How do I change eating habits?!

[boymum9]

I was hoping someone might give me some real life expertise and advice!

I have a 7 month old who will only go to sleep when I feed him (bottle) and sit with him until he calms and sometimes, but not always falls asleep in my arms where I then transfer him into his cot. After this he's a pretty good sleeper, wakes once or twice a night, sometimes sleep through and is always quick to go back to sleep.

He struggled with feeding for a long time and was always very unsettled which is why I got into this routine, but now whenever my husband tries to put him down at bedtime with the same routine he loses it (baby) and won't settle! Some days a week when I go to the gym it's the only time I can go and if I don't make it back all hell breaks loose! Bed time is 7ish and he currently naps 3 times a day.

Our eldest ds is nearly 3 and had a eat play sleep routine and was always, and still is a great sleeper, how do I now start to change ds2 habits (that I've obviously installed!) to something more like that so he will settle with at least my husband, i feed him down to every nap also.

Any advice?!

Leave them to it. The first time it will be awful, but the baby will eventually sleep. The second, he will sleep a little sooner, and so on. He is fine with you so he just needs to learn that Daddy can do it too! All of mine were breastfed, but I always fed to sleep and doing it with a bottle doesn't seem any different to me.
Encouraging them to spend time alone together will help as well. But (as with so many sleep problems) I think the trick is to not make it into a bigger deal than it needs to be. There is no major change or training that needs to be entered into, it's just a case of getting the baby used to an occasional change to the routine.

Thank you for your reply! I think you're right. I really struggled because we had to quit breastfeeding as he wouldn't latch and wasn't gaining weight and it really upset me, I fed my first son for 18 months! So I think I had a bit of guilt and just wanted to sit and cuddle him and we got into this routine!