Help! Takes 2 - 3 hours to feed baby to sleep!

[peacemama]

I don't know what to do. 5mo ds is definitely addicted to boob to go to sleep (taking at least 2 hours in the evening) and also wakes in the night up to 8 times and latches on so that he can go back to sleep. (we co-sleep) I am feeling ill and exhausted! I am so confused because I like the attachment parenting philosophy and think it feels right - but if my life is going to be this much of a nightmare for at least a year, I'm not sure if I shouldn't try to teach him how to sleep himself...oh its so hard, have felt stuck with this for ages. Would love some advice...thanks.
Also I think he is overtired and thats why he takes so long to sleep - but I am trying to give him sleeps in the day and give him a bath at 6 and then start the night feeding - but still he doesn't fall asleep until 9 or 9.30pm.

You could try pick up put down (see book 'The Baby Whisperer solves all your problems) - it worked really well for my dd who was just like your ds sounds. Good luck!

Ds was like this. I just went with it and eventually as he got older, more active and more tired (!) he began to fall asleep quicker. I don't see anything wrong with trying another gentle way of settling him, but it never worked for my ds (and we still feed to sleep at 2yo). Do you use a sling? Would he fall asleep being carried around perhaps?

In the meantime, try and make the feeding marathons nice for you - read / have tv on low / catch up on sleep. Enjoy the quiet time and try not to focus on getting him to sleep.

mine was the same - they grow out of it.

peacemama - how are you? any changes 4 you?

Hi Cruise thanks for asking...my times on mumsnet are a bit random because I live in New Zealand (though i'm english) so am usually not on at the same times. Well right now its night time here and he's awake and overtired as usual I think! Have attempted feeding him to sleep twice and given up for a break.
I have realised he has a cold now though so that might be why so many nightwakings. Keep trying to put more of a routine to his daysleeps but they are a bit all over the place and I always rock him or feed him to sleep. Am always confused about whether I should do full-on attachment parenting or teach him to sleep - don't think I can do cc until he's over 1yo maybe, but might get a cot at some point and try gentle methods like shh pat to see if he can learn to sleep by himself. Anyway, bit of a ramble really! How are you going?
I will have to go put him to sleep in a minute so may not reply until my morning, your night time....but we'll see..

also thanks abracadabra I might try pu/pd as well at some point and Tatties its good to know it might take less time later and I haven't tried a sling yet, though he used to fall asleep being carried by dh.
He has gone to sleep btw! It's 9:20pm. Think I am currently a bit of a random go-with-the-baby mum even though I keep thinking I want to be more routine-like and it would be better for him because he would possibly get more sleep...and so would I! (hmm)
They do say you experiment on your first!

why didn't I get a sceptical face icon?! I'll try again...(hmm)

oh well!

use the square brackets for emoticons

Hi, I did the whole attachment parenting thing with ds1 (4 in two weeks time). Was in same situation as you re: feeding to sleep, at times it took ages and ages, and he woke a lot in the night. It gradually decreased and became more bearable. I got the book 'No Cry Sleep Solution' and did some stuff from that (not much though, am quite lazy!). He eventually outgrew need to feed to sleep, (think that was some time between 2 and 3), and the night wakings cut down.. but all along the way things got gradually better, then sometimes went backwards, then got better again.

I've currently got a 6 week old and am trying to teach him better sleep habits... however I can already feel us going the same way. I don't feel toooo bad about this as at least I know it does end eventually.

ps I'm glad I stuck with the AP stuff - hard as it was I think my child really benefitted.

I know some people don't like them but if your baby has a need to suck to sleep have you tried a dummy. I didn't want to use one but as dd was falling asleep on me/bottle/finger then we thought we may as well try the dummy as it's the same thing really. And it worked quite nicely. Obviously we will still have the issue of getting rid of the dummy at some point but at least we get a bit more sleep now.

Good luck.

i find that a bath just stimulated my DS and makes it harder to get him to bed. maybe try bathing in the morning instead and see if that helps.