Advice on how to stop 16wo from feeding to sleep

[Jellybabie3]

Any suggestions? This happens naps and bedtime although naps can be without a feed if in the car or pushchair or with some persistant rocking (occasionally). I have kind of resigned myself to day time naps being on me but am concerned about the constant feeding to sleep is becoming a bad habit.

I feed downstairs and then go up and rock or pat in the cot.

Thanks. Does your LO self settle?

Or pat all the way to sleep?

With DC1 I got really tired and stressed trying not to feed to sleep. DC2 I just fed to sleep and it was fine!

@Dozer interesting!! Did DC2 just stop themselves?

I would put her down for naps once asleep. She sometimes fell asleep in car or pushchair without being fed. Co slept at night. When she was one did dr jay gordon method (basically cuddles and sips water but no boob!) to stop night bf, took about 5 nights of crying! At that age I returned to work, she went to a childminder and happily accepted cows milk and water from sippy cups and napped.

She was a different character and sleeper to dc1, which helped!

Snap Dozer. It was such a calmer life! Just go with it - it won't be forever and it's a shortcut to peace! When I wanted to night wean (about 18 months) we first swapped the last bf to a bottle. Then swapped routine so bottle was before bath / pjs and last bit was a cuddle in the chair exactly as with bf just without the feed. Phased it in slowly and she adapted easily.

I second just going with it. I got a bit hung up on it but then just went with it, eventually she stopped it and went to bed no bother. Still a great sleeper now.

Thanks ladies. I guess i accept naps on me in the day and feed to sleep if no harm done. Fingers crossed

My now 9 month old took all naps on me until about 4 months old. We then started taking naps upstairs - I would feed him on the bed until he was asleep then put him down. He then started self settling around 7 months. I worried like you at the start but it does get better...

@LittleJack18 thanks! So u lifted asleep into their cot?

Before he got mobile and I was comfortable with him sleeping on our bed, I just transferred him into our bed. Now he naps in his cot but I have to feed to sleep again now - I’m blaming leap 6!

Just roll with it, it's a lovely comfort you're giving your baby rather than a bad habit.

Both my DSs fed to sleep when little. It became useful when they refused a nap but were clearly tired to be able to boob them to sleep.

There’re techniques to putting down a sleeping baby during the day to avoid them waking up: DH had it off to a fine art! I managed it only sometimes.

Sometimes DD self settles, sometimes she needs rocking/patting - I find the more tired she is the more help she needs to get to sleep whereas if I time bedtime right she goes into the cot wide awake and settles herself quite happily in a few minutes (I stay in the room).
I found none of mine slept through the night until they fell asleep without help at bedtime.

glad I stumbled across this thread. ds 17 weeks and i also feed to sleep and could have written your post jellybabie3.
I have noticed that in the last week or two I have been able to place ds in cot during day for naps if he is properly asleep instead of holding him but this is a very recent developement.

other than that i have been stressing that he will never learn to self soothe and I have somehow failed by allowing this to happen.

Glad I'm not the Only one @sleepycat13 iyswim. I guess we just carry on and hope they figure it out

My dd never ever took a nap during the day in her cot...she was either in Moses basket (really early days), in bouncy chair, on me or in pram/buggy. And do you know, I do miss those nap time cuddles when she was out for the count and I had no choice but to catch up on some tv...I say enjoy it while you can!

Go with it. DD fed to sleep every time unless in sling or pram until she decided she didn't want to breastfeed any more. A couple of weeks of ssshh-patting and she's gone to sleep beautifully by herself ever since.

Thanks. I will carry on but he is now snacking through the night. Aargh

I've just read the baby sleep guide which basically says i should not be feeding before sleep/nap and lying with him whilst patting his back.....

Dear god.

I can try but i fear the hysterical crying already.

No idea what to do. Last night DD comfort fed all through the night. I really dont mind him waking for food but just go suckle is annoying!!

I really am worried i have created a monster because he cant self settle. If i try n pull him off the boob to shush pat he goes wide eyed and looks at me like 'yeah right' and basically waits for me to cave.....in the middle of the night i do struggle to find the motivation to NOT feed to sleep.

That said he will go into his own room in 8 weeks and i dont want to be up 100x in the nursery. Atm i feed him laid down then lift him into his side cot

I think everyone feeds to sleep during night feeds, its just initially.

You can teach him to self settle, or you can wait it out, its really up to you - there's no right or wrong or should be doing.

@Marcine what do you mean 'its just initially'?

I fed to sleep for 21mo with DD and still going strong with DS at 12mo. I think it's brilliant. Why wouldn't you use the most natural tool available for settling a baby?

Yes it's possibly more of a long term option, but feeding to sleep does not mean at some point that you can't tackle overnight wakings.

I hate sleep training books. But then how much money can you make from saying your baby is a tiny human who is programmed to be comforted at the breast. Probably not as much as peddling their 'magic' plans!