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Feeding to sleep

5 replies

Sbd11 · 20/04/2021 13:51

My 10 mo feeds to sleep and I'm soon returning to work. Any ideas how I could get her to nap independently without the boob would be much appreciated! Tha k youu

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SisterA · 20/04/2021 13:55

I could never get my son to nap other than feeding to sleep when I was there but not once did he ever have w problem napping for anyone else, be it nursery or grandparents, whilst I am away from him at work. He started nursery at 9 months. At 10 months he’s made the association that milk comes from you so won’t expect it from someone else and they’ll get into their own groove!

Good luck on your return to work!

Crowsaregreat · 20/04/2021 14:01

Who will be looking after her when you return to work? Will you still have her part time?

You could continue feeding to sleep and let your caregiver get on with whatever they want to do. You'd be amazed how babies adapt to what their caregivers do and nap for them like they would not for parents.

Alternatively if you've generally had it with feeding to sleep, you need to change what happens, even if she complains a bit!

I'd start a routine for going up to nap - eg lunch, then straight upstairs, story then feed and put down before she's asleep. If she cries you could stay and pat or sing, or else pop in and out, sit in the room but don't go to her etc. I think sometimes having you right next to the cot makes it more frustrating.

If you're consistent with it, most likely she'll start going to sleep easily enough and you can then drop the feed out of the routine once she's used to it. If she really rails against it then you could try walking her to sleep in the pram.

I don't think there's a magic way to shift her from feeding to sleep to going in her cot, just like that - you need to change her habits and she'll probably be unsure about it at first and complain a bit. Making sure she has lots of air and exercise and a good lunch might help.

Sbd11 · 20/04/2021 14:46

Thank you both for the advice.it will be my parents and in laws on alternate weeks and I'm going back part time so will still have her on the other days. Will try and start implementing some sort of routine! She rejects the bottle when it's naptime too! Only boob does the trick!

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SisterA · 20/04/2021 15:03

Mine was a serial bottle refuser so I was gobsmacked on his first day of nursery when he napped for 2 hours. I didn’t actually believe them until they showed me a picture of him happily snoozing away in the cot!

Dancingdolphins · 20/04/2021 15:32

I feed to sleep (9mo) and my mum has her for a day while I work. She takes her out in the pram for naps.

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