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Sleep

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Original poster

How many of your babies fall asleep without a "prop"?

16 replies

chicca · 28/12/2005 20:33

Am struggling to stop bf my DS (18 months) to sleep and back to sleep again after one of his many wake-ups during the night. He won't and never has entertained the idea of a bottle or a dummy or sucking his thumb. It's the breast or nothing.
But, is this just another prop to get him to sleep?
How many of your little ones fall asleep with nothing to help them?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Maddison · 28/12/2005 22:09

My DS2 is the same, although he is only 7 months. He gags on a dummy and just chews his thumb and fingers so that keeps him awake!

Needless to say, I'll keep an eye on this thread!

Sorry I can't help

wheresmyfroggy · 28/12/2005 22:14

DD1 has fallen asleep alone since about 5 months.

However dd2 has to have her fisher price aquarium and her back patted [she is 8 months]

Our nephew was 13 months when my brother bought him the aquarium and it helped him fall asleep alone from then.

Jasnem · 28/12/2005 22:17

DD1 jsut slept right from the start...

DD2 only ever fell asleep on the breast, but when I stopped at 8 months, she started to suck her thumb. Shes 5 now, and still does.

santabops · 28/12/2005 22:21

I have always used a tune playing light show thing for both of mine. I also made an effort to put them to bed when they were still awake iyswim and not feed them to sleep.

DD had a dummy till 3 months and then used to settle herself.

DS never had a dummy. Sucks his thumb and I hate to admit this but has recently used the other hand to hold his willy! (2 years old)

santabops · 28/12/2005 22:22

Oh and a bit of back patting helps on a bad night...

mazzystar · 28/12/2005 22:39

not mine, for sure, he's a dummy addict

Original poster

chicca · 29/12/2005 10:25

So should I assume that nobody else is quite as mad as me - giving in to the demanding breast obsessed boy night after night?!

OP posts:

Auntybrandybutter · 29/12/2005 10:27

I just put mine to bed..he is 15 months and when its bed time I put him to bed and say night!!!
none of them have fed to sleep after 1..their choice, not mine!

Bozza · 29/12/2005 10:34

My DS has never had any comforter other than breastfeeding when he was a little baby and then back rubbing/patting as he got older. He never had a dummy, sucked his thumb or showed any interest in the soft toys in his cot other than to throw them on the floor in the morning.

DD has a beanie Po and a little puppy dog that she sleeps with. She is not too attached to them though and I can substitute other soft toys if necessary.

It definitely sonds to me that if your 18mo is bf repeatedly in the night then he is using it as a prop. I would try and sort it out so that he doesn't feed to sleep at bedtime, set up an alternative routine and then once that is in place also use it for nighttime wakings.

Glitterygook · 29/12/2005 10:36

ds3 is 16 months and has never had anything to get him to sleep. Never had a dummy and although he was bottle fed, he didn't use that as a comforter either.

Ds1 and ds2 had dummies as babies but ds3 just wouldn't have one.

Original poster

chicca · 29/12/2005 10:41

OMG, how have I let it get this far? I guess I am just desperate for him to go to sleep every night (and then back agin when he wakes up), I just do whatever it takes.
That's what you get for being stuck in the middle of nowhere in Spain!

OP posts:

Auntybrandybutter · 29/12/2005 10:46

he wont be doing it at 5!! If it works for you then stick with it! If you want to stop it then you have to just do that! Stop

Glitterygook · 29/12/2005 11:06

Agree with Aunty! YOu do what you have to - I spent a good while getting up just to put a dummy back in with the others - one of those 'drawbacks' of dummies that people tell you but who cares if it gets them straight off to sleep. THere are times when the only way to get ds3 back to sleep is just ignore him because he doesn't have any sort of guaranteed comforter - that's just as hard as popping in a dummy or breast!

izzybiz · 29/12/2005 17:58

my DD (19months) has always been fed to sleep, this resulted in her being in moses basket next to my bed till she was 8 months so i could repeatedly feed her during the night.
in the end i changed her routine and put her to bed awake, we did cc for about a week and she was sleeping through.
somehow though we are back where we started, she has to have her bottle to fall asleep, shes very attatched to it.
am going to start cc again soon as new year is over. i dont know why we put up with it for so long when it is very easilly sorted!

Twiglett · 29/12/2005 18:15

just pop a blanket on him and let him find his thumb?

a toddler of that age does not need to be fed during the night

ISawFrannyandZooeyKissingSanta · 29/12/2005 18:34

Chicca, my ds is coming on for 3 and still has milk in the night to fall back to sleep. If you're happy with it, then don't worry about it, there's nothing to be ashamed about. I used to struggle with getting enough sleep, but now I'm used to it and he only needs a quick slurp before rolling over - it's quite nice he still wants it in some ways, and of course they don't need it, but it's nice to give them what they want if it's not bad for them (or you).

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