putting down awake - how?

[memememum]

Can anyone offer tips please? I am considering some kind of sleep method for ds 11 months (so tired, argh) and I see that many/most methods call for putting down awake. Problem is that once I bfeed ds he is fast asleep and I can't wake him up.

I have tried holding upright, blowing in face, calling his name, tickling etc. Also, there isn't a point during the feed when he seems awake so I could bring him off then.

Well, I think it's the Baby Whisperer that advises not feeding before sleep, so that would guarantee putting him down awake. I've not done it so don't know how it works.

Thanks blushingmare. I will have a look at that. Not sure I could make it work though, as he is always very hungry and there isn't a lot of time between tea and bed to fit a full bf in.

Yeah I know what you mean. I've always thought it sounded a bit mad to put them to bed on an empty stomach in any case! When he's feeding are you sure he's just feeding for food and not ending with comfort sucking to get himself off to sleep? ie. He's feeding what he needs to fill up and then staying latched on to suck himself to sleep. If so, then perhaps taking him off earlier and putting him down might work. The problem with that I guess is that he's bound to cry and you won't know whether that's tired, getting off to sleep crying or whether he's still hungry. TBH I'm probably not much help as always feed dd to sleep whenever I can.

I have always fed to sleep and only stopped with ds2 (15 months) about a month ago-though he's on cows milk now.

Personally, I think if its not causing you or baby too much hassle and upset, I'd continue what you're doing.

I think the only way to put baby down awake is to feed baby, then wake up or at least stir for a few minutes and leave them to settle in bed on their own.

The first time we did this with ds2 we gave him his milk downstairs instead of next to his bed, sat him up and spoke to him and gave him a cuddle and basically stirred him so he woke, gave him another cuddle for a couple of minutes while talking to him then dh took him to bed. Put him in bed awake, kiss, cuddle, walk out-he went straight to sleep.

But this was only about a month ago. Going great so far!

I remember being really worried about getting DS to his cot awake, but him always nodding off as he had his last bf.

This might not be the answer but my hand was forced when all of a sudden one night he didn't fall asleep feeding, and that was that, we put him down awake!

Put on his lullaby and walked out the room slightly panicking

I think it did take him a while - about 20 minutes to settle off to sleep- and we went back in for reassurance every so often. But from that day, he never fell asleep with final feed, only got v dopey at most. So we just carried on putting him down awake.

Not really an answer sorry but I suppose it might reassure you they find their own way!

I go with the BW - I tend to feed just after LO has woken, and then give a small top-up about 15 minutes before nap.