My baby depends on breast to fall asleep, ever

[Nikamon]

I promised myself I won't make that mistake and here it happened. Within one week, I didn't notice when, my 4,5 month old almost stopped being capable of falling asleep in any other way than breast.

Occasionally rocking to sleep works, but only with a pacifier in his mouth, so I'm not sure if it's any meaningful to make him dependant on pacifier on top of it?

I've spent second night trying to put him to sleep without breast and pacifier (fed him earlier). Cries for an hour then is awake for 2 hours, basically till the next feeding. After which immediately falls asleep. He falls asleep after each feeding. I'm waking him up if it's not a nap time, and now I try to really keep the boobs out of naps at least, but - no chance.

Any advice? I want to at least get my foot in the door.. at night he wakes up 2-3 times which is totally acceptable for me, I'm just afraid it tends to get worse if he's dependant on the breast.. Also, nobody else can make him sleep (bottle works too, but it's messy with all the pumping and always some milk gets wasted, and I seem to have less and less of it).

At 4.5 Months I wouldn't be worrying about this. He will sleep better without the breast if you aren't the one putting him to sleep as he can smell you if you do want to stop it. I'd kick this particular issue down the road and if it's still an issue address it closer to 18 months personally, you have lots of illnesses, development leaps and teething to get through yet which all impact feeding and the need for comfort andthe endorphins released during feeding.

Your baby is small, they feed when hungry and sleep when tired. Not helpful but guided by them.

@Nikamon please don’t worry about this. I breastfed both my children and they fell asleep at the breast and each night waking I also offered the breast. Once they were 9 months and eating 3 meals a day I was more content to encourage them to not need feeding at night (during night wakings) so i cuddled at wakings and it was fine they took a while to settle initially but got there. I still breastfed before bed. Falling asleep with a feed is natural and needed. Don’t consider it a bad habit. Work with it.

I did this till they were about two and then they stopped needing it. Fine to want to stop if it bothers you, but you don't have to if it doesn't. It's not a bad habit, it's completely natural and pretty effective if you don't mind doing it.

I really wouldn’t worry about it. It’s totally normal. Yes, it can feel frustrating and ties you to baby in a way which can be difficult. But I found it a lot less stressful to go with baby on this kind of thing rather than fighting against nature.

Okay seems I'm reading too much advice online :D thanks for straightening it up :)

I wouldn't worry. Mine always fed to sleep - I kept doing it because it had a 100% success rate and he became a brilliant sleeper. He grew out of it when he was ready.

Don’t stress about it, it’s completely normal. My son was like this and naturally grew out of it at about a year old. Now he prefers to get himself to sleep and only falls asleep on the breast if he’s very tired.

Think of it like this - you’ve an amazing way to get your baby to sleep!

They all grow out of it! It’s completely normal (and lovely)

Try and find things you can do in that time though. Wireless headphones weren't a thing when I had DD not were tablets. If I had to do those long night feeds again I'd set myself up with a drink and snacks, an audiobook / podcast or TV show/film on a tablet and listen with wireless headphones and enjoy the break. Honestly everything else will wait.

It's fine they are tiny.

With my dd I remember feeding then rousing her just enough so that she had her eyes open as I put her in cot but only just awake. It worked but my son was a different matter.

How I wish I had read this thread when mine were little and stopped berating myself for making a rod for my back. Please just enjoy your baby and do t worry about it

Your baby will grow out of it. It's only an issue if you have other things you really need to do now.

DS2 is 18 - he is not still breastfeeding (obviously) although came to my bed each night until he was about 8. You are there when they need you and then they don't in the same way. I was the transitional object.

DD co-slept til she was 10, then one night decided that was it, they just grow out of these things. You think they are going to last forever and 'Poof' it just stops.

@Nikamon I always recommend Daisy Goodwins book Bringing Up Baby. It isn't a parenting How to book, but more of a review of parenting books and trends throughout the ages from Tudors and wet Nurses to Gina Ford / Super Nanny and the geo-socio-economic-polical factors at play too, like mothers encouraged to leave their baby's (particularly boys) to sleep outside in the early 1900s to have 'hardy' baby's to prepare them for war etc. It's a really interesting read and helps put these parenting issues in perspective.

Don’t worry they grow out of it. Just go for the easy option now

I stressed about this too, but in the end reframed it as 'giving baby opportunity to go to sleep amd self sooth without boob'. It was very up and down ( as with all baby things, 1 step forward 2 steps back next week!). My little one started to be put down by others reliably at about 8 or 9 months.
I remember stressing and crying cause i read something onnline and the stupid Gina ford book that made me feel like a failure. Please don't stress.