3 months...putting down to sleep

[mrsb26]

Hi all

DD is 3 months and ebf.

She is starting to drop the cluster feeding in the evening. Currently, she will bath at 8pm, we do book, boob (usually big feed on both sides) then bed.

She does feed until she falls asleep and I'm worried I've created this habit. To be honest though, it only happened this way due to her necessity to cluster feed for a few hours, which naturally resulted in her falling asleep eventually, which is when we put her down in her Moses basket.

She's a great sleeper, going from 9ish to 5ish, quick feed, wind and then back to sleep til 7-8am.

My question is, should I be putting her down awake?

She is a very alert baby and struggles to sleep during the day, only going down by rocking and usually sometimes waking as soon as we put her down.

Am I worrying about nothing? Should I be putting her down awake?

I am no expert but I reckon it's best to try and put her down awake so she's used to it for the future.

Can you swap the feed and book over? We do bath, bottle, burp, book, bed. If DS falls asleep during the feed, the burp wakes him back up anyway but he's still nice and drowsy for book and bed.

Bree how old is your dc?

He's 5 months now, we started that ^^ about 4 months I reckon.

Bree's DC is 5 months I think (she has another thread going on the sleep board).

At 3 months old it is quite difficult for a BF baby to not fall asleep when feeding, baby is still very tiny and young.

At this age I would feed (not deliberately keeping going until asleep, but often baby would fall asleep) then lift baby to my shoulder and rub back in case any burps or posseting may come. Then move baby again to lie down for sleep separate from me (ie in bouncy chair/cot/basket). I'd have been doing this from birth.

This act of lifting and moving baby after the feed is enough to every so slightly rouse baby. Not usually enough to fully wake, but enough so that she is aware of the movement.

The mistake I believe many make with regards feeding to sleep isn't the act of feeding to sleep, it is then being afraid to move and being very careful to disturb baby as little as possible. I feel the opposite is a better thing to establish when baby is still young. Get baby used to the idea that they get to the 'very sleepy / dozy' stage on the breast. Stays at the dozy/sleepy stage but gets used to being moved in that phase and then learns to settle into a deep sleep in the cot (or wherever they sleep) rather than in Mums arms.

My dd is 4 months.

I use to feed to sleep, particularly as I was Co sleeping until recently but I found when she got to 12 weeks she was naturally falling asleep at 8 (and not cluster feeding) so I started placing her in her crib. As pp said this usually woke her slightly or completely so we'd then sit with her (dd in crib/us on the bed) until she fell asleep. If she whimpered we'd leave her whimpering until she fell asleep but if she full on cried we'd get her out and cuddle and try again again. Often I would have to feed again but she is now 16 weeks and will sleep if put in her crib without being fed to sleep (both naps & night) . I only feed to sleep now when she wakes over night but I then put her straight back into her crib.

We don't do the whole bath/book etc routine as it's too exciting for her. We just go and sit in our room with the night light on when she shows signs of being tired (roughly 7.30/8) and cuddle her. Once calm I place her in the crib.

I struggle with this too, when I feed I have to hold my son upright for about 15-20 mins to stop him puking even if he has burped, so he usually falls asleep in my arms then I put him in the crib. I'm not sure how to avoid this though.