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Parenting

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Original poster

Is feeding to sleep really bad?

20 replies

AdrianeMole · 10/08/2023 09:14

I've been doing it. DD is 11 weeks. I spoke to a baby "expert" yesterday who said this was a sign she has reflux?! But I haven't seen any other symptoms.

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PetitPorpoise · 10/08/2023 09:17

I always fed mine to sleep pretty much at that age. If there are no other symptoms I'm not sure why you would need to be concerned about reflux.

CurlewKate · 10/08/2023 09:19

Perfectly normal. It's what mammals do!!
I suggest not paying any attention to this particular baby expert-if she's wrong about this, she'll be wrong about other things.

RoseWrites · 10/08/2023 09:20

My "baby" was fed to sleep for years. And even when she was 3.5 years old (!) she loved milk, a snuggle and a nap on my lap. If you don't mind doing it and it works for you, enjoy those milky cuddles :)

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picklsey · 10/08/2023 09:23

I was always led by LO whether that be feeding to sleep, cuddling to sleep, soothing at night etc. No problems later on, slept through at 6wks old.

All children are different but ultimately in my own experience I don't believe that you're causing any issues by doing what comforts them. They grow out of these things when they're ready.

Happy baby, happy mama.

Thegoldgrind · 10/08/2023 09:27

I fed DD to sleep for 2 years, it was brilliant having a sure fire way to get her to sleep quickly rather than breaking my back rocking for hours at a time (DS 😩)

riffraffroff · 10/08/2023 09:29

Rubbish. Totally normal so long as you're happy doing so.

Reflux is a symptom of larger oral dysfunction. Totally unrelated to feeding to sleep. In fact it can make doing so harder as you often need to wind baby and keep them upright after to stop them being sick.

Clefable · 10/08/2023 09:30

Babies are designed to fall asleep while feeding. It's totally normal.

NewmummyJ · 10/08/2023 09:32

Echo all of the above. It is evolutionary normal, babies know they are safe and soothed if attached to you!

Purplepjs · 10/08/2023 09:33

I fed both my children to sleep for as long as we breastfed (nearly two years each). They loved it, I loved it. They both transitioned off it with relative ease. If it’s working for you both, try to let yourself enjoy it, it can be such lovely bonding time. Once it’s not working for one of you, then you can worry about transitioning away from it. Your baby is tiny, just do whatever feels good to you both.

SwordToFlamethrower · 10/08/2023 09:35

It is normal mammalian behaviour to feed to sleep.
Milk contains hormones that make both mother and baby sleepy.

YukoandHiro · 10/08/2023 09:48

No. It's natural and normal. It helps them sleep and it helps you get to sleep after night feeds.
I still sometimes feed my almost 3 year old to sleep, though she's perfectly capable of going to sleep without me and sometimes asks for a song instead.

Original poster

AdrianeMole · 10/08/2023 10:18

Thanks everyone! Have to remember to be very wary of baby experts!

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theyareonlynoodlesmichael · 10/08/2023 12:19

Yep, I still sometimes feed my 3 year old to sleep when she needs it. She can go to sleep without it - never had to sleep train or teach her how to sleep without it.

Lorelaigilless · 11/08/2023 00:21

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvgB_UZSxcK/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

it’s an entirely normal thing to do and won’t harm anyone!

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvgB_UZSxcK/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

chillichutneysarnie · 11/08/2023 07:09

Just to add I have fed my son to sleep for 16 months and he's just starting to naturally say "bye bye" to the breast and indicating he wants to be put down in his cot. He falls asleep in there now. This has all happened with no input from me, he's just growing up. I still feed him if he wakes in the night. It's been brilliant for us

Toddler101 · 11/08/2023 07:20

SwordToFlamethrower · 10/08/2023 09:35

It is normal mammalian behaviour to feed to sleep.
Milk contains hormones that make both mother and baby sleepy.

This! And no it isn't a sign of reflux.

My firstborn always fed to sleep, for every single sleep. My second born hates being fed to sleep for naps and will only accept cuddles to sleep in the day!

Effingmagicfairy · 11/08/2023 07:25

Both mine fed to sleep, DS started fussing at 19 months, so we stopped and started going to sleep without any issues. DD would have fed forever but we stopped about 3, and she was the same. If it works for you, don’t worry.

Cowlover89 · 11/08/2023 15:55

Nope. It's completely fine 😊

cyncope · 11/08/2023 16:01

There's no good and bad, just what works and what doesn't work for you.

I did feed to sleep with my first but by about 9 months found it was getting in the way of him falling asleep and staying asleep and ended up having to work quite hard to change sleep habits.
With subsequent babies I didn't feed to sleep and that worked better for us in terms of settling to sleep and longer stretches of sleep.
Must admit I really like to sleep though so that was more of a priority for me than it would be for some people!

letsdonextweek · 11/08/2023 18:21

Fed all three of mine to sleep. It's one of my favourite memories. I rocked them to sleep for as long as I could lift them too.

No such thing as a baby expert in my opinion. Do what you think is best x

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