Cuddling to sleep

[Squaffle]

Just looking for some opinions/anecdotes/advice re. cuddling to sleep.

DD is 6 months old and has always been cuddled to sleep. Can't remember why, it must have just been what we did when she was newborn and it worked so we carried on. She sleeps really well at night and is getting better during the day and I know we are VERY lucky to have this!

She will be going to a childminder in Jan when I go back to work, so I think it's time to start weaning her off the cuddles: not completely but just so that she can go to sleep by herself when needed. She has a dummy too. If she wakes at night she usually just needs this putting back in and she'll go back to sleep. I don't pick her up to cuddle her back to sleep at night, she's never slept in our bed as DP is such a heavy sleeper, and she can fall asleep by herself in the car or buggy. I tried leaving her once to self settle in her cot and it took an hour of chatting, rolling and eventually crying before she gave in. Every time I went in to give her the dummy she laughed; it was a great game!

Her daytime nap routine is nappy change, sleeping bag, dummy, cuddles. Her bedtime routine is bath, book, bottle, sleeping bag, dummy, cuddles. I guess gradual retreat could work but she might just laugh through that too?! I feel like my presence is too distracting/entertaining!

Thanks for your advice wise ladies! x

I'm very jealous!

That aside maybe just doing a gradual thing like slowly day by day hold her less tightly until after a week or so you're not holding her but just have your arm near her, then get to the point where you're moving further and further away from the cot.

Perhaps introduce something at the same time as the cuddles like a familiar song? That way it might eventually replace the cuddles too

I don't have any decent advice as DD is 14 months and still cuddled to sleep. But just wanted to share that she's been in nursery for 3 months and naps absolutely fine there without being cuddled to sleep! You may find that yours is fine and is different at the cm to how she is at home.

Can't the childminder cuddle her?

I BF DD to sleep at bedtime until she was 18m! Then we cuddled her to sleep about a month, then moved to putting her in the cot and holding her hand, then not touching her then sitting in chair outside room etc
She's 21.5m now and has been good this week, I've managed to put her in cot and go downstairs, only needing to go to her once or twice before she falls asleep.
Everyone has their own way of doing things but this suited us best.
Good luck

When you cuddle her have a blanket between you so eventually cuddling the blanket will be enough. My ds 2 holds his blanket and is asleep in seconds and he was prem and was cuddled to sleep!!

Ah thanks so much everyone! Some great advice and ideas there. Mumsnet always makes me feel better! (Apart from Penis Beaker; I need to bleach my brain after that one.) The childminder might be able to cuddle her sometimes but there will be other children there too so no guarantee. Will try all the suggestions and see what happens!