Do any other BF mums find it impossible to settle their LO without feeding?

11 replies

ChubbyScotsBurd · 27/08/2007 16:50

Title says it all really - I always resort to a feed because that's always what LO wants from me, a cuddle will rarely suffice. His Dad, however, can have him asleep and tucked in in a matter of minutes. OK, so DS is only 5 weeks old but will it always be like this?!

OP posts:

liath · 27/08/2007 16:54

Ds is 19 weeks and rarely settles for me without a wee nosh. Can't say I've tried all that hard to get him out of the habit as it works well but may well have made the proverbial rod for my back !

andiem · 27/08/2007 17:15

This does get better with time my lo is now 9 weeks and will settle in bed awake after a feed he doesn't need to feed to sleep now but sometimes he does. I think they just love the closeness. I don't think it is a big issue either

Olihan · 27/08/2007 17:18

Ds2 is almost 8mo and is the same. Goes to bed no probs for his dad but will not settle for me without a feed, no matter how hard I try. He doesn't fall asleep feeding but seems to need it to relax him.

maxbear · 27/08/2007 20:29

Both of mine were like this until 3 or 4 months, would only settle with me bf, would not settle at all with anyone else. At a certain point they just started to settle themselves. Every baby is different though. I do still (6 months) occasionally find it useful to bf him to sleep when we are out and about.

spiritofstlouis · 27/08/2007 20:30

My 4 month old is the same- happily settles for Daddy but if it's me he thinks mmmm milk... although I have to admit to not trying too hard either!

bookthief · 27/08/2007 20:38

I can get ds to sleep without a feed now and mainly does (he's 9mo but has been this way for a good few months). Sometimes I still feed to sleep though if I'm feeling lazy, especially for daytime naps which can be tricky and it's great to still have that option if he's really grumpy.

Jas · 27/08/2007 20:43

I fed ds to sleep until about 9 or 10 months, but didn't actually try and change it. He stopped going to sleep on his last feed, had a month or so of difficult settling, and then started to go off on his own (carried on BF until about 13 months)

SenoraPostrophe · 27/08/2007 20:45

dd just started sleeping with a dummy, but I did have to "wean" ds1 and ds2 off the goodnight feeds (because I found it made them wake less during the night). I did it at about 4 months and just rocked a lot instead, gradually migrating to patting in the cot. hard work, but imo, worth it. Mind you, i can see the beenfits of not bothering too...

FrayedKnot · 27/08/2007 20:50

DS always fell asleep after a feed so I think I kind of honed it into a very useful parenting tool and carried on doing it for about 13 months..

by which time he was quite ready to start going to sleep on his own. I continued to feed him before bed until he was 19 months but he didn;t fall asleep until he went into his cot. he was just very sleepy.

The only thing was I never felt I could leave him with anyone else to settle him.

I think it is great that your DP can also settle him, and I would keep going with that as much as poss!

puffylovett · 27/08/2007 20:50

ah but i enjoy it ! mind you it's normally only the 7pm bedtime feed we settle on booby and even thats getting less and less.

tonight he settled himself sucking on his scratch mitt !!

mind yuou he is a 6 mth big boy

boo

babypowder · 27/08/2007 22:05

I feed my LO (8mo) to sleep as well. It works so well, and settles her into a really deep sleep. I did the same with DD1 until she was about 13mo and ready to settle on her own. I enjoy it, TBH, and for me it certainly is the easy way to a restful evening

Flip