Resenting breastfeeding (sleep related)

[chloechloe]

I feel really bad writing this but I'm going through a difficult phase with DD2's night-time sleep and am starting to resent the fact that I can only settle her with BFing sometimes. She's 7.5 mo and going through the awful phase of crawling and pulling herself up in her sleep. She then wakes up so hysterical that there is often no other way of calming her down (5 wake ups in 1.5 hours tonight so far and I had to let her latch on for 3 of them).

I know I should be grateful that this instantly calms her down and gets her back to sleep. But I'm so sick of getting my boobs out all the time and want my body back! She isn't fed to sleep at all (except for when she feeds in the middle of the night) yet this motor development phase is making her inconsolable. I'm fine with feeding her during the day, I just wish I could soothe her another way at night.

Does anybody else feel like this?

This hyper mobility stage is just a phase. Help her and she will get through it in no time.

In terms of feeding to sleep, it's a tough time for you now do not the right time to make this decision really. It's going to be much harder in you to develop a different way to settle her at this age, so honestly, feeding to sleep probably is the best and easiest thing to do for now.

How about putting a 'review date' on breastfeeding at night? I'd try and get to 12 months. By then you could move baby into a comforter to calm and sooth her instead of feeding much easier than it will be now.

I would give yourself permission to decide to night wean at 12 months, if you want to. It gives you a light at the end of the tunnel when times are hard. But you might get to 12 months and decide to carry on, and that's fine too.

Thanks fate, you're right that now is not the best time to be making such a decision. It's just so exhausting as she will not take a bottle and doesn't eat much in the way of solids which means I rarely get a break. This too will pass!

Im going through exactly the same thing. We had dropped the feed to sleep association before 6 months and were down to 1 feed a night with the occasional nights of sleeping through... then she went through this developmental phase. When she wakes at night after having sat up or rocking on all fours, absolutely nothing other than the breast settles her. It doesn't put her to sleep but calms her down enough for me to put her back in her cot.

Also in a similar situation with regards to solids, we are BLW (she hates the spoon) and I am still waiting for it to click so daytime bf occur every 3-4 hours during the day.

No advice unfortunately as I am just resorting to the breast - we tried one night of cuddles, rocking, putting her in our bed and nothing worked. She got more worked up and I was wide awake and couldn't get back to sleep after it all. I decided then to just stick with bf each time as she goes back to sleep quicker and we all get better (allbeit broken) sleep this way.

I had same issue and night weaned at about 7.5 months (but he was eating well I must say) Basically just picked DS up every 1-2 hours when he woke and just held him, rocked, shushed, whatever really just to get him to settle! It was a tough 1st night and he did cry, but not hysterical as I was holding him, more frustration/anger!
Night 2 was similar but settled quicker at each wake. Probably took 7-10 days to sleep through and he still does now, apart from the odd dummy insert/ shush pat etc or occasional rough night you expect with teething, development leaps etc.
The only thing I would say is just be careful because as soon as night weaning was complete he lost interest in the day time too and has basically self weaned at 9months which wasn't my intention really, was hoping to feed until 12 months ish.
Good luck whatever you decide