Do babies grow out of being cuddled to sleep?

[AEJ92]

Hi alli am a FTM to a beautiful 4 month old daughter. I love cuddling her to sleep but everyone says I shouldn't be doing it because she will get dependant on it. Did your babies just grow out of it and start putting themselves to sleep when they were ready?
So much conflicting advice I need to hear it from people who have actually been there!

Thanks!

If you're happy to do it, that's all that matters.

Unfortunately you get judged either way. I have a 4 month old too and I taught him to self settle so put him down awake and I've had people call me strict/cruel etc.

My 5 year old would still happily be cuddle to sleep. At around 7 months my youngest started to fight and strain against cuddles so I moved to patting him in the cot. They are all different.

Yes my daughter did by 2.5

Unfortunately they do

You cannot make anything worse by cuddling your tiny baby. Follow your instincts and ignore those who give their unwanted advice.

I've cuddled all 3 of mine to sleep- even feeding to sleep still with my 16m old. My 9 year old and 6 almost 7yo both have a kiss and hug and sleep fine all night, and have done since they were 2. I was told the same as you, i smiled and nodded and ignored them all. You won't be cuddling to sleep a 16 year old don't fret

My son is 5 and he still wants to be cuddled to sleep and sneaks in our bed in the middle of the night every night. My daughter likes her own space and was fine sleeping in her cot as a baby. Each child is different. Your baby is four months old so you really shouldn’t worry about spoiling it, babies need to feel secure. Enjoy the cuddles.

Usually they grow out of it at around the age of 40

With advice like that I always remind myself that no 18 year old does x, y or z so they'll grow out of it at their own pace.

yes of course they do! My son is 15 and would not let me near him now!!

enjoy every minute of it

Lots of nice advice here. Just remember that the idea of regressions and habits and wake windows and everything else, is to make money from tired new parents.

Of course your baby will sleep alone one day, before you know it in fact, and you'll wonder why you wasted time worrying and not enjoying it.

All the time you're happy cuddling, cuddle the shit out of her.

4 months is still very tiny op. I would fully expect to be cuddling/feeding to sleep at that age.

I would say though, that it depends on baby and it depends on you.
My first was rocked to sleep until she was 18m. I have a job where I needed to work on an evening and sitting for ages getting her off to sleep was unmanageable. It was begining to impact on my mental health so I made a change and used gradual retreat to move away from it.

I was determined not to go down the same route with my second child and at around 5m I started to put him into his cot and hold hands rather than cuddle. It turned out that I didn't need to worry and he was actually happier to turn his face away and nod off.

I have friends that still sit with their 6 year olds and are fine with that but also friends that do it but really wish that they had dealt with it while they were little.

I suppose that I am just trying to say that it needs to be right for you and your little one.

Yes, my daughter voluntarily gave up being cuddled to sleep around 2y3m.

Ignore anyone who tells you any of that bullshit

there is absolutely nothing wrong with cuddling your baby to sleep, it is the most natural thing in the world! My little boy is 18 months and until a year he would only nap on me (night times were fine). He’s been going down in his cot for naps ever since and I so miss cuddling him like that

enjoy it OP