tell me it gets easier?!

[justtryingherbest]

my little girl was EBF from birth and i fought and fought to feed her this way. now we’re 15 months in and although im proud im starting to regret it sometimes. in the evenings unless shes in a deep sleep (normally around 9pm) i have to stay with her, she’ll feed to sleep then wake as soon as i leave the room. i get around 10-20 minutes and as soon as she notices im not there she’ll cry and wont settle unless i feed her back to sleep. in the early days i didnt ever think this would be an issue!

i have a week away planned with a lot of my family soon, so im wondering whether to try and break the feeding to sleep association in the hope she’ll settle better?!

just looking for some advice or words of comfort

Yes, you should try and break the feeding to sleep association at this point. Start with bedtime as melatonin is highest then. You'll need your DH's help. If baby can smell you, she'll be more desperate for milk as she won't understand why you won't give in when you're right there.

Breastfeeding is not necessarily the cause of all your problems although I know it feels like it sometimes (I also BF my 9 month old). Formula parents feed to sleep too. Formula babies get unsettled too and if anything, those parents may find it tricky to settle them. Feeding a baby is hard. So maybe reframe it that way so you don't start to feel resentful.

I totally agree with Baby. I would try and tackle this now, before you go away.

This is a very gentle night weaning method. Much easier if you have someone else at home but doable in your own if you don’t mind a bit of pain for long term gain

The book the No Cry Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers is also very good for tips on giving good sleep cues and getting them to be secure without you there.

thanks both. i’m a single mum so im on my own with this and finding it bloody difficult. that method looks great though, will start implementing tonight. wish me luck!

Definitely wishing you luck