Breaking sleep associations

[Wonderland18]

My LO is recently 5 months and currently will only sleep or nap if she has boob. It wouldn’t be so much of an issue but I go back to work in 3 months and I need to get her used to napping for other people. She will fall asleep in the car or in the harness sometimes but if I’m taking an hour to myself I hear her crying for a good half an hour before she will give into sleep for her dad. She has reflux and CMPA so I’m doing dairy free and she was always a comfort eater. I’m trying to wean her off the nipple with the pull out before she’s sleeping method but that just rouses her completely. I’ve tried creating new associations but she won’t take a dummy and the others don’t seem to be sticking. I have used m white noise with every nap and a comforter for the past week but she’s little to no care for these without boob. I always end up giving in after 30 minutes of crying cause I don’t like seeing her so heartbroken.

Really need some help here

It's so hard! No one tells you that you have to teach your baby how to sleep. Or at least, no-one told me.

Different people have different opinions on sleep training. We've used the gradual retreat method with both of ours. You start by sitting with them, shushing, maybe hand on chest. But you do have to stick with it, and yes, it's really hard when they cry. It has worked for us, of course every baby is different.

I hope that you get a range of responses so that you decide what is best for you.

Good luck!

Thanks so much for your response!

She won’t nap without cuddles either, it’s been a bad habit I’ve not stopped because I love her snuggling with me a lot of the bad sleeping habits have came from her being so sickly as a newborn. The cuddles for naps can be maintained for a while cause she will be watched by family for the first year while I’m back at work and by then she will probably outgrow them on her own as she is very independent when awake.

I’m having a lot of success with the hairdryer, she fusses for 5-10 minutes then eventually falls asleep but it’s not sustainable and she won’t kip with the white noise machine.

I’m wondering if I’m better to introduce bottles during the day and stick to boob at night so she can differentiate needing boobs for naps. I’m totally content with feeds at bedtime as she usually feeds at 7 then goes into her cot until 1 before she’s up for a top up and we usually co sleep the rest of the night as she’s up for 1 or 2 more feeds.

It’s just that napping on the nipple has became so unsustainable by now.. should I just persevere with the retracting nipple and healthy sleep associations like dark room with white noise and a comforter? It has only been a week and there is definitely some progress there as she will nap on my chest instead of on my nipple now?

I’m just at a loss on whether I’ll get anywhere with this method or I should try something more shock and awe

We've got a baby sleep app (that's what it's called) on our phones with various sounds including a hair dryer. We stick that on if we are really struggling to get him to sleep as he clonks right out - could you use this instead of an actual hair dryer? At night we have waterfalls as he's in our room and it's much more pleasant than a hair dryer!

I’d pick a comforter and offer during feeds when she’s due a nap. When she’s not feeding, have it down your top so that it has your scent on.

Be consistent and give it a good couple of months.

It’s a good thing that she does eventually settle for your other half. She’s showing she can do it.

Also, don’t despair. A lot can happen on 3 months.

So I went with it at that age, but by around 7 months I’d had enough of 1 1/2 hour feeds at 9pm until 10.30pm and waking multiple times in the night to feed.

I started by giving a six oz bottle of expressed milk and then finished off with my boob so he’d sleep. He’d have less and less boob and gradually didn’t want any. By 8 months I’d weaned him onto a bottle of formula a night and then at about 13 months he gave up his night bottle

We gave him a bunny from 5 months which he’d suck in bed and that’s essential now to help him sleep

Thanks for your help guys!
She’s got CMPA and reflux so I’ve asked the dr for a prescription formula to try and begin weening to see if that will have any effect on her naps.

She does have one blanket she loves to snuggle with but it’s thick so I’ll need to try the comforter thing in the meantime and see if it helps.
3 months isn’t too bad but I’ll need to get her used to settling for other family members too so it’s still a long fight yet.. Wish me luch