Please teach me how to stop feeding an 8mo to sleep.

[numberthirtytwowindsorgardens]

With my son, I reduced the length of feeds over time (he was much younger), and then one day he just decided he was done feeding to sleep.

DD is a very different character. She's very attached to me, hates pretty much anyone else, and if you put her down anything other than sound asleep she screams her heart out. She's starting nursery soon and I feel sick at the thought of her crying because she can't sleep.

Other possibly relevant information: she has two half hour naps at about 9am and about 1.30/2pm. (Yes, I know that's not long enough, but nothing has worked to extend them.) She goes to bed at seven after bath, book, feed, wakes once in the night between 3 and 4 for a feed, and then usually goes back to sleep until 5.30-6ish.

Any experiences from parents of similarly Velcroish babies welcomed!

Feed her with lights on half hour before bed to drop the association with sleep. Then put her in the cot awake and pat or sing to sleep instead?? This is what I did with my daughter - she screamed the place down but persevered with it and then she started easily going to sleep by herself with in a few nights

I know this doesn't exactly answer your question but I was in your exact situation about 5 months ago. She is now 15 months and I still feed her to sleep for naps and at night. Nursery staff found their own way to put her down for naps....they have a cuddle and sing a nursery rhyme. Nursery staff are very used to finding what works with new babies!

Thanks @Fupoffyagrasshole - that sounds very sensible, but I fear the crying 😭i think I've read too many mumsnet threads which say that leaving a child to cry for any time is child abuse.

@ZuliKyanLarsFoz thank you, that's reassuring! Do you have a plan for how you'll stop feeding to sleep in the end? I think I'm worried it will only get harder the older she gets.

I still feed my toddler to sleep, but that doesn’t mean she can’t get to sleep with anyone else.

Daddy put her in the sling to sleep and Granny rocks her to sleep.

They adapt - just because you feed them to sleep doesn’t mean they won’t be able to sleep with anyone else

Teaching your baby to fall asleep indecent isn’t child abuse. I’ve seen loads of people say it on here too! Honestly better quality sleep for her and you is better for you all surely.

I never left her there crying alone for a long time or anything! I sat there next to the cot reassuring her, patting her, singing to her. I left the room for periods of maybe 10 mins max then I’d come back. some days I actually lay on the floor next to the cot holding her hand for a bit. You can do controlled crying in a way that doesn’t leave them alone screaming in the dark.