Stupid question alert!!

I have a 6wk old baby and regularly read posts about 'feeding your baby to sleep'... Usually about how to stop. But I have never successfully fed my baby to sleep! I would love to be able to do this!!!

Is there a trick to it???

My baby will dose at the breast, but will never fall into a deep sleep. The only thing that achieves that is the fact that she stays awake ALL DAY and reaches total exhaustion by about 10pm. She never properly settles after her feeds in the middle of the night.

I think they are both saying that there are variations. Which I have repeatedly said I knwo there are! I'm not putting up 'suspect information' to 'make people cry', just sharing something that I found to be helpful and reflected what my DS does, as anyone is doing on a website that's about parents sharing experiences.

Redling absolutely not aimed at you sharing it. It's just the way she does say babies vary ... but "optimum" babies have more. It's quite frightening to me rather than annoying or anything.

...its more me latching on to that one word!!

In my experience some do and some don't. My first DS did, and I got him to sleep anywhere and everywhere any time I wanted by feeding him. On the tube, at parties, I'd just feed him and he'd go to sleep. It was great. With Dd I assumed I'd do the same, but she's just not a feed to sleeper, unless she's already out of her mind with exhaustion and in a quiet dark room. Normally I stick her in the sling for naps instead. I've tried to teach her to feed to sleep but she tends to scream if I do, because her reflexes kind of force her to latch on if I offer, but if she's not actually hungry just tired she gets annoyed. Sounds like your baby just has other preferences

The overtiredness will take some time to correct. I agree with other posters, do whatever you can to get your baby to sleep. Don't worry about the crib at all!

DS2 is 7 wks and doesn't really feed to sleep except during nighttime feeds, although he really only gets sleepy on boob then falls to actual sleep on shoulder when I burp him, and occasionally when he wakes from a nap I'll feed and he'll go back to sleep again.

Unlike DS1 who I could feed to sleep anywhere - noisy pubs, aeroplanes, day time, nap time, bedtime... Used to be my saviour until we got to 13mo and he was still doing it and would sleep no other way...

DS2 is obviously different and like your baby is very alert and I think gets over stimulated easily and so will get sleepy on boob but the slightest thing wakes him again. We've had a few bad days where he's been grumpy and screams and just won't settle and am sure it's over tiredness. He desperately wants to drop off but can't just quite do it on his own. So we do lots of feeding, rocking, using sling, car trips etc. I've also cut out caffeine last couple days and (although I hate to admit it...) it's like he's a different baby. Have managed to nap him in his Moses twice now, once I rocked to sleep and transferred and today I fed, rocked, put down awake and left him to it and he fell asleep on his own. This may well be a fluke but DS1 NEVER did this in his whole life so I still can't quite believe it...!
As others have said, sleep guides are useful but also if you have a wakeful baby that's equally fine. If you do everything you can to regularly create situations in which your baby can sleep, but they still don't, or don't sleep for long, then you have to trust them and nature that they're not going to be doing themselves any harm by sleeping less than "other" babies. I used to plan long walks with DS1 to give him long naps and he'd wake up after 20mins. Not much I can do about that...!
Glad things a bit better now that your baby is getting more regular daytime naps

Just updating! I'm working hard at getting baby to sleep more regularly. She's so much happier. Can't believe I didn't figure this out before!!!???

Well done DS2 also more settled recently and I've also managed to get him to sleep more regularly and he's a different baby!