My baby only falls asleep whilst feeding/sucking her bottle is this bad?

[mumtobe23]

I EBF for the 1st 5 months & she would fall asleep suckling at the breast.
Now shes 9 months & on the bottle she will only drop off for naps or bed time whilst sucking it (she doesnt have a dummy).
I dont really think this is a problem i kind of thought she's young still and will eventually self settle when shes a bit older & of her own accord, but my DP says its bad she wont self settle now and we should start to encourage her to do so otherwise she will always want a bottle to sleep.

Now im panicking, is it really that bad she will only fall sleep with a bottle?

(she falls asleep fine in the car or whilst in the pram without a bottle)

There's a Mumsnet webchat with an anthropologist specialising in infant sleep, and she says all the research says you are right and your DH is wrong. ;)

My DS was the same as your DD. He started settling himself withoit a night feed at about 15 or 16 months. It's useful IMO having that guaranteed way to get them off!

9 months is still very tiny. No need to worry about independence yet. The focus on self settling is apparently unique to the West, yet kids in every other culture don't need feeds/other people to get them off to sleep all their lives, either.

Same here.
DS used to BF to sleep.
Then took a bottle to bed at about 13 months (milk first, later water).

Now sings himself to sleep at 16 months. Has done for the past couple of months.

Do whatever gets you through, and whatever keeps DD happy. Nothing is forever IMO.

Mmm, mine spontaneously stopped around 13 months, and at 16 months started wanting to go to sleep on her own with her teddy.

You're right, he's wrong, enjoy it while it lasts.

Glad to read this, I too was worried about my DS who feeds to sleep all the time Was starting to think I was a bad mum, but glad I'm not!

hmmnn
not so sure
I have DS 2 1/2 who still has a sleep association with drinking. Wakes up in the middle of the night and wants a drink
I would try to nip it in the bud as early as you can

IME (very limited) they will just stop when they feel like it.

My DD used to BF to sleep, the would fall asleep on the bottle and now she takes a bottle before bed takes what she wants, stops, looks around for a while then snuggles down in my arms and gets a bit sleepy then I put her through to her cot and she goes to sleep. Some nights it takes a couple of tries with the 'I don't want to be here in my bed thank you, I want to be through with you' thing but generally not too bad.

She's a wee bit younger than your DD but I think that just goes to show every baby is different and your DD with stop when she's ready. IMHO I think trying to force her to sleep without a feed may just make you both distressed.

I don't think she'll go to school doing it, x.

My ds fed to sleep every nap and every night for the first 18 monthd. Now he's fine, he just settled himself and started drinking his milk but being more awake afterwards and wanting a teddy to snuggle instead. He's 2 now and has slept through since he was 9 weeks old, dispite HV saying he would never sleep through whilse we fed him to sleep. Rubbish. Keep doing it whilever you are happy to do it!