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Original poster

Breastfeed to sleep

13 replies

LeosMamma · 10/12/2018 11:54

Hi! This is my very first post... hooray!

I have a 4 month old son (my first) and he breastfeeds to sleep at night. He can self settle back to sleep sometimes in the night and so far our sleep at night is fine (for a baby). I’d like to stop BF him to sleep (or at least soon) but it seems to be the only way he can calm down enough to fall asleep. We do a routine - low lights, bath, pyjamas, story...

Does anyone have experience and/or advice?

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StinkySaurus · 11/12/2018 20:05

Read the no cry sleep solution. It has a technique to stop feeding to sleep. I personally haven’t done it because I love how easy it is to feed to sleep but the book is interesting and the steps to stop make sense.

TeddyIsaHe · 11/12/2018 20:08

I bf to sleep till dd was one. She’s nearly 2 now and self-settles perfectly every night and nap. I wouldn’t worry about it becoming an everlasting habit. Enjoy it while he’s still tiny! I miss dd’s sleepy weight on me so much, she wouldn’t even entertain the thought of bf to sleep now.

Changeymcchangechange · 11/12/2018 20:16

I still BF my now 15 month old to sleep some nights. Some nights she falls asleep on the boob, some nights she goes down awake and self settles, some nights she has a bottle of cow's milk and a cuddle with her dad. She's slept through since 11 months, doesn't need to feed for naps since she was about a year old. I would try and enjoy it while you can (I know it's easy to say), I got very stressed about sleep, but really she's now one of the best sleepers I know.

Original poster
LeosMamma · 12/12/2018 08:40

Such helpful & kind replies, thank you! I think I just needed “permission” to continue doing what works for us plus enjoy baby life. :) Ah, parenting. I have the most wonderful baby in the world and sometimes I just forget to ENJOY it!

Also super helpful to hear from someone who’s been there that it’s not forever.

Follow on question - did you ever go out for the occasional evening and, if so, was your partner able to help your baby to sleep?

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SnuggyBuggy · 12/12/2018 08:43

Mine is a few months older and I've decided to keep doing it for now. I attempt to put her down to self settle now and then but it never works and I don't think she is ready.

StinkySaurus · 12/12/2018 12:49

@Leosmama
I have been out in the evening before, dad put her in a carrier and wondered around the living room and baby fell asleep on dad and we transfered to the cot when I came back. So it is possible.

Changeymcchangechange · 12/12/2018 15:05

Yes I had my first night out at probably 14 weeks and then I've had a few nights since. Dad usually cuddles to sleep and gives a bottle, it does take him longer and there has been some crying but we've found it is possible and if I'd had a reason to go out more often then they would have probably had more of their own routine but we do find that if I am in the house baby wants to be settled by me

QueenofmyPrinces · 19/12/2018 12:30

What I did:

Bath

Take baby into their nursery and put their pyjamas on. Have the curtains open and bedroom light on so the environment is not one conducive to sleep and breast feed. When I felt baby was drifting off to sleep I would wake him.

When he was awake I would close the curtains, turn off the main light and put on a lamp and then read two stories with him.

After the stories I would put him into his sleeping bag, sing him a few nursery rhymes and then put him into his cot awake.

The important thing to do is make sure there is a gap of activity in between the breast feed and being put into the cot. It’s about breaking the association between breast feeding and sleep.

However, I did this at an age where my son didn’t need breastmilk overnight (it was just a habit) whereas a 4 month old baby generally does so I’m not sure how you would deal with that as I’m sure you wouldnt fancy putting the lights
on and reading stories at 2am Grin

StinkySaurus · 20/12/2018 08:46

@Queen what age did you start doing that? Did your baby protest?

QueenofmyPrinces · 20/12/2018 10:21

I did it when he was 9 months old.

At the start he definitely protested when I woke him up if he fell asleep feeding but after about 4-5 days of doing it he stopped falling asleep and would just unlatch when he was done and then we’d have the stories.

He also protested when I walked out the room and would start crying but with the use of CC that also stopped after 4-5 days and then he’d usually just babble to himself for 10 minutes before going to sleep.

We used the same routine for his naptines too.....without the bath of course Grin

He’d never properly napped in the day and certainly not in a cot so I was quite nervous about introducing strict nap times but it worked really well.

CountessVonBoobs · 20/12/2018 10:24

Honestly, just feed to sleep for now. Your baby will probably grow out of it by themselves and it's both useful and lovely. Baby is too small for sleep training anyway.

My DH and nanny have their own ways of settling baby when I'm not there.

newmumwithquestions · 20/12/2018 10:25

Don’t bother stopping unless you want to - ie not because you feel you ‘should’.

Follow on question - did you ever go out for the occasional evening and, if so, was your partner able to help your baby to sleep?
Yes, and partner was fine to settle, but DD wouldn’t settle with him if I was there.

Original poster
LeosMamma · 13/01/2019 09:53

Thank you, all! Super helpful. We continue to feed to sleep for now and it’s actually so lovely. :)

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